Spotlight Criss Oliva

From: Metal Network
contributed by: Bryan Holland
HTML by: Ellen Bakvis

Each issue of the Metal Network will feature an individual artist for the sake and benefit of the aspiring musician. This issue we spotlight Savatage's lead guitarist, Criss Oliva.

You can check Criss out on the band's current release for Atlantic, Hall Of The Mountain King. Or you can see Savatage live as part of the Dio tour which also includes Megadeth.

" I never really had any formal training, my brother Jon (Savatage's vocalist) taught me my first chords." Oliva got his chops down for his rhythm playing but he explains how he learned to play lead. " I learned how to play lead by picking riffs off of records and then started making my own up". "I don't have a special routine for practising, but I usually just sit around riffing and writing melodies, but I always have a tape running. These tapes come in very handy while I'm writing, because I go back and keep whatever is salvageable." An important trait for any musician is his (her) attitude. Criss explains: " When you play live, you must be totally psyched, and full of energy. But when you're in the studio, you must be as mellow and calm as possible...in the studio you have to be totally relaxed."

Oliva points out that although he is successful, he doesn't necessarily recommend teaching yourself. He feels, "things could have been easier with lessons". Even though Criss wasn't formally trained but cites his primary influences as Richie Blackmore and Jimmy Page.

As for his favorite guitars, they are his ESP (he's endorsing them right now) and his Kramers. " I pretty much don't have to do anything with the guitars (ESP), but I pretty much play them right from the factory. They're great guitars!"

Guitar tech Danny Campbell was woken from a deep sleep to fill us in on Criss' equipment. "This tour Criss is using a Charvel, and two ESP guitars. As for his amps and effects he uses Yamaha amps with Marshall cabinets, an Ibanez delay, and a Boss overdrive pedal. In all of Criss' guitars he uses Dimarzio pickups." Danny now offers a very important tip, "when a string snaps, I just rewire it from the top of the headstock and then stretch it out and it's back in tune by a song."

Well, that's all for this issue and we hope you enjoyed our first musician spotlight.