Savatage

Savatage is an influential American heavy metal band formed by brothers Jon and Criss Oliva in Tarpon Springs, Florida. Celebrated for their evolutionary sound, they successfully transitioned from aggressive US power metal into a highly theatrical, symphonic rock opera style that paved the way for modern progressive metal.
The Early Era and Avatar (1979–1986)

The Pit Origins: Brothers Jon (vocals/keys) and Criss Oliva (guitar) founded the group in 1979 in Tarpon Springs, Florida, alongside drummer Steve "Doc" Wacholz.
The Name Change: Originally named Avatar, they were forced to change it right before releasing their 1983 debut album, Sirens, because the name was already taken. They mashed together the words "Savage" and "Sabotage" to form Savatage.
Raw Power Metal: Their early releases, including Sirens (1983) and The Dungeons Are Calling (1984), established them as a dark, heavy force in the American underground metal scene.
Label Pressure: After signing with Atlantic Records, they released Power of the Night (1985) and the critically panned, commercially forced Fight for the Rock (1986), an album the band later admitted was heavily altered by executive meddling.

The Paul O’Neill Partnership and Masterpieces (1987–1992)

The Visionary Catalyst: In 1987, the band teamed up with producer and lyricist Paul O'Neill, a partnership that completely revolutionized Savatage's trajectory.
The Commercial Breakthrough: O'Neill helped shape the landmark album Hall of the Mountain King (1987), which merged heavy riffing with classical textures and spawned their signature title track.
Symphonic Pivot: The creative shift deepened with Gutter Ballet (1989) and culminated in Streets: A Rock Opera (1991), a highly conceptual, piano-driven masterwork.
Vocal Shift: Exhausted by the immense physical strain on his voice, front-man Jon Oliva stepped down as lead vocalist in 1992, transitioning to a primary songwriting and keyboard role. He was replaced by the clean-singing powerhouse Zachary Stevens for the 1993 album Edge of Thorns.

Tragedy and Transition (1993–2001)

The Loss of Criss: On October 17, 1993, tragedy struck when co-founder and virtuoso guitarist Criss Oliva was killed by a drunk driver in Florida.
The Show Goes On: Though devastated, Jon Oliva chose to continue the band as a tribute to his brother's memory. Guitarists like Alex Skolnick (Testament) and Al Pitrelli stepped in to handle guitar duties.
Concept Albums: The band pushed further into symphonic metal with ambitious concept pieces like Dead Winter Dead (1995) and The Wake of Magellan (1998).
The Birth of TSO: A Christmas-themed single from Dead Winter Dead called "Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)" became a massive surprise radio hit. This prompted Paul O'Neill, Jon Oliva, and the core lineup of Savatage to launch the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO). TSO achieved monumental global commercial success, ultimately shifting focus away from Savatage following their 2001 studio album, Poets and Madmen.

Present Day and Return
After entering an extended hiatus in 2002, Savatage made a brief return for a one-off performance at the Wacken Open Air festival in 2015. Following years of focus on TSO and a lengthy pause worsened by the death of Paul O'Neill in 2017, and various health challenges for Jon Oliva, the band reactivated their lineup, with surviving core members Jon Oliva, Chris Caffery, Zak Stevens, Al Pitrelli, and Johnny Lee Middleton confirmed they have officially reunited. The band has been recording a final studio album, titled Curtain Call, and have been preforming at various festival appearances without Jon Oliva.

Savatage official website - https://www.savatage.com/
Find out more about Savatage on Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savatage

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Savatage Releases

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Sirens
Released April 8, 1983 on Par Records - Recorded at Morrisound Recording Studios in Tampa, Florida

Original cover art

Alternate cover art

Side A
1. Sirens 3:40
2. Holocaust 4:36
3. I Believe 5:28
4. Rage 2:40

Side B
5. On the Run 3:31
6. Twisted Little Sister 3:38
7. Living for the Night 3:20
8. Scream Murder 3:50
9. Out on the Streets 5:11

The lineup for Sirens was Criss Oliva (Guitars), Jon Oliva (Vocals),
Steve "Doc" Wacholz aka "Doctor Hardware Killdrums" (Drums), and Keith "Thumper" Collins (Bass).

