From: Loud ?/90
By: Pete Lundstrom
Title: "Savatage"
Transcribed and HTMLized by: Tracy Wrona strangewngs@surfnetinc.com
Six albums down the road and at last it looks like the mighty Savatage are going to take off in a big way. Loud's brand new Swedish writer and long time Savatage fan Pete Lundstrom finds out why "The Dungeons Are Calling" on the phone with Sava vocalist Jon Oliva.
LOUD: I always thought that
Savatage was the ultimate one guitar band. What were the reasons
for adding Christopher Caffery as a rhythm guitarist to the band?
JON OLIVA: Well, we were listening to some live tapes, and
we just felt that that extra edge was missing on stage, and
Christopher has played with us before, and he's a nice guy. We
just said hell let's just add him to the line up. He really gives
us another dimension live and helps out with the songwriting.
We'll definitely incorporate him in the songwriting for the next
album, which will be interesting
LOUD: Did he get to play
anything on the new album Gutter Ballet?
JON: He got to play a little bit, just a tiny bit of rhythm
stuff, not much at all actually, but he came into the band when
we were almost done with the recording of the album.
LOUD: So your brother Criss did
all of the lead guitar then?
JON: Yes, he did all of the leads on the new album.
LOUD: Who plays the keyboards
live?
JON: Christopher plays a little bit of the keyboard stuff,
but I like to do most of it myself. The way we use the keyboards
is that they are placed very strategically on the stage, so that
I can play them while I'm singing. Christopher sometimes helps
out with voices and stuff like that, but he's in the band to play
rhythm guitar foremost.
LOUD: You did a tour of Europe
prior to your support tour with Testament. How did that go?
JON: We just got back from that one, and it went very well
for us over there. We were out with King Diamond and Candlemass.
We also did some headline stuff, and all the shows were great. We
can't wait to get back there again.
LOUD: I always felt that the one
thing that Savatage has done wrong in the past is that you
haven't toured in Europe enough, even though you have a strong,
loyal following over there.
JON: Yes, you're right, and let me tell you it was so nice
to get back there because the reception we got was so great. But
as you pointed out, a lot of people were saying the same thing,
"God you guys, you know you're not around here that much,
and it's so nice to see you back on these shores again," and
we really had a great time over there. But you know Pete, in this
business so many things can go wrong, but now finally everything
is on the right track. We're already scheduled to go back over to
Europe in the late summer, and that should be nice.
LOUD: I've heard a lot of
rumors that you had problems within the band. Is that something
you would like to comment on?
JON: All bands go through some kind of problems and tension. I
mean, we're just guys, you know, and we run into walls every now
and then, but we usually kick them down.
LOUD: From my point of view,
this is the most complete Savatage album to date!
JON: I like to hear that man, I agree it's the best by far.
I feel like this is our year, you know, everything is looking
good, and this album has already out-sold Hall of the
Mountain King, and it's only been out a few months. So, we're
really happy about it, we're happy campers!
LOUD: Do you guys ever play any
songs from the Fight for the Rock album live?
JON: No, not really. We kinda ignore that album because
that album to us is the only record we've done where we didn't
have the control and say that we've had on all our other albums.
But, on a headline set we sometimes do the song "Fight for
the Rock," but that's very rarely.
LOUD: How do you feel about
supporting Testament?
JON: It's fun because we wanted to go out on something where
we could break in the new line up and then come back through and
headline the very same venues. Plus, it's a short tour for us,
it's only 5 weeks long, and Chuck Billy is a very good friend of
mine. He personally called me up and asked if we wanted to do
this tour, and I said sure. I mean, they're a great band, great
guys, it's a very non-tension kinda thing, we're having a great
time.
LOUD: I think this tour
will give you exposure to a brand new audience!
JON: Exactly. We wanted to do a tour in front of the heavier
crowds to show them that we can be as heavy as anybody else out
there. And we're winning them over. I mean, there's been die hard
thrash audiences out there, and we've been going over great every
night.
LOUD: How is Atlantic
supporting the band? Any plans for videos?
JON: This year Atlantic has really started to kick in, which
is nice. They're really behind us now, and they're committed to 3
videos. We've already done one for "Gutter
Ballet," and we're doing the next one in May, and the
third one in the late summer, so Atlantic is really behind us
now.
LOUD: When you guys start
your own headlining tour, what kind of venues are you gonna be
playing at?
JON: We'll be playing at 1500 to 3000 capacity venues,
theaters, and a couple of smaller places, but mainly theaters.
LOUD: How do you see the
band progressing from this album to the next?
JON: Well, that's kinda hard to say right now 'cause it's so
early, but I think we'll continue in the same direction as we're
going in right now and try to experiment a little bit and so on.
You never know what to expect from Savatage.
LOUD: I think that it's one
of the strong points of Savatage that every album sounds a little
bit different from the previous one but still not too different.
JON: We're not afraid to experiment a little and take
chances. We feel that it is very important to experiment for a
band to stay fresh.
LOUD: I really like the
ballad "Summer's Rain." Is there a possibility
that it will become a single in the future?
JON: "Summer's Rain," we might do that one as the
third video, but I'm not sure. It's one of my favorite songs on
the album. It's got a lot of feel to it, and it's got a great
guitar solo, but it all remains to be seen. But, there is a
possibility. I know that the next video we do is going to be
"When the Crowds Are Gone."
With the best album of 1990 in their boods[?], Savatage deserve nothing but total success. They're out on a nationwide tour right now, so go and check them out. They should be hitting a venue nearby any time now. Anyone who saw Savatage in Phoenix together with Testament and Dark Angel knows that these guys can deliver live, but don't take my word for it.