Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Savatage
Label: Metal Blade Records
Released: 1983
Rating: 3/5
Savatage were without a doubt one of the best American heavy metal bands of the ’80s and beyond. Over the years, album after album, they steadily grew, both in their songwriting and in the depth of their lyrics, and in the ’90s they started playing fantastic symphonic power metal (or progressive metal, if you prefer), which is still what most fans of their music rate them for today.
Savatage were founded by brothers Jon (vocals) and Criss Oliva (guitar). In the beginning they were a trio called Avatar. Jon sang and played bass, Criss played guitar and Steve Wacholz drums. Soon after, Jon decided to focus mainly on singing, so they brought in bassist Keith Collins. Just one day before the release of their first album “Sirens”, they were forced to change their name, since a band called Avatar already existed. And so Savatage was born.
“Sirens”, which got them their first deal with a bigger label, was recorded in just two days. Multi-instrumentalist Jon Oliva pretty much wrote all the music and lyrics himself, with occasional help from his brother Criss on a few tracks. Jon Oliva’s unique voice falls into the category of singers you either love or hate, since his mostly irritated, screeching delivery is certainly not for every taste. Still, he’s an excellent and versatile singer, and his voice fits the band’s music really well. The band’s sound at this point was classic American-school ’80s heavy metal, but with a bit more emphasis on songwriting and lyrics. Unlike the other American metal clichés of the time, their stuff is mostly based on fantasy themes. Of all the band members, Criss Oliva especially proved to be a hugely talented musician with a style and technique that was somewhat reminiscent of both Randy Rhoads (ex-Quite Riot, Ozzy Osbourne) and Eddie Van Halen. Most of the songs on this album became live favorites in the mid-’80s.
The first three tracks, “Sirens”, “Holocaust” and “I Believe”, are among the best things on the album. The title track especially stands out: it opens with the sound of bells and wind before turning into a hard-hitting march, where the band tells the story of the mythical sirens. Unlike other metal bands of the time, who often fell back on satanic and other assorted nonsense in their lyrics, Savatage are much more focused on telling stories, made-up or real, in a vivid way. Already on this album Criss Oliva shone with brilliantly played solos and some seriously original riffs, and it would be hard to pick out his best ones. “Rage” is probably the heaviest track on the album, a true explosion of speed and aggression. With “On the Run” the tempo of the album settles down a little, as Jon delivers some of his best vocal performances over an extra lively rhythm section. The solid “Sream Murder” is a typical genre representative. Though the band runs a bit short on ideas and drive from around the middle of the album, the closing “Out In the Streets”, which stands out stylistically from the rest thanks to its pervading romanticism, makes for a nice breath of fresh air. Because of its sentimental nature, the song later showed up again on their fourth album “Fight For the Rock” (1986). It’s a sort of window into their future.
The bonus tracks on the 2002 “silver” reissue are “Taget” and “Living On The Edge Of Time”, which are solid pieces but don’t stylistically stray from the rest of the album at all. There’s also a hidden track, a lovely, romantic instrumental on Criss’s acoustic guitar.
Even though the album has a few weak spots, “Sirens” is a very solid start for a band that’s now long been legendary. Sure, musically and lyrically it’s far from what they went on to create, and it’s nowhere near showing the band’s true potential, but it will surely win over anyone who loves quality early-’80s heavy metal, because this is one of the better and overlooked examples of the genre.
Lineup
Jon Oliva – vocals & piano
Criss Oliva – guitar, backing vocals
Keith Collins – bass guitar, backing vocals
Steve Wacholz – drums, percussion
Production
Dan Johnson
Tracklist
1. Sirens (3:40)
2. Holocaust (4:36)
3. I Believe (5:28)
4. Rage (2:40)
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)
Album length: 35:57
Bonus tracks from the 2002 reissue:
10. Target (Demo)
11. Living On The Edge Of Time (Demo)
99. Hidden track