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The Dungeons are Calling - EP
Released March 22, 1984 on Par Records - Recorded at Morrisound Recording Studios in Tampa, Florida

Side A
1. The Dungeons Are Calling 4:53
2. By the Grace of the Witch 3:13
3. Visions 3:01

Side B
4. Midas Knight 4:21
5. City Beneath the Surface 5:49
6. The Whip 3:27

The lineup for The Dungeons are Calling - EP was Criss Oliva (Guitars), Jon Oliva (Vocals),
Steve "Doc" Wacholz aka "Doctor Hardware Killdrums" (Drums), and Keith "Thumper" Collins (Bass).

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Power of the Night
Released May 20, 1985 on Atlantic Records - Recorded at Bearsville Recording Studios in Bearville, New York

Side A
1. Power of the Night 5:14
2. Unusual 4:27
3. Warriors 4:03
4. Necrophilia 3:36
5. Washed Out 2:15

Side B
6. Hard for Love 4:00
7. Fountain of Youth 4:31
8. Skull Session 3:21
9. Stuck on You 3:10
10. In the Dream 4:16

The lineup for Power of the Night was Criss Oliva (Guitars), Jon Oliva (Vocals),
Steve "Doc" Wacholz aka "Doctor Hardware Killdrums" (Drums), and Keith "Thumper" Collins (Bass).

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Fight for the Rock
Released June 30, 1986 on Atlantic Records - Recorded at Bearsville Recording Studios in Bearville, New York

Side A
1. Fight for the Rock 3:57
2. Out on the Streets 4:00
3. Crying for Love 3:25
4. Day After Day (Badfinger cover) 3:40
5. The Edge of Midnight 4:49

Side B
6. Hyde 3:56
7. Lady in Disguise 3:21
8. She's Only Rock 'n' Roll 3:24
9. Wishing Well (Free cover) 3:22
10. Red Light Paradise 4:00

The lineup for Fight for the Rock was Criss Oliva (Guitars), Jon Oliva (Vocals),
Steve "Doc" Wacholz aka "Doctor Hardware Killdrums" (Drums), and Johnny Lee Middleton (Bass).

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Hall of the Mountain King
Released September 28, 1987 on Atlantic Records - Recorded at Record Plant Studios in New York City

Side 1
1. 24 Hrs. Ago 4:56
2. Beyond the Doors of the Dark 5:09
3. Legions 4:51
4. Strange Wings 3:46

Side 2
5. Prelude to Madness 3:14  instrumental
6. Hall of the Mountain King 5:33
7. The Price You Pay 3:52
8. White Witch 3:22
9. Last Dawn 1:07  instrumental
10. Devastation 3:38

The lineup for Hall of the Mountain King was Criss Oliva (Guitars), Jon Oliva (Vocals),
Steve "Doc" Wacholz aka "Doctor Hardware Killdrums" (Drums), and Johnny Lee Middleton (Bass).

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Gutter Ballet
Released January 23, 1990 on Atlantic Records - Recorded at Record Plant Studios in New York City

Side A
1. Of Rage and War 4:46
2. Gutter Ballet 6:21
3. Temptation Revelation 3:07  instrumental
4. When the Crowds Are Gone 5:47
5. Silk and Steel 2:56  instrumental

Side B
6. She's in Love 3:51
7. Hounds 6:11
8. The Unholy 4:38
9. Mentally Yours 5:15
10. Summer's Rain 4:31

The lineup for Gutter Ballet was Criss Oliva (Guitars), Jon Oliva (Vocals),
Steve "Doc" Wacholz aka "Doctor Hardware Killdrums" (Drums), and Johnny Lee Middleton (Bass).
Chris Caffery does not appear on the album, but is credited with guitars and keyboards and is pictured in the album's liner notes "both to prepare the fans for the line-up they'd see on tour and confirm his permanent member status"

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Streets: A Rock Opera
Released October 4, 1991 on Atlantic Records - Recorded at 321 Studios in New York City

1. Streets 6:48
2. Jesus Saves 5:27
3. Tonight He Grins Again 3:29
4. Strange Reality 4:58
5. A Little Too Far 3:34
6. You're Alive 1:51
7. Sammy and Tex 3:08
8. St. Patrick's 4:29
9. Can You Hear Me Now 5:11
10. New York City Don't Mean Nothing 4:03
11. Ghost in the Ruins 5:31
12. If I Go Away 5:17
13. Agony and Ecstasy 3:34
14. Heal My Soul 2:36
15. Somewhere in Time 3:17
16. Believe 5:42

The lineup for Streets: A Rock Opera was Criss Oliva (Guitars), Jon Oliva (Vocals),
Steve "Doc" Wacholz aka "Doctor Hardware Killdrums" (Drums), and Johnny Lee Middleton (Bass).

