Resurrection of the Metal Kings
I met some
songs coming from this album during the listening to the “Ghost in the Ruins”
album, which I consider as the best heavy metal live performance ever recorded.
These songs which enslaved my senses for good and all were: “24 Hours Ago”,
“Legions”, “Strange Wings”, and the title track “Hall of the Mountain King”. Finally,
after several years I bought the album, which is a re-edition of course, but
fortunately with no sound mastering and extended booklet recounting all the vicissitudes
of the band in those days. It is really fine and interesting reading. And after
all these years I decided to write some words of wisdom about the fourth album
of Savatage, about the album which is the true treasure in my metal collection,
about the album which is one of the best metal releases. Thus… let the heavy
metal feast begin…
Sooth to
say it is really great feeling to write about such an unusual and unique metal
album. “Hall of the Mountain King” became a synonym of heavy metal music in the
twinkling of an eye. That was my first feeling after listening to it. The next
fact is that composing and releasing of this great album wasn’t a certainty. It
was the result of the previous album called “Fight for the Rock” (1986), where the
band smuggled some pop elements (!) in composition structures, everything was
no-heavy enough for metal standards and fans were totally disappointed and
frustrated. No wonder! For sure it was a back step and this situation
determined Jason Flom (guy from Atlantic Records who signed a deal with
Savatage) to contact with Paul O’Neill who was producer and manager. He flew to
Florida to see the band in action. Although Savatage recorded new album, they didn’t
play hardly this poor stuff on live shows because they were sure one thing:
their old stuff was the real face of the band. O’Neill didn’t hear even their
newest effort, and when he saw them, he was spellbound. He knew Savatage was
unique and absolutely amazing band. And after some meetings they decided to
collaborate. The first songs they composed together were the title track from
upcoming album and “24 Hours Ago”. They felt it would be something spectacular
in band’s career. And they were absolutely right…
With this
album musicians of Savatage entered a new chapter. They were at the cross-roads
after two weak offerings (however “Power of the Night” album has its own
moments), fortunately the person of Paul O’Neill vitalized musicians. The first
breath of a new life is “Hall of the Mountain King”. Paul is also producer of
it – and the production is just great – sharp, raw and vivid sounds, I mean
everything is audible without exception. And beyond doubt, impossible to hear such
a realization way today! Musically this album is a work of Oliva brothers with
some help from O’Neill, it is no wonder of course, but here we have a small
contribution of bass player Johnny Lee Middleton in two songs (title track and
“24 Hours Ago), and drummer Steve Wacholz (“The Price You Pay”). In addition the musicians introduced some new
elements and proposed two instrumental pieces also, one of them is the reference
to the classic music, the second is only one minute gauzy Criss performance of
acoustic tunes.
All right,
let’s get off the ground. I wrote earlier about these four songs I had met
before, so this album wasn’t surprise for me. I expected only excellent effort
from this band, and they obviously didn’t fail. Even if the two previous albums
retained, “Hall of the Mountain King” refreshed my mind. When I listened to the
opening track “24 Hours Ago”, one thing came to me: Savatage returned finally! And
I have an impression that the band unleashes its fury and full energy
accumulated deep inside, it’s like a wild animal leaving the cage and starting
to haunt. This song becomes a true heavy metal flag. It is not a fast one, but
the guitars work is a really knockdown here. This song is like a synopsis of
entirety to come. I have known this “24 Hours Ago” for many metal years of mine
and always there is something magic during each listening to it. Criss Oliva
masterly guitar performance: his colossal riffs, solo leads and unique guitar
(semi-leads) ornaments, is paralyzing indeed. Beside his play is full of
hypnotizing light, vivid and pulsating like a heart, from the other side it is
very mysterious (still through all these years!) and secret. I always flush crimson
when I start to listen to this album, so I sincerely can write about it as
SOMETHING UNIQUE. And with the very first seconds I flow in this warm lava of
heavy metal music. But there is a place for a moment of breathing time when the
song reaches 3:25, at this juncture pulsating bass enters the stage, it is an
introduction to the next guitar attack and solo lead. During session time
Middleton honestly said that this piece of music was one of Criss’ best leads.
