Formed by Jon and Criss Oliva in 1981, Savatage quickly established itself at the cutting edge of the hard rock world. Tempering savage metal attacks with haunting orchestrations and a distinctive melodic sense, the band has pushed the artistic envelope of their genre and, in the process, garnered a large world-wide following. Comparisons range from Dream Theatre and Queensryche to labelmates King's X. No matter the comparison however, it's recognized that not only were Savatage pioneers in their field, they also continue to make amazingly vital music seventeen years after their inception.
After independently releasing their 1983 CITY BENEATH THE SURFACE EP, the group stepped forward in 1985 with their POWER OF THE NIGHT Atlantic debut album, followed in 1986 by FIGHT FOR THE ROCK. The band's 1987 album, HALL OF THE MOUNTAIN KING, signified a more progressive, multi-layered approach to the Savatage sound, and became one of the most critically lauded metal albums of the year. In 1990, GUTTER BALLET was similarly cheered with "metal record of the year" declarations from trade bibles Concrete Foundations and The Hard Report. Savatage continued to evolve with the release of their symphonic rock project STREETS, followed in 1993 by EDGE OF THORNS. Look for their new album THE WAKE OF MAGELLAN to be released in the spring of 1998.
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SIRENS 1983Track list: 1. Sirens
2. Holocaust 3. I Believe 4. Rage 5. On The Run 6. Notes: Reissued 1994 with 2 additional tracks* Lineup: Jon Oliva (Vocals, Piano), Criss Oliva (All Guitars, Back-up Vocals) Keith Collins (Bass, Backing Vocals), Steve Wacholz (Drums, Percussion) |
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DUNGEONS ARE CALLING 1984Track list: 1.) The Dungeons Are Calling 2.) By The Grace Of The Witch 3.) Visions 4.) Midas Knight 5.) City Beneath The Surface 6.) The Whip Rereleased in 1994 with: 7.) Fighting For Your Love 8.) Sirens (live) Lineup: Jon Oliva (Vocals, Piano), Criss Oliva (All Guitars, Back-up Vocals) Keith Collins (Bass, Backing Vocals), Steve Wacholz (Drums, Percussion) |
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POWER OF THE NIGHT 1985Track list: 1.) Power of the Night 2.) Unusual 3.) Warriors 4.) Necrophilia 5.) Washed Out 6.) Hard for Love 7.) Fountain of Youth 8.) Skull Session 9.) Stuck on You 10.)In the Dream Lineup: Jon Oliva (Vocals, Piano), Criss Oliva (All Guitars, Back-up Vocals) Keith Collins (Bass, Backing Vocals), Steve Wacholz (Drums, Percussion) |
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FIGHT FOR THE ROCK 1986Track list: 1.) Fight for the Rock 2.) Out on the Streets 3.) Crying for Love 4.) Day After Day 5.) The Edge of Midnight 6.) Hyde 7.) Lady in Disguise 8.) She's Only Rock 'N Roll 9.) Wishing Well 10.)Red Light Paradise Lineup: Jon Oliva (Vocals, Piano), Criss Oliva (All Guitars, Back-up Vocals) Johnny Lee Middleton (Bass, Backing Vocals), Steve Wacholz (Drums, Percussion) |
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HALL OF THE MOUNTAIN KING 1987Track list: 1.) 24 Hours Ago 2.) Beyond The Doors Of The Dark 3.) Legions 4.) Strange Wings 5.) Prelude to Madness 6.) Hall Of The Mountain King 7.) The Price You Pay 8.) White Witch 9.) Last Dawn 10.)Devastation Lineup: Jon Oliva (Vocals, Piano), Criss Oliva (All Guitars, Back-up Vocals) Johnny Lee Middleton (Bass, Backing Vocals), Steve Wacholz (Drums, Percussion) |
