Classic Video of the Day || Savatage- Hall of the Mountain King

Savatage was amazing. Truly. The bothers Jon and Criss Olivia pumped out some of the greatest traditional and progressive heavy metal tunes between ’85 and ’93. Sadly, in 1993 a drunk driver took Criss’ life as he was on his way to a festival. The band continued after that because of an agreement the brothers made, but it just wasn’t the same.

Around this time Jon and fellow Savatage member Al Pitrelli joined up with Trans-Siberian Orchestra. (If you only know of TSO from their sometimes oft-cheesy treatments of Christmas songs, you’ve missed out. The album Beethoven’s Last Night is one of the greatest rock opera/crossover records I’ve ever heard. Go check it out.) Savatage continued to make records until they went on indefinite hiatus in 2001 after a fair amount of drama and member departures.

For a while rumors floated around, as they sometimes do, that the band would be reunited for one more album but in 2009 Jon Olivia put them to rest though he did hint the band would be re-releasing their entire back catalogue sometime in the future. 

Recommended listening: Sirens, The Hall of the Mountain King, and seriously try Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s Beethoven’s Last Night.

You have your assignments. Have a good weekend, everybody!