Interview with
Steve 'Dr. Killdrums'Wacholz
from Rockscene magazine

Oranges, Disney World, The Dolphins, and Savatage. What does all this remind you of? Florida, of course. You're probably wondering just how Savatage fits into the picture, right? Well, let me explain. Savatage is one of Florida's biggest bands next to Tom Petty and Molly Hatchet. The band was formed several years ago in the Tampa Bay area by lead singer Jon Oliva, his guitar playing brother, and drummer Steve 'Dr. Killdrums' Wacholz. The band was a three piece unit until 1981. At that point, they got a different bass player. Before the transformation, Jon was doubling on bass and keyboards. They went through two bassists before ending up with Johnny Lee Middleton. Florida has accepted the band as have so many legions of fans in so many different countries. With the new album , 'Hall of the Mountain King' doing so well, and some major touring plans ahead- Savatage has no place to go other than up.

Rock Scene: How did you guys come up with your name?

Steve Wacholz: Basically, the band was called Avatar back in the late seventies, and we released on album back then under that name. Then, we had all kinds of legal hassels, so we decided to change the name for the new album, 'Sirens' at that time, and we wanted to keep some of the name Avatar, so we kept the "avata", added an "s" and a "g" and an "e" and there you have it - Savatage.

RS: Do you find it hard being from Florida since there is hardly a scene there?

SW: Well, it does present a small problem- trying to get the A&R people from the record companies to come down here. But- there is something we have- beautiful girls and lots of sunshine! That makes it enticing for them to come down here. So with that in mind, we had Atlantic Records fly down here in late 1984. We did get signed in 1985.

RS: What do you think of the music scene in Florida today?

SW: I think it's growing. I think we opened a lot of doors for a lot of bands in Florida. A lot of people used to think Florida- orange juice, but we surprised a lot of people. I think it's grown quite a bit. You have Nasty Savage from Brandon, Crimson Glory in Bradenton, and Tuff Luck and Defiance in Ft. Lauderdale. So a lot of these bands are breaking out of Florida, and the record companies are a lot more open-minded about Florida, and a lot of that has to do with us.

RS: Why didn't you up and move to L.A. like so many other bands have?

SW: Well, basically, once Atlantic had come down here, they saw us play and they really liked us. The business of the band is now based out of New York and has been for the last few years. We all reside down here.

RS: Does Savatage have an image?

SW: Savatage is the type of band that is not trying to sell itself on an image like other bands do. Savatage plays very strong music and we're trying to sell ourselves on that rather than our pretty boy looks, hairdo, trhe clothes we wear. It's the music- and that's the bottom line. A lot of these bands that are making it on their image will be "here today, gone tomorrow", whereas bands like us, Maiden, Priest- we all build on music, not image. It's a stronger image.

RS: How would you classify Savatage's sound?

SW: Well, today heavy metal is a term that's really thrown around a lot. I mean to us, there are three classifications of heavy metal. You have your heavy metal and hard rock, your thrash metal, and you have more or less your black metal. Personally, we don't like to put a label on ourselves. A lot of people call us thrash, but we aren't. If we had to put a label on ourselves, it'd have to be heavy metal / hard rock.

RS: What is a Savatage show like?

SW: A Savatage show is like a four ring circus. Anywhere you look on stage, you can be entertained. You can watch me, and if you get bored with me, you can watch Criss, etc... We're energetic. We keep the show moving, there's not a lot of dead air. We do a lot of old material as well. That's what has made the group and we won't forget it.

RS: How do you think Savatage is in touch with their fans?

SW: Actually, we're very close. We go out into the audience and sign autographs and hand out posters. Besides that, I personally go over all the fan mail. My mom, Ma Killdrums, is the president of our fan club, and she puts aside all the interesting mail. There are people that get handwritten letters back from certain band members.

RS: How would you describe the typical Savatage fan?

