"Silk and Steel"

Served its predecessor "Hall of the Mountain King" still alone to the shunting in the lower middle of the popularity Band "Savatage" to the brothers Jon (vocals & piano) and Criss (guitar) Oliva, after verbockten (by management) Pop / Rock experiment to secure the league "Fight for the Rock", we went to "Gutter Ballet" but clearly progressive to work. What is already indicated on songs like "Prelude to Madness" or "Last Dawn" (two instrumentals on "Hall ...") has been developed here. The piano moves ever further to the fore and with "When the Crowds Are Gone" here presented for the first time a concept that would become the trademark of the band later: the epic "power ballad". But the veteran metal fans is honored with songs like "She's in Love" or the Black Sabbath-inspired "Hounds". Overall, the result is a symbiosis of pefekte traditional Heavy Metal and Progressive classically tinged elements up to the bombast (eg the title song "Gutter Ballet"). Two instrumental passages ("Silk and Steel" u. "Temptation Revelation") to show once again that Criss Oliva has yet to offer much more than previously heard and to convince with an acoustic guitar white. "Gutter Ballet" so to speak marked the turning point in the band's history by Savatage. An incredibly important album, which forms the connecting line between heavy metal and symphonic tinged rock / metal opera. Producer and lyricist Paul O'Neill headed hereby the decisive step towards the realization of his project "Streets" (the direct successor of "Gutter ..." 1991), and the band begins from here itself witerzuentwickeln steadily and their creative potential more and more exploit. Here show one of the most expressive singer and his counterpart on guitar their full ability (though the guitar playing of Criss Oliva only on "Edge of Thorns" In 1993 culminates) and I want to say, Jon Oliva has never before (and later unfortunately not more) so emotional, yet powerfully sounded like on this record. Johnny Lee Middleton (bass) and Steve Wacholz (drums) still control then the base added to the can play both creative Oliva brothers and so is here in front of an album that has its same look far ...... newcomers, wishing to explore the Deise band I can put this album only to heart because it contains everything that makes Savatage ultimately.