In the course of their twenty or so years of existence, Savatage
developed into one a standout /hard rock bands around.
Their earlier work is harder, forging a true American power metal
sound, while the
later albums have more of an accessible hard rock sound with
with slight progressive touches.
Led by the indominable Oliva brothers (vocalist Jon and
guitarist Criss),
albums like the classic debut Sirens,
the career-defining '87 class
Hall Of The Mountain King, and the excellent rock opera
Streets in 1991
put Savatage on the metal map for good.
Alas, tragedy befell the band in 1993 when Criss Oliva was struck
by a drunk driver and killed.
Though the band perservered and even prospered in the years following,
it was never quite the same for Savatage again.
The later years saw a different side to the band, with Jon Oliva
himself taking a back seat to new vocalist Zach Stevens, even leaving
the band for a time.
By the late nineties side projects such as Trans-Siberian Orchestra
(featuring pretty much the entire band at one time or another)
became the focus for the members, with Savatage's last album,
Poets And Madmen, appearing in 2001.
Though there was never a formal announcement of a breakup, it has
long been thought that the band was no more, and Jon has said as
much in recent interviews, stating that TSO, his own band
Jon Oliva's Pain, and
Stevens'
Circle II Circle
were the main projects moving forward.
There has an announcement of a reunion at Wacken Open Air in 2015.
