Sirens (Savatage album)
Sirens is the debut album by American heavy metal band Savatage, released in 1983. The music on this album is heavier than in later Savatage albums, where the band developed their own style of progressive metal.[3]
Sirens | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 11, 1983 (US) November 1, 1983 (UK) | |||
Recorded | January 1983 | |||
Studio | Morrisound Studios in Tampa, Florida, US | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 35:51 | |||
Label | Par Records (US) Music for Nations (UK) | |||
Producer | Danny Johnson | |||
Savatage chronology | ||||
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UK edition cover | ||||
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [3] |
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 10/10[4] |
The Metal Crypt | [5] |
Metal Forces | 9/10[6] |
According to front man Jon Oliva, Sirens and the long EP The Dungeons Are Calling were recorded and mixed all in one day. With most of the songs prepared no more than a week before the recording session, the band could only afford one day in the studio. The two albums together were to make Savatage's debut but since vinyl records limited the total running time, they were divided. In 2011 they were remastered and released together on the label Earmusic.
The cover of the English versions published by both Music for Nations and Combat Records in 1985 used the cover of the children's book The Borribles Go for Broke.[7] It was also used by Metal Blade Records for the first edition on CD and other subsequent versions.
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Sirens" | Jon Oliva, Criss Oliva | 3:43 |
2. | "Holocaust" | J. Oliva, C. Oliva | 4:34 |
3. | "I Believe" | J. Oliva, C. Oliva | 5:25 |
4. | "Rage" | J. Oliva, C. Oliva | 2:42 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
5. | "On the Run" | J. Oliva, C. Oliva, Steve Wacholz | 3:33 |
6. | "Twisted Little Sister" | J. Oliva, C. Oliva, Keith Collins | 3:39 |
7. | "Living for the Night" | J. Oliva, C. Oliva | 3:20 |
8. | "Scream Murder" | J. Oliva | 3:50 |
9. | "Out on the Streets" | J. Oliva, C. Oliva | 5:15 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
10. | "Lady in Disguise" (demo) | J. Oliva, C. Oliva | 4:34 |
11. | "The Message" (demo) | J. Oliva, C. Oliva | 3:38 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
10. | "Target" (demo) | J. Oliva, C. Oliva | 4:20 |
11. | "Living on the Edge of Time" (demo) | J. Oliva, C. Oliva | 3:53 |
99. | "Untitled Acoustic" (hidden track) | C. Oliva | 2:17 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
16. | "In the Dream" (acoustic version) | J. Oliva, C. Oliva | 3:34 |
- The track "Out on the Streets" was later re-recorded by the band on their 1986 album, Fight for the Rock and an acoustic rendition was recorded by Jon Oliva and included as bonus track in the 2010 Greatest Hits.
- The track "Lady in Disguise" was also later re-recorded for the 1986 album, Fight for the Rock, but with different arrangements.
- The track "Scream Murder" was covered on American progressive metal band Vanquishes' album Speed Metal Demon.
- The track "Holocaust" was covered by American death metal band Six Feet Under and is featured on their cover album Graveyard Classics
Personnel
- Savatage
Interesting to note is that in the liner notes for the album, they gave themselves roles instead of listing their instruments.
- Jon Oliva – Shrieks of Terror (lead vocals)
- Criss Oliva – Metalaxe (guitars, backing vocals)
- Keith Collins – The Bottom End (bass, backing vocals)
- Steve Wacholz – Barbaric Cannons (drums, percussion)
- Production
- Danny Johnson – producer
- Jim Morris – engineer
- Mike Fuller – mastering
- Terry Oakes – UK edition artwork, illustrations
- Eddy Schreyer – re-mastering
References
- VV, AA (2012). HM - Il grande libro Heavy Metal (in Italian). Giunti Editore. p. 190. ISBN 978-8-80977-636-4.
- Bukszpan, Daniel (2003). The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal. Barnes & Noble Publishing. p. 218. ISBN 978-0-76074-218-1.
- Orens, Geoff. "Savatage Sirens review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
- Popoff, Martin (1 November 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 312. ISBN 978-1894959315.
- Turnbull, Bruce (12 December 2010). "Savatage - Sirens". The Metal Crypt. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
- Constable, Dave (August 1983). "Savatage - Sirens". Metal Forces. No. 1. p. 21. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
- "The Borribles Go for Broke (covers)". LibraryThing. Retrieved 9 April 2010.