"Tage Mahal" goes streaking into my Top 5 of the year. I'll admit my expectations were a bit tempered based on the decreasing output from the Mountain King. Fuck me, I was wrong. There are 3 basic styles found throughout the disc:
1. Savatage. Hell, "The Dark" would have been one of the better tunes on any Tage disc.
2. Straight on heavy balls ala Butcher.
3. Beatles gone Metal. It works. Trust me.
Jon sounds the best I have heard him since "Streets." Hell, there were a couple of times that I didn't think it was him as he used a higher octave without the trademark shrieking. Plus, he holds a few notes that I still don't believe are real. I tried to match him (in my studio shower) and I couldn't do it.
The new guys in the band sound like veterans. Great punch in the bass, nice licks in the drums, and some awesome lead work from the guitar.
I'm not going to go in depth on each song, but I'll point out my two faves in reverse order:
2. I'll Fly Away is just a beautiful tune. The acoustic intro leads into just a great melodic piece of metal. No one but Jon could sing this tune and make it work like he does.
1. "People Say" FUCKING RULES THE WORLD. It sounds like nothing Jon has ever done before. It's got a wickedly funk bass intro with the drums just snapping. Jon's vocals are processed, I repeat processed, quietly during the verses whose lyrics are wrapped around Savatage songs going all the way back to the beginning. It's just so cool. Then the chorus kicks in (with a litte horn work in the background too) in and Jon goes demonic. It's a simple chorus and will destroy live.
Glenn H.
1. Savatage. Hell, "The Dark" would have been one of the better tunes on any Tage disc.
2. Straight on heavy balls ala Butcher.
3. Beatles gone Metal. It works. Trust me.
Jon sounds the best I have heard him since "Streets." Hell, there were a couple of times that I didn't think it was him as he used a higher octave without the trademark shrieking. Plus, he holds a few notes that I still don't believe are real. I tried to match him (in my studio shower) and I couldn't do it.
The new guys in the band sound like veterans. Great punch in the bass, nice licks in the drums, and some awesome lead work from the guitar.
I'm not going to go in depth on each song, but I'll point out my two faves in reverse order:
2. I'll Fly Away is just a beautiful tune. The acoustic intro leads into just a great melodic piece of metal. No one but Jon could sing this tune and make it work like he does.
1. "People Say" FUCKING RULES THE WORLD. It sounds like nothing Jon has ever done before. It's got a wickedly funk bass intro with the drums just snapping. Jon's vocals are processed, I repeat processed, quietly during the verses whose lyrics are wrapped around Savatage songs going all the way back to the beginning. It's just so cool. Then the chorus kicks in (with a litte horn work in the background too) in and Jon goes demonic. It's a simple chorus and will destroy live.
Glenn H.
