#dr. killdrums

Power of the Night was Savatage’s major label debut, and as such balanced traditional ‘80s metal anthems like the mighty title track with the emerging hair metal of the hilariously ludicrous “Hard for Love”.  But there was also “Washed Out” to remind everyone this was the same band that ripped through The Dungeons Are Calling: Jon Oliva’s vocals were commanding without resorting to cheap histrionics, Criss Oliva pulled out a straightforward charging riff and Steve “Doc” Wacholz pummeled his kit in classic Killdrums fashion, with all aided by a dry and precise Max Norman production that, in retrospect, sounded like a dry run for his work on Countdown to Extinction. The track was a brisk and fun headbanger that, while not entirely purposeful, reasserted Savatage’s metal bonafides during their uncertain early years on Atlantic.

The Dungeons are Calling was recorded the same day as Sirens, and its tracks were meant to ultimately fit onto Savatage’s debut album.  However, vinyl limitations in the early ‘80s resulted in that session being split into one full-length and an EP.  And that turned out to be a blessing, as tracks like “By the Grace of the Witch” felt darker and grimier than the more anthemic and diverse tunes on Sirens, lending credence to Jon Oliva’s claim that the songs on The Dungeons are Calling constituted a loose song cycle about addiction.  From Criss Oliva’s ominous riff to Steve Wacholz’s persistent backbeat, “By the Grace of the Witch” transcended Savatage’s indie origins (and Dan Richardson’s low-budget production actually made the tune sound more dangerous) and made a more stirring case for the band as upstarts than most of Sirens.  In the ensuing years, the Olivas would both enhance and undermine their cause, but this was an early victory.

Savatage’s shift from riff-oriented semi-power metal to concept-driven bombast served them well in the long run, but Power of the Night’s awesome title track makes one wish they’d stuck to writing kick-ass bangers just a little longer.  Of course the song was cheesy- anthems about “children of the metal movement” culminating in Jon Oliva howling “raise the fist of the metal child!!!” weren’t designed to hold up under scrutiny- but Criss Oliva wrote a killer central riff and Steve “Dr. Killdrums” Wacholz brought a percussive fury that was only slightly hampered by Max Norman’s strangely anemic production.  And Jon’s melodrama, though completely unnecessary, made sense in a 1985 sort of way: after all, the metal youth were coming to rock out at night and that was serious stuff back in the day.  “Power of the Night” should’ve been a bigger hit, though it was likely for the best since its commercial underperformance forced Savatage to find other ways to differentiate itself and set them up for future success.