And I have to admit that he was right. After almost five minutes the real
treasure gives place to the next one called “Beyond the Doors of the Dark”. This
song is written by Jon himself, opening is completely different to the previous
track, because of sinister introduction with calm Jon singing. The guitar work
seems to be more simple yet atmospheric, also there are some keyboards patches
in the chorus, in the middle Savatage slows down a bit and another excellent
guitar Criss lead takes place. I found here a quite interesting thing
concerning these unmatchable voices of Jon, namely when the song reaches
approximately 3:52, I can hear some blackish-like kind of voice lasting only
three seconds as well. It proves that potentiality of Jon’s singing is simply infinite.
The irrefutable fact is that the second track of this record keeps this
masterly level of the opener. Writing about “Beyond the Doors of the Dark” I
have to explain one thing. Clay Marshall, the author of the booklet, wrote that
this track had been a staple in band live show. Unfortunately for me I have no
live record with this song, maybe there are bootlegs (which are very hard to
buy or record in my opinion) with this forgotten pearl. I think Clay wrote
about promotional gigs. Five minutes runs extremely fast and the third song
enters the stage. And this is definitely pure metal killer called “Legions”. It
starts with pulsating Johnny bass, then drums and guitar solo with ominous Jon
scream completed the beginning of this bone crusher. Yes, this is an ode to the
metal fans like booklet says. In a moment “Legions” became the basis of each
live show. Don’t expect furious speed here, but very memorable riffs and one of
the best guitar solo I have ever heard (it lasts one fabulous minute from 2:48 to
3:48!), absolutely miraculous, excellent and unearthly Criss show… Nothing more
to say about it, but when the song reaches 4:25 another solo appears for about twenty
seconds and unfortunately all disappear in silence…
Of course,
silence isn’t immortal when “Strange Wings” starts to conquer my soul. This is
another classic one from this band, another brick in the wall called heavy metal.
Lyrics are notation of Jon’s dream. Music – another metal hymn for me. Beside
it is one of the shortest songs on the album, again very memorable riffs attack
the listener just like another mind crushing solo. In turn the stanza has a
milder, even almost balladic atmosphere and the proper riffs are heard in
powerful chorus. In this song Jon Oliva is supported by Ray Gillen and it
really works here. The main guitar lead is shorter here comparing to “Legions”,
but it also very characteristic. The end of “Strange Wings” lasting about fifty
seconds is another mark how great band Savatage is: these guitars, vocals
(Oliva with Gillen) and devastating rhythm section. The next admirable moments
to adore…
The next
two tracks I treat just as one: “Prelude to Madness” and the title song.
Something definitely new in band’s career. Why? Let’s explain it. When
musicians started to work with new songs on the album, one day Paul O’Neill
suggested performing a metal interpretation of Edvard Grieg’s “Peer Gynt
Suite”. He always loved this piece of classical stuff and finally has found the
right band and musicians able to perform it. Although Jon was hesitating
(having in memory very bad previous album effort), all the things saw the light
of day. This prelude lasting about three minutes is the first song recorded
with symphonic and classical tunes. It lasts about three minutes, but also
contains Criss masterly guitars work. As always I can easily write. Amidst the
sounds of the thunderstorms and gusty winds, the title song enters the stage. It
is opened by very characteristic riff and short yet melodic guitar lead. When
first seen it is maintained in mid-tempo, but this boundless energy coming
straight to my mind is like a nuclear explosion. This song has also specific
horror-like atmosphere, listen to especially Jon’s screams and shrieks
(“Madness reigns…”), by the way he shows accomplished skills from traditional
form of singing to psychotic screams, sinister sighs and chants and totally maniacal
laughs. In view of such varied style of voice this track is a really heavy
metal killer. When it reaches to 2:22, Mountain King jumps into another layer:
genius riffs, vocals (!!!), bombarding rhythm section and this excellent solo
lead… Then the hero returns to the first path from the beginning. At 5:20 only
calm guitar ends this absolutely brilliant heavy metal feast… And after these
tunes another song “The Price You Pay” strikes the short moment of silence. And
what can I write about it??? Just another classic Savatage performance. On the
beginning Jon shows next kind of his incredibly voice, this one is rather
‘sensitive’ and ‘warm’, even quasi-balladic. The song is based on simple yet
very memorable guitar work. It is full of guitar ornaments, beautiful two lead solos,
especially the second one which ends the track is one of the best guitar leads
I’ve ever heard (and well, do I start to repeat myself writing such words?). Like
the previous one was rather in mid-tempo, here we have something really fast.
