Savatage - Sirens

\r\nA long time ago, in Tamba, Florida, two brothers, John and Criss Oliva, create a “small” group called METROPOLIS. With John on guitar (!!) and John on bass (!!), METROPOLIS, passed their time playing for high school parties and at small neighborhood pubs. I imagine neither both of them, nor none of their friends who support them, would dream that this “small group” would become one of the LEGENDARY bands of heavy metal history. \r\n

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\r\nSomeday, little Criss, decides to get or rid of bass and plays guitar (Thank God) and John to play drums (!!!). Hopefully, for him and for us, he realized that he couldn’t do his best with drums, threw away his drumsticks and caught the microphone (thank God AGAIN)..Having already changed their name to AVATAR, after one period that both brothers were involved in different groups and have turned their sound to a more heavy style, they draw attention to Dan Johnson from Par Records. After they signed their contract, AVATAR got into studio with the (forthcoming worldwide) producer, Jim Morris and they record three songs (City Beneath The Surface, Sirens and The Whip) at the Morrisound Studios. These three tracks released in a 7" E.P entitled “City Beneath The Surface” and if you are already an owner of it, then you must be very proud, due to the fact that the specific released was only 1000 copies (100 of them in a yellow vinyl) and today it is a TOP collector item. For our satisfaction and for all of us who weren’t so lucky, the band decides to include these 3 songs to their upcoming releases. It will be pity, if masterpieces such as City Beneath The Surface and Sirens could be heard only from a few… \r\n

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\r\nAVATAR
\r\nCity Beneath The Surface 1983 \r\n

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\r\nDan Johnson decides to put the again into studio, and in only two days, AVATAR , records 15 tracks (!!), which they decided to release them in two different albums. As John reports in his biography, the night before the first of them (SIRENS), was ready to be put into producing, they received a phone call from Dan Johnsson, in which he said that he received a warning from a European nand with the same name (AVATAR), that if they will release an album under the same name, then they will be get into court. During that night the Oliva brothers, found their new name, SAVATAGE, a band name which would later be written with gold letters in heavy metal history \r\n

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\r\nAVATAR - Holocaust (Live 1982)\r\n

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\r\nA few days later and with their new name in the front cover, Sirens is on the music stores. And for the history, the original cover is the one with the ship. Of course, if you manage to find it, then immediately go to play a lotto, because it is so rare as their first E.P. The cover that everyone of us know, is the one with the small children which re-released on 1985 from Combat Records, but there is also a third one, from Atlantic records, which is the same with the second and the only difference is on the band logo. \r\n

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\r\nSirens
\r\nCombat Records 1985 \r\n

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\r\nAfter, I have pissed you off with historical events, it is time to get to the main plate. Sirens is one of the best heavy metal albums ever. So simple. The homonymous song is a MASTERPIECE. The IMPRESSIVE, “eastern” riffs from Criss Oliva really capture you, while the screams from John, comes in the end to finish you off… A BIG EPIC, a real WORD OF ART. \r\n

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\r\nBut the album, does not come to the end. Then there is another great song, the aggressive and “horrifying”…”Holocaust”. Again impressive Criss solos and riffs, fantastic performance from John and if with Sirens you did journeys to magical destinations, then with “Holocaust” you feel wondering what would happen if an idiot, just press a button… \r\n

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\r\nWith the melodic intro of I Believe, you stand again on your feet, with the mid-tempo rhythm you start to feel the passion, while in the end you are in the danger of lose your head, because of head banging, after we hear the incredible Criss Oliva’s solos. \r\n

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\r\nFor next…take “Rage”… then take “On the Run”, with the amazing Criss guitar, force you to deify him. Sometimes you feel that guitar, talks to you, with words not notes. \r\n

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\r\nA very good and powerful is the next song “Twisted Little Sister”, although I have the impression that there is something missing…while “Living For The Night”, there is danger of again lose your head, with the continuously head banging. But, you cannot stop, when “Scream Murder” appears… Because the band, cares about our body integrity, for the end and for us to calm, they close the album with a beautiful ballad “Out On The Streets”… \r\n

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\r\nAntonis Alexandropoulos \r\n

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\r\nTranslated by Manos Maragkos \r\n

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