The Wake of Magellan

The Wake of Magellan

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
1997 album by the metal vets for the Edel label. 13 tracks,including 'The Ocean', 'Welcome' and 'Turns To Me'. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Tracks:

The Ocean
Welcome
Turns To Me
Morning Sun
Another Way
Blackjack Guillotine
Paragons Of Innocence
Complaint In The System (Veronica Guerin)
Underture
The Wake Of Magellan
Anymore
The Storm
The Hourglass
Somewhere In Time/Alone You Breathe
Sleep
Stay

Album Description

1997 album by the metal vets for the Edel label. 13 tracks,including 'The Ocean', 'Welcome' and 'Turns To Me'.

Customer Reviews:

"HE PUT ON THE MAST ALL THE CANVAS SHE'D TAKE/....THE SHIP WAS HIS COFFIN THIS MOMENT HIS WAKE".......2007-07-05

There's something catchy about good music combined with a story of the sea, e.g. The Southern Cross by CS&N or A Pirate Looks at 40 by Jimmy Buffett. But there is much more than just that in this CD: it is loaded with imagination and talent, a combination I can't resist. This work of art has been around for nearly 10 years and I feel a bit stupid for not "discovering" it until now. But hey, better late than never! And when you start a whole new music listening adventure when nearly 60 years old, it takes some time to catch up with all the good stuff already out there.

After listening to the CD only once, I knew I would give it five stars based only on the music, which includes aspects of power, progressive and symphonic metal. But then I opened the insert and found the rest of the story. The first two pages show two newspaper articles about real incidents, one involving an ocean freighter captain who threw young stowaways overboard, the other an Irish newswoman who was killed by drug lords who she continued to expose even though they had warned her. Then the songs, alternating with poems, tell a story which weaves the two real events into the fictional life of an old sailor who is contemplating suicide. As he walks along the beach, he has a conversation with the ocean and encounters, among others, a young man who has died of an overdose.

Both the songs and the poems are loaded with rhyming, which reflects part of the imagination and talent involved. My title is an example from The Hourglass, the last song of the story, and this is an example from one of the poems: Each man has a soul/That struggles to escape/And in the shallows of his dreams/We can often see its wake.

OK, OK, maybe I'm attracted to this CD because I'm an old geezer of 60; not as old as the sailor, but old. And maybe having recently lost an 18 year old son to suicide has something to do with it. (Not only was the sailor contemplating suicide, but in the song Another Way, one of the stowaways who drowns is identified as being 18 years old.) But I don't think that has any bearing on my rating. After all, 40 other reviewers gave it five stars also, and it is very unlikely that any of them fit my profile.

The work ends with a poem and these are the last four stanzas:

FOR YOUNG AND OLD
ARE ALL ALIVE
ON THAT NEXT BEAT
ON WHICH WE RIDE

AND THAT BEAT IS SUCH
A FRAGILE THING
IN BOTH OLD MEN
OR YOUTHFUL KING

AND THAT BEAT
STANDS ALL ALONE YOU SEE
BETWEEN US
AND BLACK ETERNITY

AND UNTIL THAT TIME
WHEN DEATH WON'T WAIT
LET EACH MAN RAGE
AGAINST HIS FATE

(Please see my profile for a brief discussion of my rating philosophy.)

OK, but no DWD.......2007-05-17

The only problem with this CD is that they did Dead Winter Dead first, and as impressive as some of the music on here is, and as fun the story may be, NONE of their records pack the real punch contained by Dead Winter Dead: it speaks to the current age and utilizes metaphors so well, whereas the other albums seem to tell decent stories but don't get you quite as caught up in the metaphors that bring the impact home to the world you're living in today.

And hey - the music IS better on DWD also... this ain't bad, but they really hit on all cylinders on DWD.

The distant cousin of Dead Winter Dead.......2007-03-29

The Wake of Magellan is in many ways similar to Dead Winter Dead. This is also a concept album with a politically charged storyline, chock full of dramatic vocals, beautiful piano arrangements, searing guitar work, and symphonic overtones. Both albums boast instrumental tracks and excellent counterpoint climaxes as well as two songs sung by original vocalist Jon Oliva. This partly stems from the fact that The Wake of Magellan was the first album in years that featured the same lineup as its predecessor, and it sees input from other members too, as opposed to being a record written entirely by Jon Oliva and Paul O'Neill.

