Loucifer
Site Admin
Joined: 14 Aug 2006
Posts: 764
Location: London(ish), UK
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 Posted: Thu Aug 17, 2006 8:57 am Post subject: Jon Oliva's Pain |
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I think this band can be described as 'prog metal'...
Wikipedia stuff...
John Oliva's Pain (sometimes referred to as JOP) is the latest project of former Savatage co-founder and frontman Jon Oliva.
The band was formed by Oliva in 2004[1], releasing their first album 'Tage Mahal on the SPV label early that year[1]. JOP subsequently signed to AFM Records for the release of the follow-up due on entitled Maniacal Renderings, September 1st 2006[1].
A tour taking them through most of Summer 2006 will see the band appearing at festivals in Europe. The tour will reportedly include the performance of two Savatage songs at each concert.
The music and themes bear comparison with the likes of Alice Cooper, focussing as they do on elements of obsession, pain, confusion and insanity. Oliva himself cites The Beatles, Queen and The Who amongst his and hence the band's influences.
Members
Jon Oliva (vocals; keyboards)
John Zahner (keyboards)
Shane French (guitars)
Matt LaPorte (guitars)
Kevin Rothney (bass)
Christopher Kinder (drums)
Discography
Albums
'Tage Mahal (25 October, 2004; SPV; SPV08599122)
Maniacal Renderings (due 1 September, 2006; AFM)
EPs
Straight-Jacket Memoirs (23 June, 2006; AFM; AFMSG129)
Biography from AFM Records
There is not much you cannot say about this metal legend! He's an excellent musician, a charasmatic singer, a straight and honest guy from the home next door, an idol, and a songwriter that never runs out of ideas. He is a man with a damn good laugh and great sense of humour. And he is the Mountain King!
Without any doubt, Jon Oliva has written music history, and, for sure, he still is! Being the mastermind of one of the most successful and influential bands in Heavy Metal history, Savatage, this guy from New York has experienced a musical career that many others can only dream of and because of that his name live's on...now and forever!
But even though that has never been the limit for Jon, his unique way of writing songs has never followed current gendres or trends. Unlike many seasoned songwriters, Jon Oliva has always had the skill's to create something timeless and powerful!
Milestones such as “Streets” or “Gutter Ballet” have never been “in” or “out” – they simply are and remain unique and timeless. And so is the Mountain King himself. He is a strong character with many different sides, skills and faces that he loves to express not only within Savatage, but to the whole world through whatever channel available.
In 2004 Jon Oliva founded his Pain to present the musical idea's that have been trapped inside his mind and all around him. He express's that through timeless music and deep lyrics. This is the vehicle that allows JOP to take you on a powerful and spectacular musical ride .
A first JOP album, “Tage Mahal” was released in the spring of 2004, giving everyone the first impression of his new band. Jon Oliva `s Pain offer a great variety of emotions, ideas and powerful, epical song material without losing any of its originality. Straight forward and without boundaries, Oliva's music and message often steps into the realm of insanity!
Jon Oliva is a musical genious!
His daily insanity is waiting for all of us, ready and willing to drive us mad. It can be global things like terror as well as the tiny personal obstacles that can get on your nerves and make you freak out without warning.
And it can be Jon Oliva `s Pain that will make you headbang and laugh about it simultaneously!
At Audio Lab Studios, located in sunny Tampa/Florida, Jon Oliva and the band have found the right tunes and melodies to express this crazy world. They have created their “Maniacle Renderings” and forged another example of how much variety and uniqueness can be created in one CD. Oliva chose to write the album as a band, injecting idea's and musical parts from every member into each song. Nothing was off-limits and every piece of music would be considered.
The result is a CD with power, theatrical grace, fascinating emotions and the distinctive Mountain King-flair proves that you don`t necessarily have to go crazy in a negative way... you can just freak on what has been mixed and mastered at the famous Morrisound Studios in May, 2006!
For the title track of the album JOP have even used a 50 voice choir to make it sound as massive and as atmospheric as the Mountain King wanted it to be. Some other track's such as “Timeless Flight”, contain parts of Jon `s late brother Criss Oliva's music and riffs. “My wife discovered these tapes with Criss's music in a shoe box”, Jon explains. “It all came from the Gutter Ballet-period and I was about to cry when I heard it. Then she said to me I should use it for some new songs... I owe her for that.”
So “Maniacle Renderings” is a very personal and traditional album. And just like the old days, Oliva and the band sought to reach deep into the Savatage roots with alternate guitar tunings as was evident during the "Hall of the Mountain King" era.
To first give the world something to digest, a five song EP entitled “Straight - Jacket Memoirs” will be released on June 23. It will contain three brand new JOP songs plus two live songs, recorded during the “Tage Mahal”-tour in 2005/2006. And it will be the start of a spectacular summer festival season for JOP beginning with the Bang Your Head Festival (Balingen/Germany) on exactly this 23rd June. Jon Oliva `s Pain will play almost all important festivals in Europe inlcuding Graspop, Earthshaker, Rock Harz and many more!
A co-headlining European tour in the fall will begin soon after the full CD release mid-September. Jon Oliva's Pain will be everywhere in 2006!
So prepare to go crazy for Jon Oliva's Pain and "Maniacle Renderings”!
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No Sleep... 'til Bedtime!
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