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GUTTER BALLET 1989Track list: 1.) Of Rage And War 2.) Gutter Ballet 3.) Temptation Revelation 4.) When The Crowds Are Gone 5.) Silk And Steel 6.) She's In Love 7.) Hounds 8.) The Unholy 9.) Mentally Yours 10.)Summer's Rain 11.)Thorazine Shuffle Lineup: Jon Oliva (Vocals, Piano), Criss Oliva (All Guitars, Back-up Vocals), Chris Caffery (Guitars & Keys), Johnny Lee Middleton (Bass, Backing Vocals), Steve Wacholz (Drums, Percussion) |
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STREETS-A ROCK OPERA 1991Track list: 1.) Streets 2.) Jesus Saves 3.) Tonight He Grins Again 4.) Strange Reality 5.) A Little Too Far 6.) You're Alive 7.) Sammy And Tex 8.) St. Patrick's 9.) Can You Hear Me Now 10.)New York City Don't Mean Nothing 11.)Ghost In The Ruins 12.)If I Go Away 13.)Agony And Ecstasy 14.)Heal My Soul 15.)Somewhere In Time 16.)Believe Lineup: Jon Oliva (Vocals, Piano), Criss Oliva (All Guitars, Back-up Vocals), Johnny Lee Middleton (Bass, Backing Vocals), Steve Wacholz (Drums, Percussion) |
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EDGE OF THORNS 1993Track list: 1.) Edge Of Thorns 2.) He Carves His Stone 3.) Lights Out 4.) Skraggy's Tomb 5.) Labyrinths 6.) Follow Me 7.) Exit Music 8.) Degrees Of Sanity 9.) Conversation Piece 10.)All That I Bleed 11.)Damien 12.)Miles Away 13.)Sleep Lineup: Zachary Stevens (Vocals), Criss Oliva (All Guitars, Back-up Vocals), Johnny Lee Middleton (Bass, Backing Vocals), Steve Wacholz (Drums, Percussion) Notes: Jon Oliva left the band to pursue other interests. Criss Oliva was killed in a car accident later in the year. |
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HANDFUL OF RAIN 1994Track list: 1.) Taunting Cobras 2.) Handful of Rain 3.) Chance 4.) Stare Into The Sun 5.) Castles Burning 6.) Visions 7.) Watching You Fall 8.) Nothing's Going On 9.) Symmetry 10.)Alone You Breathe Lineup: Zachary Stevens (Vocals), Alex Skolnick(All Guitars ), Johnny Lee Middleton (Bass, Backing Vocals), Steve Wacholz (Drums, Percussion) |
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JAPAN LIVE '94 1994Track list: 1. Taunting Cobras 2. Edge Of Thorns 3. Chance 4. N othin' Going On 5. He Carves His Stone 6. Jesus Saves 7. Watching You Fall 8. Castles Burning 9. All That I Bleed 10. Handful Of Rain 11. Sirens 12. Gutter Ballet Lineup: Zachary Stevens (Vocals), Alex Skolnick(All Guitars ), Johnny Lee Middleton (Bass, Backing Vocals), Jeff Platte(Drums, Percussion), Jon Oliva (Keyboards) Notes: Previously unreleased in the US. Nuclear Blast will be releasing it in the US in November 2000. |
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DEAD WINTER DEAD 1995Track list: 1.) Overture [instr.] 2.) Sarajevo 3.) This Is The Time (1990) 4.) I Am 5.) Starlight 6.) Doesn't Matter Anyway 7.) This Isn't What We Meant 8.) Mozart And Madness [instr.] 9.) Memory (Dead Winter Dead Intro) [instr.] 10.)Dead Winter Dead 11.)One Child 12.)Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24) [instr.] 13.)Not What You See Lineup: Zachary Stevens (Vocals), Chris Caffery (Guitar), Al Pitrelli (Guitar), Jon Oliva (Guitar/Keyboards), Jeff Platte (Drums), Johnny Lee Middleton Bass. |
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FINAL BELL-A Tribute To Criss Oliva 1995Track list: 1.) City Beneath the Surface 2.) 24 Hours Ago 3.) Legions 4.) Strange Wings 5.) Gutter Ballet 6.) When the Crowds are Gone 7.) Of Rage and War 8.) The Dungeons are Calling 9.) Sirens 10.)Hounds 11.)Criss Intro 12.)The Hall of the Mountain King 13.)Post Script Notes: Japanese release. Features live performances recorded between 1987 and 1990. Same track list as Ghost In The Ruins Lineup: Jon Oliva (Vocals, Piano), Criss Oliva (All Guitars, Back-up Vocals), Chris Caffery (Guitars & Keys), Johnny Lee Middleton (Bass, Backing Vocals), Steve Wacholz (Drums, Percussion) |
