NEW YORK - The new album from Savatage, "Poets and Madmen," has all the
ingredients of the classic Savatage sound - aggressive guitars, dynamic
vocals that range from a whisper to a heart-stopping scream, and a
fascinating story that unfolds for the listener through a rock opera approach.
Continuing in Savatage tradition, producer/writer Paul O'Neill constructed
the story behind "Poets and Madmen." Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer
Kevin Carter, it is said, spent years documenting the famine in Africa. Upon
returning to his native country, Carter was institutionalized. Years later,
three teenagers come upon an abandoned
mental hospital and break in. Exploring the building, the kids find and open
Carter's file, and from there they are taken on a ride they will surely never
forget. Full of twists and turns, master storyteller O'Neill weaves an
intricate tale with an unbelievable ending. "Savatage albums often have
themes - the drug addiction in 'Streets' and the ethnic
hatred in 'Dead Winter Dead,'" said O'Neill. "Our new album tries to explore
'looking deeper for hidden meanings' and the dangers of not looking beyond
the facade. We also hid something in this album in effort to keep things
interesting. We hope you find it."
"'Poets and Madmen' is my favorite of the concept albums," said Oliva. "I
love the story that Paul came up with. And I also like the fact that the
music covers just about all the different things we have done over the band's
history. It all just fit together so well, and we had a fun time doing it."
Adds guitarist Chris Caffery: "It's a fascinating little story with lots of
twists and turns. Paul really makes sure you look beneath the surface of
every part of this CD. This doesn't just include the story and lyrics. Those
of you who own it can figure out more!"
The unmistakable voice of Jon Oliva fills out the story with aural nuances,
his trademark wails and soft singing adding an impeccable amount of fear,
anger, and sadness. "I enjoyed singing on the entire album," said Oliva, who
also plays keyboards for Savatage. "It's been a long time since I handled it
all myself." Oliva's return to the mic came as a
result of singer Zak Stevens' departure just prior to recording "Poets and
Madmen." For the "Poets and Madmen" tour, singer Damond Jiniya will take
center stage.
"Poets and Madmen" also features the guitar work of former Savatage and
current Megadeth guitarist Al Pitrelli. New guitarist Jack Frost will join
Caffery when the band hits the road. Longtime bassist Johnny Lee Middleton
and drummer Jeff Plate complete the line-up.
"Poets and Madmen" is out April 17 on Nuclear Blast Records. The band will
begin touring the U.S. on April 19 at Jaxx in Springfield, VA.
For more information, please contact:
Michael Mazur or Debbie Sellnow/Mazur Public Relations
Tel: (609) 426-1277 Fax: (609) 426-1217
E-mail: michael@mazurpr.com / debbie@mazurpr.com
www.mazurpr.com
Jill Farthing/Nuclear Blast
Tel: (310) 574-7400 x139 Fax: (310) 574-7414
E-mail: jill@nuclearblastusa.com
www.savatage.com
