Zak Stevens 10.30

sixxswine

rockandrollazine.blogspot
I'm confirmed for the interview with Zak on 10.30.06
here's what I have so far, so are ones that were contributed by some of the UMOS members, plus some that I formulated over the last few days...
The last section is similar to what I used to come with Sludge more or less word association "light." Check it and let me know what you think?!

Zak Stevens

How did you first come to know the Oliva brothers?

You signed on for the Savatage album Edge of Thorns how exciting was that for you? And how nervous were you about fan acceptance of you as the new singer?

Edge of Thorns is a killer album, I’m not a huge of the ballad type stuff but “Sleep” is nearing power ballad territory and it’s fantastic. Was it hard to record Handful of Rain since Criss was gone? In retrospect what do you think of that record?

Could you share some memories you have of Criss Oliva? Aside from a great guitarist what kind of a person was he?

You've had a couple of albums since replacing all the band members. Do you consider Circle II Circle more of a complete band or more like the Zak Stevens project?

How has your music progressed or changed since you parted with Savatage?

Favorite album from the Circle II Circle catalog so far?

With Burden of Truth it’s a concept album that is based on material that has been covered on the Da Vinci Code. Correct me if I’m wrong but it’s more or less stating that Jesus and Mary of Magdalene were husband and wife and she was with child and their decedents are among us to this day?

Why cover this topic, was this something that you had in the works for a while?

The funny thing is that haven been raised Catholic I have seen the painting of the last supper for years, but at an early age maybe 7-8 years old I questioned people as to the figure to Jesus’ right. To me it’s clearly a female, among 11 and then Jesus.

The Da Vinci Code became a movie there was tons of controversy around it for obvious reasons. Did you get a chance to catch that movie and if so what did you think?

Was the Burden of Truth really wrap up recording on 6.6.06?

How quickly did this album come together? Was it a lengthy writing process?

If you had a gun to your head and were asked to pick the best track on Burden of Truth what would it be and why?

How is your reception overseas? Do you feel that the US can still be an important place for metal bands?

Have there been any discussions of live shows or appearance in the United States to promote Burden of Truth?

Are you planning take part in the fabled Savatage 25th Anniversary, whenever it actually comes together?


"reserve"
Please play along and say the first thing that comes to mind for each person, place or thing:

Tamp Florida –

Jon Oliva –

Criss Oliva –

Wicked Witch –

Trans-Siberian Orchestra –

Edge of Thorns -
 
Very good interview! Thanks for the link (and for one more site I'll have to start checking out). Good job.

I especially was intrigued by the answer to this one:

Are you planning take part in the fabled Savatage 25th Anniversary, whenever it actually comes together?

Fabled?! No, this is happening if I have anything to say about it. We’ll be wrapping up with the next TSO album at the beginning of 2007 and we’ll all get together and write for a studio album which will be part of the celebration. Even though it will take place on the band’s 26th year. The plan is to record an album, do a live dvd and also hopefully do multiple live appearances with the entire cast of characters that have been in Savatage.


I'm sorry to see Sav go, but we need one more huge send-off. Now, if only that last album will be a special 5 CD set :)

Steve in Philly
 
Very good interview! Thanks for the link (and for one more site I'll have to start checking out). Good job.

I especially was intrigued by the answer to this one:

Are you planning take part in the fabled Savatage 25th Anniversary, whenever it actually comes together?

Fabled?! No, this is happening if I have anything to say about it. We’ll be wrapping up with the next TSO album at the beginning of 2007 and we’ll all get together and write for a studio album which will be part of the celebration. Even though it will take place on the band’s 26th year. The plan is to record an album, do a live dvd and also hopefully do multiple live appearances with the entire cast of characters that have been in Savatage.


I'm sorry to see Sav go, but we need one more huge send-off. Now, if only that last album will be a special 5 CD set :)

Steve in Philly

Did you check out Jon Oliva's last album yet? Its great.
It sounds like old Savatage!
 
Did you check out Jon Oliva's last album yet? Its great.
It sounds like old Savatage!

Of course! Savatage has been my favorite band for ages, and I'm a fan of all the different phases. JO's Pain has two excellent albums. The new one has tracks that could have come right off of Hall of the Mountain King (understandable, since they used some riffs written by Criss Oliva). Circle II Circle falls squarely in the Zak Stevens era of Sav, again understandably. Both of the new albums are great.

That said, there's still (to me) a dynamic missing. I suspect it is the Paul O'Neil influence, or maybe the synergy between the whole band, or maybe more of Chris Caffrey (whose album was just okay). Whatever it is, I like all of the Sav spin-offs, but none of them have matched HotMK, Gutter Ballet, Wake of Magellan, Dead Winter Dead, or Edge of Thorns (or even Poets and Madmen).

For that reason, I'm holding out hope for a lot more Savatage material, but I suspect we'll get one more album and that'll be the end.

Steve in Philly
 
BRAVO! Sixx! Excellent job. Very enlightening interview and it sounds like Zakk is a great interviewee. Ask him a question and he just rambles on and on! Nice meaty interview. Took me awhile to read it all, but that might've been because I was also listening to Burden of Truth and kept getting distracted by the music. :D
 
BRAVO! Sixx! Excellent job. Very enlightening interview and it sounds like Zakk is a great interviewee. Ask him a question and he just rambles on and on! Nice meaty interview. Took me awhile to read it all, but that might've been because I was also listening to Burden of Truth and kept getting distracted by the music. :D

If you can believe this I had to cut stuff out because he sang like convict being cut a deal by the D.A. Which isn't a bad thing!
 
If you can believe this I had to cut stuff out because he sang like convict being cut a deal by the D.A.

Lol. I thought the interview was great. That skill really seems to be lacking in a lot of the interviews I read today... bands are far too stale in their answers or they just give 3 word answers when the questions are half a page long.

Excellent interview Sixx! :kickass:
 
Thank You Poundingmetal and Carnut!
Means a lot coming from you two metal maniacs.
I think the key is having a good subject to interview...
Zak is a hella nice and like to talk. I have done some interviews
where it's been fucking hell! Luckily those don't happen too often...
 
sixxswine said:
I agree with Hawk, I didn't care Tag Mahal, but the album is the best thing outside of Savatge that Oliva has done since Doctor Butcher!

Btw buddy great interview! I completly forgot to given you the well deserved slap on the back! :loco: :)