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FROM THE GUTTER TO THE STAGE 1996Track list Disc 1: 1. Sirens (Live) 2. Power Of The Night 3. Prelude To Madness 4. Hall Of The Mountain King 5. 24 Hours Ago 6. Gutter Ballet 7. When The Crowds Are Gone 8. Silk And Steel 9. New York City Don't Mean Nothing 10. Agony And Ecstasy 11. Believe 12. Edge Of Thorns 13. Chance 14. Mozart And Madness 15. One Child. Disc 2: (Bonus Tracks -- limited edition only) 16. Shotgun Innocence 17. Forever After 18. This Is Where You Should Be 19. DT Jesus Notes: The Best of Savatage 1981-1995 |
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THE BEST AND THE REST 1997Track list: I. Gutter Ballet (Gutter Ballet, 1989) II. Degrees of Sanity (Edge of Thorns, 1993) III. Jesus Saves (Streets, 1991) IV. Edge of Thorns (Edge of Thorns, 1993) V. Agony and Ecstasy (Streets, 1991) VI. Chance (Handful of Rain, 1994) VII. Complaint in the System (The Wake of Magellan, 1997/1998) VIII. The Hourglass (The Wake of Magellan, 1997/1998) IX. Voyage X. Prelude to Madness/Hall of the Mountain King (Hall of the Mountain King, 1987) XI. This is the Time (Dead Winter Dead, 1995) XII. Believe (Streets, 1991) XIII. Desiree XIV. All That I Bleed Notes: Japanese only Best Of CD |
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THE WAKE OF MAGELLAN 1998Track list: 1). The Ocean 2). Welcome 3). Turns to Me 4). Morning Sun 5). Another Way 6). Blackjack Guillotine 7). Paragons of Innocence 8). Complaint In the System 9). Underture 10). The Wake of Magellan 11). Anymore 12). The Storm 13). The Hourglass Notes: The US release on CD includes Three BONUS TRACKS. "Somewhere in Time / Alone You Breathe", "Sleep", and "Stay". Lineup: Zachary Stevens (Vocals), Chris Caffery (Guitar, vocals), Al Pitrelli (Guitar, vocals), Jon Oliva (vocals, Keyboards), Jeff Platte (Drums), Johnny Lee Middleton Bass. |
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BELIEVE 1998 ZeroTrack list: 1.Believe
-- (Streets) 2.Visions -- (Handful of Rain) 3.Taunting
Cobras -- (Handful of Rain) 4.Handful of Rain -- (Handful
of Rain) 5.Chance -- (Handful of Rain) 6.Sarajevo --
(Dead Winter Dead) 7.This Is The Time -- (Dead Winter
Dead) 8.This Isn't What We Meant -- (Dead Winter Dead)
9.Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12-24 -- (Dead Winter Dead) 10.
Edge of Thorns -- (Japan Live '94) Notes: Believe is a new Japanese compilation spotlighting the four Savatage albums that have been released in that Japan on the Zero label. |
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GHOST IN THE RUINS-A Tribute To Criss Oliva 2000 Nuclear BlastTrack list: 1.) City Beneath the Surface 2.) 24 Hours Ago 3.) Legions 4.) Strange Wings 5.) Gutter Ballet 6.) When the Crowds are Gone 7.) Of Rage and War 8.) The Dungeons are Calling 9.) Sirens 10.)Hounds 11.)Criss Intro 12.)The Hall of the Mountain King 13.)Post Script Notes: European and US release. Features live performances recorded between 1987 and 1990. Same track list as Final Bell Lineup: Jon Oliva (Vocals, Piano), Criss Oliva (All Guitars, Back-up Vocals), Chris Caffery (Guitars & Keys), Johnny Lee Middleton (Bass, Backing Vocals), Steve Wacholz (Drums, Percussion) |
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