Therefore, it would be safe to claim that Dead Winter Dead and The Wake of Magellan are like two sides of the same coin, barring some exceptions which I will address in this review. For starters, the use of counterpoint-style vocal harmonization took on a new form as the band recorded a more riveting, faster, and more complex style on the title track. Backed by a nice bass groove, the song features an incredible climax in Zak's vocal delivery, portraying the conflicting emotions and arguments that cross the character's mind. What's more is Zak harmonizes on top of this counterpoint and the result is outstanding -- easily the most complex vocal recording in the band's history. Similarly, Zak's spoken-like vocals on "Blackjack Guillotine" work well in a slightly symphonic context with a nice main riff (originally written for a Doctor Butcher album) by Chris Caffery.

The album draws parallels to several influences of Jon Oliva. The pure, sweet piano riff on "The Ocean" echoes the churning riffing of the Doors' "Riders of the Storm"; and the melodic opening of "Welcome" is inspired by U2's The Edge in that it has this constant note playing against which the main melody is set. Al Pitrelli's glistening harmonics on "Turns to Me", possibly the high point of the album, make for a pleasant listen, given its fluctuating rhythmic tension, alternating between jackhammer riffs and acoustic sections enriched with sweet piano lines. Zak's voice being thick with harmony also contributes to its intensity -- this is one of his finest performances. "Morning Sun" brings forth an unusual vibe for Savatage. It starts with a soft, plucked acoustic guitar giving off a folksy air before bringing in a powerful chorus and a blues-tinged guitar solo. In terms of diversity, The Wake of Magellan is one of their strongest works.

The first Oliva-sung piece, "Another Way", sees him snapping into the psyche of the young kid in the story (there is a nice synopsis of the storyline in the booklet) and turning in a great performance, not unlike "I Am". Likewise, this piece boasts a nice classical guitar part from Pitrelli akin to the material on Dead Winter Dead and Sava's offshoot project Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Written in a weird key, the song carries an evil tone to it, and the use of sneering guitars and dense symphonic elements fits it like a glove.

There are three instrumentals on the CD, "The Ocean" serving as a brilliant mood-setter to the album. Speaking of which, the inclusion of the sound of the ocean, rain, wind effects have elevated the band into a new domain. The storytelling is a lot more Broadway-like here, complete with recurring themes and theatrical elements. For example, the sounds of rain and thunder on "Storm" do a great job visualising the desperation of Ferdinand Magellan, the character in the story. One of the few songs written by Pitrelli, he considers it his favourite solo in his whole life. That's saying a lot, considering his stints with artists that include Alice Cooper, Asia, and Megadeth to name a few. "Underture" which is more of a precursor to the wonderful "The Wake of Magellan" is heavier on keyboards and dense guitar lines placed atop sparkling piano notes.

Being a politically themed record, the band opts to cover a broad spectrum of moods and personalities. "Paragons of Innocence" tackles a very thought-provoking lyrical theme and perfects the storytelling with Jon Oliva's unique, sinister vocals where he does his craziest rapid-fire singing ever. Though the band could never perform it live, his singing has to be heard -- it is intense. To further expand on the political nature of the album, there is the two-minute track "Complaint in the System", a song dedicated to Veronica Guerin, an Irish reporter who was killed for fighting the drug lords in her country. This song is an attack against the media and governments who turn a blind eye to drug dealers -- and the use of processed vocals that personify the "system" is amazing, given its fake, unreal tone. The album closes with the eight-minute "The Hourglass", filled with yet another brilliant counterpoint harmony, but to be honest, I feel the ones on Dead Winter Dead have more emotional impact.

Upon its release, The Wake of Magellan won Savatage a whole new legion of fans (mostly in Europe) and to this day is voted their favourite release in various online polls. At the same time, it alienated the band's old fan base, being a sharp departure from the traditional Savatage sound. To me, it ranks as my least favourite disc from their post-Hall of the Mountain King period, but is better than everything else they've done. It is an essential disc if you like symphonic elements mixed into clever arrangements packed with powerful vocals and melodic guitar work.

