Ελληνικά
Last Updated on 04:50 PM by Nikos Nakos
Handful Of Thoughts
”See the devil on the streets at night”
When in 1993 the talented Criss Oliva died prematurely, few people believed that the Americans could continue, an event that marked and changed the course of Savatage to some extent. Such was the timing at the time, they were beginning to gain momentum with the release of the classic ”Edge Of Thorns” and Jon Oliva was faced with the worst case scenario of his musical career, if he was even worth picking up the pieces. Criss Oliva’s death left a big mark not only on their family and fans, but on other bands as well. Testament dedicated their album ‘Low’ to him, while Vicious Rumors did the same on their album ‘Word Of Mouth’. Overkill wrote the song “R.I.P. (Undone)” on their album “W.F.O.” also for Criss.
Despite the huge void left by this amazing musician, the band not only managed to overcome the tragedy, but continued to release masterpieces, which showed that Savatage were more than just talented musicians. Thus, a year later on their last album under the Atlantic Records umbrella, ”Handful Of Rain” appeared on the market, a work quite different from the previous ones.
With Mountain King playing all the instruments by himself, one of the important reasons for Zak Stevens’ arrival on vocals on “Edge Of Thorns”, showing his desire to continue focusing on the instrumental side and with the new addition of Alex Skolnick from Testament on guitars adding solo touches the album was recorded at Morrisound Studios in Florida. The creative force behind Savatage had died and it is now being obvious: With Johnny Lee Middleton on bass and drummer Steve Wacholz in an apathetic role and Zak decommissioned to the vocalist role, the group’s difficult transition period was more apparent than ever with producer Paul O’Neill contributing heavily on rhythm guitar, keyboards and songwriting. The result of these behind-the-scenes shuffles influenced the musicality of the album, which is not exactly up to the complicated standards one associates with classic Savatage; being less virtuosic yet confident. On the tour for the album Middleton returned to the line-up but Wacholz had left the band, unable to cope with the loss of his friend and was replaced by drummer Jeff Plate (in various versions of the CD this is foreshadowed as the 2 drummers appear in various booklets replacing each other).
The music appears darker than anything Savatage had done before regardless of style and the lyrics have a troubled, introspective quality even when their focus is more external. There’s definitely a more spiritual angle to the music this time around, as well as a mournful rhythm. The mood is really bleak throughout the album, you can feel it. Skolnick’s sound is just as recognizable as his predecessor’s, though his solos provide more support than outright brilliance. From listening, it’s clear that Oliva has had some kind of spiritual awakening, and it’s this strength of spirit that pushes them over their previous attempts to appear more melodic – there’s a very harsh reality to most of the songs.
Although opener “Taunting Cobras” is a truly in-your-face assault, and “Nothing’s Going On” is equally pounding, all the songs feel slower. Worth noting that the 2 mentioned are the only two that Criss Oliva has co-written on the album. On this, their 8th studio album, the group becomes a man reborn from the ashes of his loss. And it seems equally amazing that throughout the album several of his guitar parts and especially several choruses sound so operatic all together.
Real experiences make for powerful songs, and some of Savatage’s most poignant songs are featured here, such as ”Castles Burning” and ”Chance” along with the more bluesy and laid back tracks like ”Stare Into The Sun” and the title track. ”Castles Burning” turns out to be a song about Giovanni Falcone, an Italian judge murdered by the mafia in 1992 and ”Chance” a song about a Japanese diplomat, Chiune Sugihara, in Lithuania during World War II who defied government orders by signing exit visas for thousands of Jewish refugees.
“Chance” in particular proved to be a major game changer for Savatage, channeling “Bohemian Rhapsody” into its symphonic acrobatics and what would be the first of many layered climaxes of the band’s vocal contrasts. One of their best songs ever recorded the harbinger of Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s existence. In “Watching You Fall” we enjoy a more minimalist calm, possibly set up through “Visions”, where the listener wonders if they will hear something more powerful by the end of this epic, balladic opera and in “Symmetry” we find a creepy proto-doom element where the rhythm of the song starts slowly and evolves into a more heavy rock sound. In my opinion one of the most underrated gems in the group’s catalogue. Zak Stevens gives a terrifying and memorable performance.
The epilogue belongs to a song written by Jon Oliva in honor of his dead brother, “Alone You Breath”. A tribute and funeral song to one of the greatest and most underrated guitarists to ever walk the earth. The most emotional ballad ever composed that can only give you goose bumps. It may not be the equal of the power metal gems of the past, but it is worthy of their name and history, with many references to old songs like “Believe” and “A Little Too Far”.
In many ways, this release is Savatage’s most versatile release – it’s definitely one of their most unique releases. In the long run, no one can blame the band for feeling down by keeping the album immersed in the idea of balladry for 70-75% of its duration. It’s a miracle that it was completed considering the circumstances of its creation, but it’s this tragedy that ultimately made the album so cohesive. The alternations between down-to-earth and grandiose themes are united in their common melancholy, and the overwhelming emotions give weight to the rather diminished musicality. The album may have often been overshadowed by this ugly environment that formed, but the role it played in the band’s later development cannot be denied. “Handful Of Rain” may not have been the album that people of the time would have expected from Savatage, but it served as the right album at the right time for the band to pay tribute to Criss Oliva’s death and give them the foundation to move forward from the loss.
