Edge of Thorns

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Edge of Thorns
Studio album by Savatage
Released	1993
Genre	Progressive metal
Length	59:54
Label	Atlantic Records
Producer	Paul O'Neill Jon Oliva Criss Oliva
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Toph Morris "Excellent" link
Savatage chronology
Streets: A Rock Opera' (1991) Edge of Thorns (1993) Handful of Rain (1994)
Singles from Edge of Thorns
"Edge of Thorns" Released: 1993 "Sleep" Released: 1993

Edge of Thorns is an album by Savatage, released in 1993 on Atlantic Records. It was the last album to contain the talents of the late guitarist Criss Oliva. It is also the first Savatage album to feature Zachary Stevens on Lead Vocals, following the departure of Jon Oliva from the fore of the band.

The drums on this album sound different from other Savatage records as on this album Steve decided to use electronic drums. Although most of the drum kits sounds authentic, you can hear the difference in the toms.^[1]

The woman in the picture of the album art is Dawn Oliva, Criss Oliva's wife. Gary Smith, who also did the front and back covers for HOTMK, the front cover for GB, the back cover for Streets, and all of Criss Oliva's airbrushed guitars, painted the cover. The face in the trees is supposed to be Jon Oliva, though producer Paul O'Neill disputes that despite its publication in a Criss Oliva interview from 1993. The cover is supposed to represent good (the woman) vs. evil (the face in the trees). According to Criss Oliva in a 1993 interview, "The girl is surrounded by fear and innocence. But the face in the trees is evil. Everything around her is evil. It's about good and evil. The songs on the CD reflect this, too."^[1]

Contents 1 Track listing 1.1 1997 Edel Re-Release Tracks 1.2 2002 SPV Re-Release Tracks 2 Personnel 2.1 Band members 2.2 Additional musicians 3 References

[edit] Track listing

1. "Edge of Thorns" - 5:54
2. "He Carves His Stone" - 4:14
3. "Lights Out" - 3:10
4. "Skraggy's Tomb" - 4:22
5. "Labyrinths" - 1:29
6. "Follow Me" - 5:08
7. "Exit Music" - 3:05
8. "Degrees Of Sanity" - 4:36
9. "Conversation Piece" - 4:10
10. "All That I Bleed" - 4:41
11. "Damien" - 3:53
12. "Miles Away" - 5:06
13. "Sleep" - 3:52
14. "Forever After" - 4:20 (Japanese Bonus Track)
15. "Shotgun Innocence" - 3:30 (Japanese Bonus Track)

[edit] 1997 Edel Re-Release Tracks

14. "Believe" (acoustic version) - 3:52

[edit] 2002 SPV Re-Release Tracks

14. "Forever After" - 4:18
15. "Conversation Piece" (Live In Rehearsal 9/24/94) - 4:19

• All songs written by Jon Oliva, Paul O'Neill, Criss Oliva

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Band members

• Zachary Stevens – lead vocals
• Criss Oliva – guitars
• Johnny Lee Middleton – bass guitar
• Steve Wacholz – drums (electronic drums, studio only)

[edit] Additional musicians

• Jon Oliva – Piano, Keyboards (studio only)
• Andy James - drums (touring member only)
• Wes Garren - rhythm guitar and keys - (touring member only)

[edit] References

v • d • e Savatage Jon Oliva · Damond Jiniya · Chris Caffery · Al Pitrelli · Johnny Lee Middleton · Jeff Plate · Paul O'Neill Criss Oliva  · Keith Collins  · Steve "Doc" Wacholz  · Zak Stevens  · Alex Skolnick  · Jack Frost Studio albums Sirens  · Power of the Night  · Fight for the Rock  · Hall of the Mountain King  · Gutter Ballet  · Streets: A Rock Opera  · Edge of Thorns  · Handful of Rain  · Dead Winter Dead  · The Wake of Magellan  · Poets and Madmen Live albums Japan Live '94  · Final Bell / Ghost in the Ruins Extended plays The Dungeons Are Calling  · Chance EP  · Doesn't Matter Anyway EP Compilations From the Gutter to the Stage  · The Best and the Rest  · Believe Videos Japan Live '94 Related articles Discography · Doctor Butcher  · Trans-Siberian Orchestra  · Jon Oliva's Pain  · Circle II Circle  · Seven Witches  · Megadeth  · Testament  · Annihilator