It is called “White Witch” and this is real tornado on the album. At once the
first album “Sirens” comes to my mind, I mean these few minutes of madness
perfectly fits to the beginning of the band. Lyrics tell about cocaine
addiction, subject known not only for this band. Musically Criss shows here speedy,
rapid, stabbing solos with galloping rhythm section, but definitely noteworthy
are the last seconds of it. Total musical insanity: Criss devastates all around
by his incredible guitar!
Yes, the metal
hurricane left me behind, but there is another shiny pearl in sight. “Last
Dawn” is a superb Criss’ song, here with only some fascinating, I’d say even
fabulous acoustic tunes. This man, this Musician once again conquer my soul. It
lasts merely 75 seconds (too short for pity’s sake!) but when I look at the
title… Is it some kind of ominous prophecy for Criss’ life? For sure it is good
thing to end the album, but band decided to put one more song and entitled it
“Devastation”. As Jon said the first structures of it were really old. The idea
and riff appeared about ’79 or ’80 years, so during the session Oliva brothers
just added some fresh blood and new track was ready to close the album up. And
for certain I can place “Devastation” in the first Savatage release. The same
atmosphere, the same great enthusiasm, the same feelings, the same… band! Maybe
the title can lead into error some laics, but don’t expect here furious tempo,
it is not the same like track number eight “White Witch”. The mid-tempo reigns here, I have an
impression that there are some similarities to the first two Iron Maiden albums,
but believe me, this is not a disadvantage. In fact this song is some kind of
synopsis of band’s spirit, I can find here everything in Savatage true metal
style: memorable riffs, masterly solos and guitar ornaments and top-notch metal
vocals. And with the words coming straight to my mind “… prepare yourself to
die, the world’s insane”, this ominous prophecy strikes my senses once again…
Yes, many
words are written just above, it seems to be the longest review I’ve written so
far, so it’s time to finish it. This album was recorded in 1987, so we can say
about a musical archeology, but definitely it doesn’t look like decaying fossil
remains. What is more, in these awful days of digital, soulless recordings, I
can grasp the power of the old metal spirit. Nothing is meaningless, nothing is
useless, some tunes are played in simple way, some in complex and this whole
metal piece is just fresh and vivid like a river head or even youth fountain. That’s
true the eighties were the best years for heavy metal and the best album of
this genre has been already recorded. The “Hall of the Mountain King” album is
exactly this treasure I wrote in the previous sentence. Maybe this statement is
rather strange, because I reviewed some other classical releases of the band
and marked them also to a maximum. But you know, with this piece of best music,
Savatage enters really unique stage of metal by releasing Mountain King and the
next three albums: “Gutter Ballet” (89), “Streets – A Rock Opera” (91) and
“Edge of Thorns” (93). I call this: The Big Four where only the successor of
Mountain King is a continuation of the style. The rest is completely different in
band’s creativeness. Unfortunately the death of Criss Oliva broke almost everything
off. His brother decided to continue this piece of music and without Criss
(physically, not spiritually) released another classic band’s albums. It proves
Savatage has an inner strength, as the fourth album I consider like a resurrection.
After two weaker longplays they offered absolutely timeless classic. Simply,
Savatage ascended the throne of heavy metal. And when somebody will ask me
about heavy metal I will answer: HALL OF THE MOUNTAIN KING!!!
100/100
-Tlacaxipehualiztli
(previously written for Encyclopaedia Metallum, on September, 2011, now modified a bit)
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