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[Metallus Maximus]

Metallus Maximus � Maximus Archivus � Classic Album Of The Day Archive (Moderator: Hellboy)
Classic Album of the Day 11/18/08: Savatage - Gutter Ballet

[Venom]

Savatage's 1989 release Gutter Ballet has been a love/hate release with me. I HATED it when it was originally released.  I wanted Hall of the Mountain King, instead I got some pompous mellow junk that after the first listen I put away the album to not listen to it again for over 10 years. I could not believe a band that released the masterpiece Hall of the Mountain King would follow up that fantastic, landmark, seminal album with this crap. What was this mellow crap????  Since that time, I have grown older and my tastes have expanded and I can appreciate this album for what it is. The band was trying to expand their sound outside of just power metal into what they later became.  It does have some rocking tracks like Of Rage and War, Gutter Ballet (once it gets going), She's In Love, The Unholy, and Thorazine Shuffle. Any one else Appreciate?

Track Listing:

   1. Of Rage And War
   2. Gutter Ballet
   3. Temptation - Revelation
   4. When The Crowds Are Gone
   5. Silk And Steel
   6. She's In Love
   7. Hounds
   8. The Unholy
   9. Mentally Yours
  10. Summer's Rain
  11. Thorazine Shuffle

[Metal_King]

Powerful, beautiful album...proof that metal can be beautiful. 

[Hellboy]

Definitely my second favorite Savatage release after Hall Of The Mountain King. While mellower, I thought it was quite a natural evolution in the band's sound and the addition of Chris Caffery was nice, since up to that point, the band only relied on Criss Oliva's guitar work. While not quite as great as HOTMK, it's still stands as one of Savatage's greatest achievements. What hurts the album is probably the songs sequence with 3 of the mellowest pieces in a row (Temptation Revelation, When The Crowds are Gone and Silk And Steel), really cutting the flow of an otherwise brilliant album.

Their next release, Streets, aside from the opening track and Jesus Saves really made me scratch my head... 

[Klschmann]

This is my favorite Savatage album.

It's a perfect mix of the old metal Sava and the newer theatrical Sava. 

When The Crowds Are Gone and Gutter Ballet are just amazing tunes.

I liked where they went after this album, but it was a bit too watered down for me with Streets.  Thorns was great, but things weren't the same after Criss passed.

[Venom]

This is my favorite Savatage album.

It's a perfect mix of the old metal Sava and the newer theatrical Sava. 

When The Crowds Are Gone and Gutter Ballet are just amazing tunes.

I liked where they went after this album, but it was a bit too watered down for me with Streets.  Thorns was great, but things weren't the same after Criss passed.

still not a fan of Streets to this Day...

[Klschmann]

I love Streets but I really have to be in the right mindset to listen to it.  When I am, it's amazing.  Usually, it's just too slow and ballady.  Totally depends on my mood.

[Venom]

I love Streets but I really have to be in the right mindset to listen to it.  When I am, it's amazing.  Usually, it's just too slow and ballady.  Totally depends on my mood.

I can only listen to certain songs on this album not the whole thing in one sitting. 

[Dr. Heathen Scum]

Good album, not a band I revisit very much for some reason 

[anti nowhere punk]

I love when the crowds are gone, its always been a total fave song of mine, but apart from that the rest of the album does NOTHING for me!

[mak28]

My second favorite album ever and my favorite from the band.  It's a whole different beast than HOTMK and was such a breathe of fresh air for me as a metal fan.  It's a cut above anything else in traditional metal and despite the piano balladry (which still rules mightily) this album is still hard, dark and contains Criss' most passionate, fiery play.  The solo breaks in Mentally Yours and Thorazine Shuffle as well as the lead out in The Hounds are legendary!  The Unholy remains my favorite Savatage tune.  That track is as evil and as aggressive as the band ever got.  It's pretty balls out.  The whole album with the exception of the complete waste that is Silk and Steel is gold.

On a side note, Chris Caffery didn't play on the album despite being pictured.  He joined after the album was recorded but before it went to print.  He didn't appear on a studio album till Dead Winter Dead.

[zekeyou]

I'm probably in the minority, but I prefer the overblown, pompousy Savatage to the 80's stuff.

Love this album, or at least parts of it.

[The True Fortress]

My second favorite album ever and my favorite from the band.  It's a whole different beast than HOTMK and was such a breathe of fresh air for me as a metal fan.  It's a cut above anything else in traditional metal and despite the piano balladry (which still rules mightily) this album is still hard, dark and contains Criss' most passionate, fiery play.  The solo breaks in Mentally Yours and Thorazine Shuffle as well as the lead out in The Hounds are legendary!  The Unholy remains my favorite Savatage tune.  That track is as evil and as aggressive as the band ever got.  It's pretty balls out.  The whole album with the exception of the complete waste that is Silk and Steel is gold.

On a side note, Chris Caffery didn't play on the album despite being pictured.  He joined after the album was recorded but before it went to print.  He didn't appear on a studio album till Dead Winter Dead.

I like a few Savatage albums more than this one, but it's every bit valid as a number-one pick, for sure.

But, hey! ... "Silk and Steel" is amazing. I really love this little dittie. 

P.S. Streets is a masterpiece. 

[The True Fortress]

Spun this disc last night (because of this thread) and am floored ... again ... with how incredible it really is. 

[Pelata]

Great record...great songs...great atmosphere...top notch stuff!! 

[The True Fortress]

The record is actually quite heavy. But deceptively so. There is raging heavy metal all over this thing.