• Voto:
Per la rubrica recensioni a memoria del Venerdì vi propongo un disco dei Savatage, un gruppo americano molto stimato per album indimenticabili come Streets, Edge of Thorns e via discorrendo.
Saprete che questi ragazzi, prima di edificare il loro stile pomposo e corale che li rese celebri, si dedicarono ad un heavy-metal un po’ più convenzionale. Dopo un paio di capitoli acerbi – Dungeons are Calling e Sirens – se ne vennero fuori con questo capolavoro unico.
In questo lavoro troviamo già alcune avvisaglie del percorso che seguiranno i nostri Savatage, ma inserite in un contesto ancora pienamente heavy metal. Ma la cosa che rende straordinario (anche nel senso di extra-ordinario) questo disco è una certa cattiveria delle composizioni, caratterizzata da un guitar work tagliente e da melodie vocali accattivanti e malvagie che poco concedono alla ariosità e ponderosità di alcune loro composizioni successive.
Gran merito, da una parte, di quel panzone di Jon Oliva che con la sua inconfondibile timbrica lievemente sporca e dai toni altissimi consegna ai posteri un’ottima interpretazione dei brani incisi sul dischetto e, dall’altra, del mitico Criss Oliva, che imbastisce riff e soli molto originali con grande personalità e maestria, il tutto sostenuto da una sezione ritmica come al solito non clamorosa, ma solida. Abbozzo una descrizione delle tracce. L’opener “24 hours ago” riassume appieno gli elementi eccezionali di questo lavoro, grande riff e melodie vocali da urlo (in tutti i sensi) predisponendoci benevolmente all’ascolto. La track è seguita a ruota da “Beyond the doors of the dark”.
Dopo un evocativo intro in cui un insano tappeto di tastiere e chitarre pulite fa da sfondo alle acrobazie vocali di Jon - che passa disinvoltamente da tonalità gravi ad altre quasi fanciullesche – il brano si snoda in una strofa trascinante che sfocia in uno dei fantastici riff di Criss, che come al solito dimostra la sua classe e personalità compositiva.
Segue l’energica e tumultuosa “Legions”, caratterizzata nuovamente da melodie vocali perfide ed azzeccate. Con “Strange Wings” si dà spazio a soluzioni musicali lievemente più semplici e leggere – come la strofa con la chitarra in acustico - ma di sicuro effetto e niente affatto scontate, tutto è coronato da un refrain molto orecchiabile. Dopo un preludio orchestrale parte l’eccelsa title track, di nuovo graziata da un riff al vetriolo. Siamo forse di fronte al picco del disco, con un grande Jon che strilla a cappella “In the hall of the mountain kiiiiiing” gasandoci un po’ tutti.
La seconda parte del disco riserva episodi forse meno memorabili ma comunque di tutto rispetto, tra cui emerge la tirata “White Witch” che riporta al sound dei primi album della band e la finale “Devastation”, impreziosita dalla chitarra acustica del defunto Criss.
In definitiva, un episodio unico ed insostituibile della discografia dei Savatage, se non ce l’avete e siete loro fan sentitevi in colpa. Rock On
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
01 24 Hrs. Ago (04:55)
Behind the wheel just went along I'm tired of hearing the same old song Look I rule the night No end in sight I think I'm going insane, oh yeah Engines grind I hit the red line I'm movin' fast Forget the past I'm burning tread In my head I am gone Twenty four hours ago Yeah Got to escape Can't take any more I grabbed my suitcase And kicked down the door Yeah I've got blood shot eyes Hypnotized I feel no pain Oh yeah Engines grind I hit the red line I'm movin' fast Forget the past I'm burning tread In my head I am gone Twenty four hours ago Yeah Engines grind I hit the red line I'm movin' fast Forget the past I'm burning tread In my head I am gone Twenty four hours ago Yeah Twenty four hours ago Yeah
02 Beyond the Doors of the Dark (05:08)
Listen to me children of the night
Beyond the doors of darkness you will find
A thousand worlds for you to see here
Take my hand and follow me, oh
Beyond the doors of the dark
Demon in your heart
Scream and thrash your head
Turn around now you're dead
Under the darkened haze
Lost here in glaze
Are you looking to be free
A never ending suicide
Of nightmares you have inside
Another day's begun
Under the moon and sun
Circle has been drawn
Life has been prolonged
Hell is eternity
Hell is your destiny
I'll tell you to die
A never ending suicide
Of nightmares you have inside
Oh, beyond the doors of the dark yeah
Beyond the doors of the dark
Oh yeah
It's time to meet your fate
Heaven can wait
All the walls are closing in
Things crawl on your skin
He's grabbing down at you
There's nothing you can do
No place to run and hide
A never ending suicide
Of nightmares you have inside
He wants to take your soul
You know you're dreaming
Call your precious little life under my knife
Hell is eternity
Hell is your destiny
I'll tell you to die
Never ending suicide
Of nightmares you have inside
Beyond the doors of the dark
Beyond the doors of the dark
Oh yeah
Beyond the doors of the dark
Beyond the doors of the dark
Oh yeah
No no
03 Legions (04:50)
A call from the night
metal storming masses
In the lies
Battle cry
Screaming to the night
Oh no
Summon up the legions
To do our deeds
Our legion's needs
Are growing every day
We're coming out tonight
We come from the darker light
Join your hands and pray
Maybe you can all be saved
Legions of the night
Legions of the night
Good god
Legions of the night
Can they hear your battle cry
Cry out
But what does it matter?
