JON OLIVA'S PAIN - review added 5th February 2010
Album Review: Festival (2010)
For fans of: Progressive Alt Rock... and just about everything else too!
As far as musical histories go, Jon Oliva has a decently cool one. He was co-founder of seminal metal act Savatage along with his late brother Criss. He is also one of the names behind the über-gigantic Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
Jon Oliva's Pain - presently Jon Oliva on vocals, Christopher Kinder on drums, Kevin Rothney on bass, John Zahner on keys, Matt LaPorte and Tom McDyne on guitars - came into existence in 2003 after the start of Savatage's prolonged hiatus. Festival is the band's 4th release and follows 2008's Global Warning, 2006's Maniacal Renderings and their 2004 debut, 'Tage Mahal.
If you haven't heard this band before, it'll surprise the hell of out of you. The sound embraces just about every genre on the planet. Okay, there's no R&B or reggae, but there's metal, rock, grunge, jazz, blues, sixties, seventies and eighties pop, prog, theatrical pomp and more. I love bands that don't give a sh*t about convention (so long as they conform to producing stuff you can actually listen to). Festival is totally off the wall, and so brilliantly intriguing it's hard to know whether to laugh, cheer or run away screaming.
Jon Oliva manages to be both an exceptional and terrible singer all at once. When he puts force behind his voice he sounds like a walrus gargling on hedgehog meatballs - but in a bloody good characterful way. When he sings softly he's surprisingly beautiful. The musicianship is great, and obviously hugely varied. In parts it's deeply heavy, and there's a definite theme of loudness through most of the album, but you never know what's coming along next - even stepping from one verse to another.
Opening track 'Lies' starts with a fancy multi-layered guitar intro before mutating into a laid back rocker with a huge shout-fest of a chorus. The prog-styled keyboards add a rich seam of class to the track. 'Death Rides A Black Horse' has a grinding retro charm and another superbly unrefined yet catchy chorus. It's a majestically plodding track that's half ballad, half soundtrack to Hades.
The title track is way bigger than either of the first two though. There are creepy carnival/circus effects, moody melodies, dark lyrics, and even some noises drawn from the Predator films in the background. It's a very atmospheric song - perhaps more of an experience than a track to sing along to - but there's no denying it's impact. 'Afterglow' is both heavy and mellow at once. It's a cool track that references sounds and vibes from nearly half a century ago and makes them louder, meaner and a lot more interesting.
'Living On The Edge' is almost normal by comparison. It's a grungy take on hair metal rock and is going to kick ass in metal clubs. 'Looking For Nothing' is a soft, harmonious track that again looks to the past for inspiration. The harder hitting 'The Evil Within' is okay, if a tad anonymous. 'Winter Haven' flicks back into soft mode and works well. It's not rock in the normal sense of the word. I'm not sure what it is to be honest...maybe epic is the word? The grunge-ridden 'I Fear You' is a good-to-middling entry, whilst the final track 'Now' is as slow and quiet as a snail with a gagging order...and really rather good.
Festival is better in the first half than the second, and probably too far-out for many rock fans. However, there are a good few excellent individual songs, and as a whole it's a worthwhile listening experience. And that's the thing: listening to Jon Oliva's Pain is an experience. This release moves beyond mere music. It's like a crazy progressive rock opera covered in fairy dust and set on fire. You might not like what's on this album, but you'd be a fool not to give it a try.
Check out... All of it - but be warned it might frighten the bejesus out of you.
Track List:
01. Lies
02. Death Rides A Black Horse
03. Festival
04. Afterglow
05. Living On The Edge
06. Looking For Nothing
07. The Evil Within
08. Winter Haven
09. I Fear You
10. Now
Label: AFM Records
Artist's website(s): Jon Oliva's Pain , MySpace
