As
promised, Savatage has finally delivered their debut Nuclear Blast
release, Poets and Madmen. In
support of the new release, the band has evolved into a six-piece, and hit
the road for a US tour. For
the tour, the band’s long-time vocalist and keyboard player Jon Oliva is
joined by new frontman Damon Jiniya, and Chris Caffery (guitar), Jeff
Plate (drums), and Johnny Lee Middleton (bass), are joined by another new
addition Jack Frost (guitar).
When TPRS.com caught up
with the band in Cleveland it was no surprise that they would be
performing in front of a sold-out crowd considering the amazing support
that their other project Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) has received from
the city. While Caffery amused the audience by breaking out his TSO tuxedo
for the performance, the band stuck strictly to Savatage material as
expected, making their entrance with
the “Commisar” and “Surrender,” two new tracks from their Poets
& Madmen album. Older fans need not worry though, because they did step back more
than a decade with tracks like “By the Grace of the Witch,”
“Sirens,” and of course “Hall of the Mountain King.”Newcomer
Jiniya left a lasting impression on the audience while holding his own of
Savatage classics new and old, and while Oliva did assist and even take
the lead at times and Zak Stevens will be missed, it was refreshing to see
such energy and talent center-stage.
Considering
the extent of the band’s coverage of the Edge of Thorns album, it seems
appropriate to mention that they included “Edge of Thorns,” “All
that I Bleed,” “Miles Away,” and “He Carves His Stone” in the
set, as well as show-stoppers like ever-classic “Gutter Ballet” and
the operatic “Morphine Child” and title tracks off newer releases like
“Dead Winter Dead,” “Handful of Rain.”
You can read more about the band
in our most recent interview with guitarist Chris Caffery at www.tprs.com/interviews/tso2000.htm
and also an article from the previous year, which includes interviews with
Caffery and producer Paul O'Neill at
www.tprs.com/interviews/tso.htm.
For more information about their tour with Fates Warning, and their new album
Poets and Madmen, be sure to check out the band's official site at
www.savatage.com. |
