Jon Oliva's Pain

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Promotional photo for Maniacal Renderings (Jon Oliva, centre top).
Background information
Origin	Clearwater, Florida USA
Genre(s)	Heavy Metal Progressive Metal
Years active	2003 – present
Label(s)	SPV/Steamhammer Records (2004–2006) AFM Records (2006 – present)
Associated acts	Savatage Circle II Circle
Website	www.jonoliva.net
Members
Jon Oliva John Zahner Shane French Matt LaPorte Kevin Rothney Christopher Kinder
Former members
Jerry Outlaw

Jon Oliva's Pain (sometimes referred to as JOP) is the latest project of former Savatage co-founder and frontman Jon Oliva.

1 Band history
2 Lineup
3 Discography
- 3.1 Albums
- 3.2 EPs
4 References
5 External links
- 5.1 Jon Oliva's Pain at online databases

[edit] Band history

Initially the project consisted entirely of solo recordings by Oliva, but after several months of work he was joined in 2004 by former members of Circle II Circle to form a band^[1]. After hearing the results of their earliest studio sessions together he then decided to repeat the solo work from scratch with the band^[1], releasing their first album 'Tage Mahal on the SPV label early that year^[2]. Originally slated to be released on the same label in May 2006^[3], JOP subsequently signed to AFM Records for the release of the follow-up entitled Maniacal Renderings, due on September 4th 2006^[4]. Oliva cites SPV's reluctance to promote the previous record as a major factor in his decision to move labels^[5]. Oliva credits his late brother Criss (with whom he had founded Savatage) as co-writing some of the work on this latest album (particularly the track "The Answer"), after finding some working tapes they had recorded together immediately before Criss' death in a road accident in 1993^[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, focusing 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^[1].

In March of 2007 Jon Oliva's Pain headlined ProgPower UK II. Jon Oliva came on stage, limping after falling off a bus earlier that day, and stated that they were going to play both Savatage tracks and JOP tracks and that they had a surprise especially for the UK audience. After playing two Savatage tracks and two JOP tracks (Warriors/Sirens and Maniacle Renderings/The Evil Beside You) Jon Oliva reminded the crowd of the surprise he had mentioned earlier, He then announced that the band would be playing the Streets album in its entirety for the audience. After finishing the album as complete as they could live the band proceeded to play 2 more JOP tracks and 4 more Savatage tracks then encoring with "Hall of The Mountain King". Jon credited the evening to his late brother Criss, whom he said was there in spirit and was likely also to have pushed him off the bus earlier that day.

[edit] Lineup

Jon Oliva (vocals; keyboards)
John Zahner (keyboards)
Shane French (guitars)
Matt LaPorte (guitars)
Kevin Rothney (bass)
Christopher Kinder (drums)

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

'Tage Mahal (25 October, 2004; SPV; SPV08599122)
Maniacal Renderings (4 September, 2006; AFM; AFMCD129)

[edit] EPs

Straight-Jacket Memoirs (23 June, 2006; AFM; AFMSG129)

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Jon Oliva & Chris Kinder. Interview with Jon Patrick (aka Twang). Jon Oliva Special. The Twang Show on Totalrock.com., London. 2006-08-04.
^ Jon Oliva's Pain (band biography). AFM Records. Retrieved on August 7, 2006.
^ JON OLIVA'S PAIN To Enter Studio In January. Blabbermouth.net (2005-12-24). Retrieved on August 29, 2006.
^ AFM press release
^ ProgPowerUK II programme. Interview with Jon Oliva, page 7.