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The 1989 is a year of transition for Heavy Metal: new bands are emerging that will later make history in this genre (Dream Theater, Motley Crue, Soundgarden, Skid Row, Extreme), old stalwarts are trying to keep up with the times (Black Sabbath, Whitesnake, Rush, Aerosmith, Kiss), while others are at the peak of their careers (W.A.S.P., Metal Church, Tesla, Mr. Big).
Then there's a band that, still semi-unknown, churns out the best album of the year and, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful in the history of Hard 'n' Heavy: Savatage. Born as a cover band in the early '80s, the creation of the Italian-American brothers Oliva attracts attention with a series of decent albums focused on a classic Power Metal made in the USA. The pinnacle is reached with the release of the masterpiece "Hall of the Mountain King" in 1987, which marks the debut behind the console of producer Paul O'Neill, one of the most fruitful collaborations in music history. O'Neill's arrival gives Savatage a breath of fresh air, shaking them from the stasis of Power Metal and propelling them towards a more melodic and refined musical approach.
The following album "Gutter Ballet," from 1989, alongside "Streets: a Rock Opera," represents the peak of Savatage's career. The album (like the following one) is a perfect mix between the old Savatage, all granite riffs and "screams," and the new Savatage, all melody and epicness. The result is a timeless masterpiece where not a single misstep is found, and each song could be any other band's big hit. It starts with "Rage and War," which begins with the noise of a helicopter and then hits the listener with a fantastic bass line. The song is measured, powerful, an excellent opener because it glues the listener's ear to what follows. And what follows does not disappoint.
"Gutter Ballet" begins with delicate piano notes played in an unusual tempo (Jon Oliva's trademark) and then takes off, after about a minute, with the imposing riff of brother Criss, probably one of the most underrated guitarists ever. The track encapsulates Savatage's ethos: prog tempos, piano, Jon's falsettos, and Criss's majestic solo. All packed in just over 6 beautiful minutes. It's probably impossible to fully grasp the weight of this song without listening to it (so trust me, do it as soon as possible). After enjoying the beautiful "Temptation Revelation," a moving instrumental piece, comes another symbolic song from the Floridians: "When the Crowds Are Gone." This song is among the many wonderful ballads written by this band (remember "Believe," "A Little to Far," "In the Dream," "Alone You Breathe"), and every time I listen to it, I can't help but feel chills down my spine. The passion with which Jon Oliva sings is enthralling; the finale of just piano and voice brings copious tears. Majestic. The following "Silk and Steel" is another instrumental, featuring only Criss's acoustic guitar, a worthy example of his technique and musical taste. Track number 6, "She's In Love," harkens back to the early Savatage, with raw early power metal: a powerful and fast riff, Jon's screams, a searing solo, and a hammering rhythm section, thanks to the remaining three members of the group: Chris Caffery on rhythm guitar, Steve "Doctor Killdrums" Wacholz on drums, and Johnny Lee Middleton on bass.
But the highlight comes with track number 7: "Hounds" is a true masterpiece, in my opinion, the most beautiful song among all the gems written by Savatage. The lyrics speak of hounds, rabid dogs in the fog, waiting for the moment to attack. The atmosphere is haunting, with Jon's voice dragging you straight into that moist and cold moor. The song starts quietly, then gradually builds up to an explosion around halfway through, where we witness Criss's first great solo. Subsequently, there's another softening, with Jon's voice and organ creating beautiful dreamlike effects. But this is just the prelude to the grand finale where Criss unleashes an incredible solo, exhilarating beyond measure. Describing it in words is not possible, but believe me when I say that in a lifetime, solos of this caliber are fewer than the number of your fingers. All accompanied by a driving background, where Steve "Doc" Wacholz's drums reign supreme, monolithic and powerful just the right amount. Track number 8, "The Unholy," is probably the weak point of the album but is still a respectable track, with rare power that spills into the most furious thrash metal. The next "Mentally Yours" starts with a beautiful piano and voice prologue by Jon and then surprises the listener when Criss's hammering riff kicks in. It becomes a paced song, where Jon gives his best to appear as a mad lunatic with a microphone. Last, but not least in beauty, is "Summer's Rain," another tear-jerking piece that stands out as one of the album's greats. The guitar line of the chorus is moving, Jon's voice heartrending. Yet another formidable ballad produced by this band, closing an epochal album.
From here on, the Oliva brothers will be together to produce only two more albums, two further milestones: "Streets" from 1991 is the album most similar to "Gutter Ballet," a spine-chilling concept borne from the minds of Jon and O'Neill; "Edge Of Thorns," from 1993, is Criss's swan song, who will die shortly after in a car accident, leaving an unfillable void but gifting his best performance in this album. Savatage then continued their journey by moving more and more towards symphonic metal, blending classic Heavy Metal with Queen's music, becoming a unique band, capable of never disappointing expectations with works always up to par (even changing the singer, who from "The Edge of Thorns" onward becomes the talented Zachary Stevens, except for the last album "Poets & Madmen," where Jon returns).
In conclusion, I can only recommend this album to anyone, metalheads or not, because in this case, the work transcends the genre and rightfully enters the pantheon of masterpieces.
"Do you hear the hounds, they call/ Scan the dark eyes aglow/ Through the bitter rain and cold/ They hunt you down, hunt you down!"
