Audio CD review:
Savatage - Sirens

Savatage - Sirens

Band: Savatage Title: Sirens Rating: Release Date: 22 November, 1994 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Sirens 2: Holocaust 3: I Believe 4: Rage 5: On The Run 6: Twisted Little Sister 7: Living For The Night 8: Scream Murder 9: Out On The Streets 10: Lady In Disguise 11: The Message

Customer Reviews It Rocks...that's all The first album as SAVATAGE SIRENS is the debut under the name SAVATAGE (they released an EP CITY BENEATH THE SURFACE as Avatar in 1982). Sirens (1983). There are NO tracks from that album here (save for the title track), this is all new stuff. Is it any good? Why yes, it is. . . SIRENS, originally containing 9 tracks, is pure heavy metal and a bit of thrash, though nothing like Metallica was doing at this time, the music here is a little slower in overall pace, but I like this album an awful lot more than Metallica's debut. It opens with the title track, with a haunting echoed chorus and some great screams of terror on the outro to the song. This is bascially the mood set for pretty much the majority of the album. It's extremely dark, morbid and also, very powerful. Savatage would never sound like this again, although they may reach heavyness like this on 2001's POETS & MADMEN, the sound and textures on here and 1984's DUNGEONS ARE CALLING go unmatched in Savatage's massive catalog, and that's too bad, but it makes this album and the next just that more special If you are more familiar with thier mid-'80s work you may recognize "Out on the Streets" and "Lady In Disguise" from their FIGHT FOR THE ROCK album (1986). It is the versions that are here that are the best, especially "Lady in Disguise", it's got such a strong beat and chorus, and has the bands energy, whch is completely gone on the 1986 couterpoint. Other tracks to note would be "Holocaust" "I Believe" "The Message" and "Living for the Night" to name a few. The band is tight on all tracks, and the drumming and bass are just as prominent, and in some cases, sometimes more than the guitar. Jon Oliva's vocals are the finest here, so full of range and power, I can't say enough good things about it. Check out the drumming on "Living for the Night" you will see what I mean. I've always been a huge fan of Steve Wacholz' drumming and it is sorely lacking from the band these days. A little background: This review is primarily based on the 1994 Metal Blade re-issue, which adds "Lady in Disguise" and "The Message" as bonus tracks. The sound is remasterd and it all sounds great. The cover art for this album has undergone a few changes since it's original release as well. If you pick-up this CD you will get a cover with a greyed-out picture of the "sewer children" and the Savatage logo placed right in the middle. THIS IS A TERRIBLE cover, and who thought this was any good? I'd avoid that and search out the cover that has the kids and picture in full color, with the image not obstructed by the logo, that would be the best, you just need to search a little. And of course, the actual ORIGINAL cover, depicting a ship headed to the harber with a faded image of an old lady's face staring out beyond the front of the ship, on a very blue and ghostly looking sea set. But, since this cover was hated by the band, it was removed after only a few initial pressings of the orginal LP record, so for that reason it was never released on CD, and you will have to search HARD to find the original LP, though you still can find it in some places, like Ebay. And this is a shame because, if you listen to the lyrics of "Sirens", you can't help but notice that the ship cover actually fits perfecty with the theme of the song and thus, would make a hell of a lot more sense to have. Further to that point, The song "City Beneath The Surface" (released as Avatar, although also as a Savatage live cut) has more to do with the children cover than Sirens, but thats just trivial now. So to me, this is the best version of the album, there is also a 2002 remaster as well with two different bonus tracks that forsake the ones on here, so if you want em all, you will have to buy em all. The 2002 one does not improve on the cover, and that's too bad. Getting back to the music, this is some of the best stuff EVER released by the band and it shows them at the best time in their career, before the musical direction changes and personal tragedies/line-up changes. Fans of later Savatage albums with the opera-metal overtones may not like the more straight-forward metal approach, but give it a try, Savatage is just that great of a band who produced great music in any era since their inception. Again, this is some powerful stuff here, check it out. RECOMMENDED 8/11. An overlooked and under rated debut! I've put off buying anything older than the Hall of the Mountain King up until now. I've been a Savatage fan for around three years now, mostly listening to their rock operas. I've purchased Sirens this past week, and much to my surprise, I've really enjoyed it! It's different than latter Savatage, but different in a good way! The music is more straight forward, and much heavier! This is the one album that I've been blown away by Criss Oliva's playing! He truly is a guitar legend, and Jon's vocals are as sharp and dramatic as ever! Sirens is highly recommended if you're into traditional metal. In addition, if you like what you hear here, then you might as well check out Jon Oliva's latest solo CD, Tage Mahal. Jon's solo stuff is right on cue with early Savatage, there's no doubt about it! . The beginning On this album you can find a trace - a first impression (music, lyrics, atmospheres, and so on)- of what included and performed in the next releases of the band: you can make your own idea of what you can expect from them. "The Oliva" firma formed, developed, brought to success (and to unsuccess) Savatage and this first work contains all the main characteristics of the band. More or less, the band have mantained its identity and its main distinctive signs: a dark sound but not obscure; an angry voice but also able to perform more comfortable and sweet melodies; a very wise use of keyboards and piano. They will achieve their best a little bit later with "Streets: A Rock Opera", but "Sirens" is for sure a wery good work and you wouldn't be disappointed by listening and buying it. . . You can see a complete list of all Savatage discography, or go back to the Savatage tabs