There's no way to escape
The hold we have on you
Ohh ho
Controlled by the master
Infiltrate
Penetrate
Your little precious minds
We're coming out tonight
We come from the darker light
Join your hands and pray
Maybe you can all be saved
Legions of the night
Legions of the night
Good god
Legions of the night
Can they hear your battle cry
Scream loud
Let the masses hear you
Banging hard across the ground
Shatter the darkest lights
Oh no
Heed the master's calling
Congregate
Celebrate
The power you've obtained
Good god
Legions of the night
Legions of the night
Good god
Can I hear your battle cry, yeah
04 Strange Wings (03:45)
She is a native of the stormy skies, yeah
I, I caught a glimpse from the depths of my eyes
Atop a black winged mare
Casting a wicked stare
She throws her head back
And rides into the night
She flies strange wings
Behind a thin disguise
She flies strange wings
Still tears she cries
Oh I, I followed her
To the brink of dawn, yeah
She, she took control of my very soul, yeah
She's still a mystery
In her arms I long to be
I don't know why
I turn and reach to the sky
She flies strange wings
Behind a thin disguise
She flies strange wings
Still tears she cries
She flies strange wings
Behind a thin disguise
She flies strange wings
Still tears she cries
Strange Wings
Behind a thin disguise
Strange Wings
Tears she cries
06 Hall of the Mountain King (05:33)
Far away
In a land caught between time and space
Where the books of life lay
Within this castle of stone
The mountain king roams
All alone in here
But he's not the only one
Lost inside
Forever hidden from the sun
Madness reigns
In the hall of the mountain king
Oh yeah
His deep
Dark eyes keep watch on his kingdom
And mysteries that sleep safe inside
His hall
His towers of stone
Shall not be overthrown
For eternity
They are guarded by the king
Insanity and the power that it brings
Madness reigns
In the hall of the mountain king
Oh yeah
Come with me
Stay close by my side
As the darkness of night closes in
Don't fear
In the thunder, it roars
When the mountain king calls all his children home
To where I hid him we must run
Refuge here
But I was forever on the run
Madness reigns, my friends...
In the hall of the mountain king
Oh yeah
In the hall of the mountain king
07 The Price You Pay (03:51)
I know you're all alone tonight
And I hear your cries
From the world that lies
Beyond these lives
You've got dreams inside
They cut
I know
Cut so deep but you never show
That's the price you pay
That's the price you pay
Is your soul on the line my dear
As you take your bows
To a silent crowd
That never hears
Close your eyes for now
And leave your rage
Take my hand and walk the stage
That's the price you pay
That's the price you pay
That's the price you pay
That's the price you pay
There's no need to worry
Cause you have tomorrows
Another phase of life has begun
Am I getting through to you?
Can your mind reach beyond tonight
I believe your love for life
Will never die
So my child you ask
What does this mean
Cut the chains and chase the dream
That's the price you pay
That's the price you pay
That's the price you pay
That's the price you pay
Ooh yeah
That's the price you pay
When you come here to play
10 Devastation (03:37)
Waiting for disaster
Blackness in the night
I roam the world
To hear the cry
Nowhere to run
Nowhere to hide
2000 brings
The untimely end
Of all living things
The Four Horsemen have started their ride
Can you see them in the sky
Glaring down at the ground
Smile on their face
As they commence
The end of the human race
Total devastation
Prepare yourself for death
This world's insane
Start your fields afire
Watching them burn
Tomorrow will be
Another world's turn
To win is the end
To be a part of judgment day
We should have listened
To what Christ had to say
Total devastation
Prepare yourself for death
This world's insane
What do you say
We all have our chances of living in peace
Now I'm afraid you're in too deep
What can you do when you're a fool
It all goes this way
You should have listened
To what Christ had to say
Total devastation
Prepare yourself to die
This world's insane
No no no no
This world's insane
Oh yeah
No no no no
Stop it
Carico i commenti... con calma