SW: The Savatage fan can be described as hardcore to the bone. We're a love us or hate us band. There's no inbetween for Savatage. We've had our ups and downs, but now the only place to go is up. This is because of our true fans. If it wasn't for the fans, a lot of bands would come and go. We've been around nine years, that's like five albums, and our fans have stuck with us.

RS: Why do you choose to have your debut album on Par, an independent label, instead of a major?

SW: Well, basically, we were being solicited by other independents at the time, but we were offered a better deal on Par, and it was something that we could follow a lot more closely. There were only a couple independents getting started, and Par was a good experience for the band, we learned a lot. It's like paying our dues. A major label isn't going to pick you up unless you have some proven material on the market.

RS: Had you checked into the majors, at that point or there after?

SW: Well, at the time, we had very leavel heads at the time we did the Par record. We got really good response with the first record, 'City beneath the surface', which was on Par under the name Avatar. As far as a major release, I didn't think it was going to happen for the band until after 'Sirens', which actually did happen. So it was just a matter of paying the dues on an independent.

RS: How long were you on Par?

SW: It was only a one year deal. Our two albums, 'Sirens' and ' Dungeons are calling' went over to Combat Records.

RS: How long was it before you went over to Atlantic ?

SW: It was only in a year's time.

RS: Who wrote the lyrics and where do you get the ideas for your songs?

SW: The two major writers in the band are the two brothers, Jon and Criss. The ideas stem from Jon. He writes from the heart, he has a lot of nightmares. He takes from those and also from a lot of true life experiences. His lyrics are very deep. He has a very sick and imaginative mind. Jon is also a very proficient musician, he can play just about everything. He's multitalented.

RS: Who writes the music ?

SW: Jon comes up with a lot of ideas and so does Criss. We all have input on the music, arrangement and the songwriting. The band is a democracy and has been that way for nine years.

RS: How would you compare the new album, ' Hall of the Mountain King ', to your last album ?

SW: The material on this album is a lot stronger than on the last one. The band had a lot more control on this album than the lasdt album. On the last album, the producer took control, with this one the band watched the record from beginning to end. The production is so good on this album because we worked with Paul O'Neill. He followed it the whole way through. Alot of producers wouldn't even stay that long, but Paul did, and it shows.

RS: Did you feel any pressure in the studio while recording ?

SW: Actually, we went into the studio after three weeks of pre-production, and we knew we had a strong record. We knew it. It's something you feel in your heart and soul. This record has more heart and soul than any other Savatage album. To put it bluntly- the ban almost starved doing this record.

RS: How's the video doing ?

SW: We had a World Premiere on MTV's Headbanger's Ball. The video is a really good video, it's really unique. It's not a boy-girl video. This involves the characters on the album and is constructed around a very strong plot which involves the band also. it has a lot of pyro and a great story line, that you can follow. It's like a mini movie, it's five and a halve minutes long.

RS: Will there be another video from the album ?

SW: We're releasing a second single called ' Strange Wings '. It's probably the most successful song off the album, but it's strong, it has Ray Gillan from Black Sabbath doing back up vocals.

RS: What did you guys expect the album to do ?

SW: That's a good question. We did have high anticipations, because we knew that we had a very strong record. The product looks like a winner, in our opinion. With metal getting so high in the charts, we knew we had a fair chance. There is no reason why this album can't go gold. Savatage is a very unique band with a very unique sound.

RS: What are some of your favorite things about the album ?

SW: The album has a lot of feel to it. The record just jumps off the turntable, it really does. Savatage isn't afraid to experiment.

RS: What's your favorite part about being a musician in a rock and roll band ?

SW: If I told you money, I'd be lying to you. Bottom line wuld have to be the enjoyment of making people happy by our music. To be an entertainer is probably the best high you could ever have. I love to play every night for the fans.

RS: Is there any advice that you can give to young up 'n' comers ?

SW: Yeah, go to college, cut your hair and get a real job!!! No, seriously, the only thing is attitude. You have to have the right attitude in this buisiness. You have to really be persistent, you have to have the dedication towards your instrument and the business, and you have to know what's going on.