Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Savatage
Label: Metal Blade Records
Release: 1984
Rating: 3/5
Savatage’s second album is in many ways a stylistic continuation of the debut “Sirens” (1983), but with a much heavier sound and improved production, which is a surprise considering both albums were recorded almost at the same time. The main step forward is the sampled keyboard parts on a few tracks, a first for the band. They’ll go on to play a major role in the band’s sound, but here they’re just a bit of seasoning. “The Dungeons Are Calling” is, then, another classic American “old school” metal album, interesting mostly for a few of the band’s original touches, namely Jon’s vocals and Criss’s guitar work.
Still, there’s definitely a step forward in the execution too, and in the quality of the individual tracks. Collins’s bass sounds even more grooving than before, Criss’s trademark scorching riffing is even more original this time around, and Jon’s typical “maniacal” vocals are back too, the kind only he can pull off. The keyboards mentioned above are still pretty “primitive” here, which feels a bit odd today, since they became one of those musical elements you couldn’t imagine Savatage without later on. Even so, the biggest change between the debut and “The Dungeons Are Calling” is in the lyrics, which this time mostly deal with dark, fantasy-style tales of hell, witches and knights. Most of these lyrics feel pretty dated nowadays, but the music fits the context so well that you quickly forget about it.
The best and best-known tracks on the album are the title track “The Dungeons Are Calling” and “City Beneath The Surface”. On both, the keyboards come into their own for the first time, even though they’re never the main carriers of the music, more a kind of backdrop or even just an effect. Both songs also remained long-time staples of all their early gigs. The title track is among the most intense things the band ever did. On the dirt-heavy, rhythm-driven “By the Grace of Witch” and “Visions”, backing vocals are noticeable for the first time. The closer “The Whip”, where the band sings about sadomasochism, is by far the weakest track on the album, one that would’ve been better left off entirely. Worst of all, whoever was responsible for the reissue really shot themselves in the foot by accidentally including that flop at the end of the excellent “City Beneath the Surface” and then again as a standalone track. So it now shows up on the album twice!
Because the original had only six tracks, many people today mistakenly count “Dungeons Are Calling” as a longer EP. Probably precisely because of the original’s extremely short running time, all three bonus tracks on the reissue, “Metalhead”, “Before I Hang” and “Stranger In the Dark”, bring a fitting bit of satisfaction. They’re nothing special, but they fit well with the rest of the tracks and the album’s atmosphere stylistically. The hidden track really isn’t worth mentioning, though, as it’s pure burlesque directed by the Oliva brothers. Anyone with a taste for twisted humor might get what the two wanted to tell listeners with this “masterpiece”.
“The Dungeons Are Calling” admittedly doesn’t offer any big stylistic leap forward from the debut. Still, it does bring some of the changes mentioned above and, for the first time, hints that the band has plenty more surprises up its sleeve. Its originality goes a step further here too. On top of that, it may even be their heaviest album overall, and as such it’ll thrill all the fans of hard-hitting, full-steam-ahead heavy metal. Savatage nicely demonstrate on it where the roots of American classic metal lie, as well as those of prog metal, thrash and power metal.
Lineup
Jon Oliva – vocals, piano
Criss Oliva – guitar, backing vocals
Keith Collins – bass guitar, backing vocals
Steve Wacholz – drums, percussion
Production
Dan Johnson
Track list
1. The Dungeons Are Calling (4:53)
2. By The Grace Of The Witch (3:13)
3. Visions (3:01)
4. Midas Knight (4:21)
5. City Beneath The Surface (5:49)
6. The Whip (3:27)
Album length: 24:54
Bonus tracks released on the 2002 reissue:
7. Metalhead (Demo)
8. Before I Hang (Demo)
9. Stranger In The Dark (Demo)
99. hidden track