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Edge of Thorns
Released April 2, 1993 on Atlantic Records - Recorded at Sterling Sound in New York City

1. Edge of Thorns 5:54
2. He Carves His Stone 4:14
3. Lights Out 3:10
4. Skraggy's Tomb 4:22
5. Labyrinths 1:29  instrumental
6. Follow Me 5:08
7. Exit Music 3:05  instrumental
8. Degrees of Sanity 4:36
9. Conversation Piece 4:10
10. All That I Bleed 4:41
11. Damien 3:53
12. Miles Away 5:06
13. Sleep 3:52

The lineup for Gutter Ballet was Criss Oliva (Guitars), Zak Stevens (Vocals),
Steve "Doc" Wacholz aka "Doctor Hardware Killdrums" (Drums), and Johnny Lee Middleton (Bass).

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Handful of Rain
Released August 15, 1994 on Atlantic Records - Recorded at Morrisound recording Studios in Tampa, Florida

1. Taunting Cobras 3:21
2. Handful of Rain 5:25
3. Chance 7:50
4. Stare into the Sun 4:43
5. Castles Burning 4:39
6. Visions 1:25  instrumental
7. Watching You Fall 5:20
8. Nothing's Going On 4:09
9. Symmetry 5:04
10. Alone You Breathe 7:30

The lineup for Handful of Rain was Zak Stevens (Vocals), Jon Oliva (Keyboards, Bass, Guitars, Drums),
and Alex Skolnick (Guitars).
Both Steve "Doc" Wacholz (Drums), and Johnny Lee Middleton (Bass) were credited and did promotional photos, however neither played on the album.

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Dead Winter Dead
Released September 22, 1995 on Atlantic Records - Recorded at Soundtrack Studios, and Studio 900 in New York City

1. Overture 1:50  instrumental
2. Sarajevo 2:31
3. This Is the Time (1990) 5:41
4. I Am 4:32
5. Starlight 5:39
6. Doesn't Matter Anyway 3:48
7. This Isn't What We Meant 4:13
8. Mozart and Madness05:01  instrumental
9. Memory (Dead Winter Dead Intro) 1:19  instrumental
10. Dead Winter Dead 4:19
11. One Child 5:14
12. Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24) 3:24  instrumental
13. Not What You See 5:02

The lineup for Dead Winter Dead was Zak Stevens (Vocals), Jon Oliva (Keyboards, Vocals),
Al Pitrelli (Guitars), Johnny Lee Middleton (Bass), Jeff Plate (Drums), and Chris Caffery (Guitars).

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The Wake of Magellan
Released September 3, 1997 on Victor Records - Recorded at Soundtrack Studios, and Studio 900 in New York City

1. The Ocean 1:33  instrumental
2. Welcome 2:11
3. Turns to Me 6:01
4. Morning Sun 5:49
5. Another Way 4:35
6. Blackjack Guillotine 4:33
7. Paragons of Innocence 5:33
8. Complaint in the System (Veronica Guerin) 2:37
9. Underture03:52  instrumental
10. The Wake of Magellan 6:10
11. Anymore 5:16
12. The Storm 3:45  instrumental
13. The Hourglass 8:05

The lineup for Dead Winter Dead was Zak Stevens (Vocals), Jon Oliva (Keyboards, Vocals),
Al Pitrelli (Guitars), Johnny Lee Middleton (Bass), Jeff Plate (Drums), and Chris Caffery (Guitars).

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Poets and Madmen
Released March 5, 2001 on SPV/Steamhammer, Nuclear Blast America -
Recorded at Soundtrack Studios, and Studio 900 in New York City

1. Stay with Me Awhile 5:06
2. There in the Silence 4:57
3. Commissar 5:37
4. I Seek Power 6:03
5. Drive 3:18
6. Morphine Child 10:13
7. The Rumor 5:16
8. Man in the Mirror 5:56
9. Surrender 6:40
10. Awaken 3:24
11. Back to a Reason 6:10
12. Jesus Saves (live) 4:28
13. Handful of Rain (live) 5:27

The lineup for Poets and Madmen was Jon Oliva (Keyboards, Vocals),
Johnny Lee Middleton (Bass), Jeff Plate (Drums), and Chris Caffery (Guitars).

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