MusicRatty: JON OLIVA'S PAIN - 'Tage Mahal (2004)

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JON OLIVA'S PAIN - 'Tage Mahal (2004)

2008-05-04 18:05:36 by Editor in Progarchives.com (Progressive rock and related latest reviews)

Disappointing collection of songs...

After the ¿perpetual? Savatage's stop, Jon Oliva formed this band with the runaway musicians of the Zachary Stevens's band Circle II Circle... Their anger against the old Savatage's singer because money caused their departure of CIIC, and Jon Oliva recruited them to his own band, Jon Oliva's Pain... They are all competent musicians, and their work is good. Maybe the drums are a bit empty and unspectacular, and the Matt LaPorte playing is not always great, some solos (Guardian of Forever) are mediocre... But the level is all right anyway.

The songs are in the vein of Savatage... But without a clear direction. The collection of ideas Jon had for this album are all here. Outtakes from the last Savatage's albums, old Savatage's demos, ideas wich didn's fit in the marvellous american band... And Jon took all this bunch of leftovers and made this album, together with some new ideas. This fact made 'Tage Mahal being a bit dissoriented, diverse in style and quality... The good songs make this album worth, but the weak ones make the hearing not so pleasant.

But of course, I think the Savatage's fans will find some interesting things... Apart of Jon's voice, the lyrics of Pleople Say are a marvellous summary of the Savatage's career, The Non sensible Raving of the Lunatic Mind is clearly a leftover of the outstanding Poets & Madmen, Dr. Killdrums played in two songs, Nowhere to Run is a new version of an old demo from the Gutter Ballet sessions called Target... The album is a constant tribute to Savatage, but never reaching the great levels of this very missed band.

Best songs: People Say (powerful guitars, good bass lines and incredible lyrics...), Slipping Away (dinamic and funny track, with great choirs and different taste, in the contrary of almost all the rest of the songs...), The Non Sensible Raving of the Lunatic Mind (I love the Poets & Madmen's sound of this track...), Walk Alone (good track) and Fly Away (a ballad with the Savatage's trademark, despite the acoustic guitars in replacement of the classic pianos...)

Conclusion: if you are a Savatage's fan, I recommend you this album... This is just a tribute of this great band. But the album has its flaws, with some forgettable songs, and a sound not really well cohesionated. The later Maniacal Renderings is definitely a better album... But if you are a die hard fan of the symphonic metal style, maybe you will find 'Tage Mahal interesting. If you are not, then I recommend you to hear Savatage... This is the real memorable music Jon Oliva made. His Pain project ist just a good imitation, some kind of tribute band... And 'Tage Mahal is maybe its weakest efforth to date.

My rating: ***

by The Crow

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