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
01 Of Rage and War (04:46)
You got Libia, you got the Russians
You got civilian planes crashing to the oceans
Airports full of terrorists
Naziskins anarchists
When are they gonna learn
CHORUS:
Better listen to me you son of a bitch
Better disarm those missiles sleeping in the ditch
You have no goddamn right to do the things you do
The world will be a better place if we were rid of you
Of rage and war (4 x)
Every country's got the bomb
The scientists are working on
chemical weapons to melt the flesh
With no source of defense
Shoot me, I'll shoot you
Like there's nothing better to do
Who's the loser in the end
CHORUS
War broods in foreign lands
Missiles launch upon command
Islam Lebanon what the hell is going on
Ambassadors who say they try
Negotiating suicide
Are they prepared to face the end
Of rage and war (4 x)
02 Gutter Ballet (06:20)
Another sleepless night
A concrete paradise
Sirens screaming in the heat
Neon cuts the eye
as the jester sighs
at the world beneath his feet
CHORUS:
It's a gutter ballet
Just a menagerie
Still the orchestra plays
On a dark and lonely night
To a distant fading light
Balanced on their knives
Little parts of lives
Such a strange reality
Kill the unicorn
Just to have it's horn
Soon he's just a fantasy
CHORUS
The jester takes his bows
slips into the crowd
as the actors fade away
Another death to mourn
Another child is born
Another chapter in the play
CHORUS
04 When the Crowds Are Gone (05:46)
I don't know where the years have gone
Memories can only last so long
Like faded photographs, forgotten songs
and the things I never knew
When then skin is thin, the heart shows trough
Please believe me what I tell you is true
CHORUS:
Where's the lights, turn them on again
One more night to believe and then
Another note for my requiem
A memory to carry on
The story's over when the crowds are gone
All my friends have been crucified
They made life a long suicide true
Guess we never figured out the rules
But I'm still alive and my fingers feel
I'm gonna play on till the final reel's through
and read the credits from a different view
When the crowds are gone
and I'm all alone
Playing a final song
Now that the lights are gone
Turn them on again
One more time for me my friend
Turn them on again
I never wanted to know
Never wanted to see
I wasted my time till time wasted me
Never wanted to go
Always wanted to stay
Cause the person I am, are the parts that I play
So I play and I play
and hope that I scheme
to the lure of a night
Filled with unfinished dream
and I'm holding on tight
to a world gone astray
As they charge me for years
I can no longer pay
And the lights
Turn them off my friend
And the ghosts
Well just let them in
Cause in the dark
It's easier to see
06 She's in Love (03:51)
She likes what she sees
Starts to drop to her knees
Gazing with an appetite
Licks her lips in sheer delight
She's one of a kind
A sight for sore eyes
It's all the needs to be happy
I bet she never knew
It would taste so good
No she's in love
I knew she's in love
Oh no she's in love
Oh yeah she's in love
She just loves to please
Kiss of life her specialty
Oh how well she knows
Just how to make it grow
She's one of a kind
A sight for sore eyes
It's all she needs to be happy
No she's in love
I knew she's in love
Oh no she's in love
Oh yeah she's in love
07 Hounds (06:28)
Sun sets on the moor
The cry of the hounds live forevermore
Stalking the night
They roam the countryside till morning's light
CHORUS:
Do you hear the hounds they call
Scan the dark eyes aglow
Through the bitter rain and cold
they hunt you down
Hunt you down
They run wild and free
Across the fields and valleys of their native land
Nature's beasts deranged
Beyond belief no one understands
CHORUS
Can you hear them in the night
They got you in their sight
CHORUS
08 The Unholy (04:37)
Oh yeah
In distant ages long ago
Before the birth of Christ
Lived a race trapped in soul
Terror on the rise
United beyond the storm
They ruled the astral plane
No one could stop them
They wouldn't fall
In a while they would soon reign
A step beyond the grave
Visions so insane
They opened the gates of hell
Calling, calling
Unholy light is calling
Faster, faster
Prelude for disaster
But no
Here's your prize
Oh yeah
They're unholy
Raging spririts kept from the light
Enslaved in worlds of doom
Marching armies to the darker side
The devil's black platoon
Torches raised no mercy
Such was life
In the unholy years
Calling, calling
The lonely night is calling
Faster, faster
Prelude for disaster
Get straight
But no
Here's your prize
Oh yeah
The unholy
Oh yeah
They're unholy
They're unholy
Unholy
Unholy
Unholy
Unholy
11 Thorazine Shuffle (04:43)
Thinking about yesterday
and how my life used to be
Now I'm locked up this place
I'm a schizophrenic case
All the faces I now see
never show a sight of glee
Every night we start to hustle
It's time to do the thorazine shuffle
It's the thorazine shuffle
Everyday half past four
They push my food through the door
Every night right at eight
They put me back into my straight
All the paintings I have made
they look kind of strange
Every night we start to hustle
It's time to do the thorazine shuffle
It's the thorazine shuffle
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Other reviews
By IbanezGengis
"This blend of piano harmonies and raw, hard guitar riffs, combined with the extraordinary voice of the majestic Jon Oliva, has been the band’s fortune from this album onward."
"Pieces like 'Temptation Revelation,' 'Silk and Steel,' 'When The Crowds Are Gone,' and 'Summer’s Rain' are pure poetry, striking you to the core."