The Ultimate Savatage Album.......2006-08-02

It's hard to imagine that Savatage could get any better than their 1995 album Dead Winter Dead, but when they released the Wake of Magellan in 1998 the band did just that.

Like Dead Winter Dead, the Wake of Magellan is a concept album, this time focusing on three seemingly unrelated stories. O'Neill and Oliva weave the three together, while the band makes the story come alive. This is easily Savatage's most epic and progressive album to date, as emphasized by everything from the powerful instrumental tracks to the intricate vocal layering. The Wake of Magellan is an album that recalls the very best of Iron Maiden, Rush, and Queen. This is also the Savatage album most likely to draw parallels with O'Neill and Oliva's highly successful Trans-Siberian Orchestra project.

Founding member Jon Oliva once again contributes vocals to this album. His voice is perfect on those tracks where a little extra aggression is required, and serves as a nice counterpoint to regular (but never ordinary) vocalist Zak Stevens. Sadly, this album is the last Savatage release to feature Stevens on vocals. He has since launched a solo project called Circle II Circle, which should definitely appeal to Savatage fans.

While the album was extremely strong from start to finish, there are some standout songs that rank among Savatage's best, including the title track, the Storm, the Hourglass, and Blackjack Guillotine. The beautiful instrumental tracks are just as impressive. There really isn't a weak moment on the whole album, which remains my all-time favorite Savatage release.

The only difficulty lies in choosing which version to get. The domestic version features three acoustic bonus tracks, but the similarly-priced SPV import might be the better option. It has not been remastered, but the 2002 SPV reissue does have a few extras that make it worthwhile. It features 2 additional tracks - This Is Where You Should Be and an acoustic version of Desiree. The real bonus is that the liner notes have been expanded to include several pages of very detailed information about the band during this particular stage of their career. When added to the chapters from the other SPV Savatage reissues, you'll get the real story behind one of the best (and most underrated) metal bands of all time.

Unfortunately, the SPV reissue does not contain the three acoustic bonus tracks from the regular version, so I have two copies of the Wake of Magellan on my shelf.

Classically-trained Musicianship & Longing for Salvation w/ProgRock sound.......2006-03-30

I'd never heard of Savatage until Amazon recommended them to me after I reviewed "Beethoven's Last Night" by TSO. I'm almost ashamed to confess I'd already ordered the CD Wake of Magellan, and started listening to it in earnest before I realized these were the same guys as TSO! :) So yes, you'll notice I'm writing this in March of 2006, and I'm a very new newcomer to the group.

I liken the sound to Metalica's S&M (their live concert with the I think San Diego Symphony? Sorry, I don't remember which symphony; it was conducted by Michael Kamen) with really rich progressive rock sounds, and "rock opera" type musical themes --

Also, I wasn't overly impressed with the album the first listen. I was disappointed that the story concept seemed so disjointed compared to the TSO Beethoven's Last Night which was just a really solid, cohesive, fantasy/philosophical searching type CD. HOWEVER, if you're inclined to not care for this album, make it a rule for yourself to listen to it at least 3 times before you make a final decision. I think you'll find it captures you.

Also, to all other loyal Savatage fans out there. I feel I must also make explanation that I like THIS album the best of all Savatage albums (though Poets and Madmen is growing on me!) precisely because I am NOT all that interested in the more 80's type glam metal sounds. I like lower tones, grinding electric guitar (I can do without the screeching riffs, usually), and I will always prefer deeper vocals (again, no screeching, please!). So, if you're looking for particularly Stryper type sounds, you probably won't find them as much on this album.

But the lyrical content is amazing -- If you'll notice my "name" is "Philotheosopher" -- *shrug* I guess I am giving away why this album so appeals to me in that point. ;)

One more bonus -- this CD is over 70 minutes long, and I have to say, it's worth owning JUST for the 3 bonus acoustic tracks at the end which are absolutely mesmerizing! To end up with 16 solid tracks and over 70 minutes of music for what, a handful of dollars? Definitely worth the try! :)

Average customer rating:

The Ultimate Savatage Album
The Wake Of Perfection

The Wake of Magellan
Savatage
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Progressive Metal | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Hard Rock & Metal | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Handful of Rain
Edge of Thorns
Dead Winter Dead
Hall of the Mountain King
Gutter Ballet

ASIN: B00006LJ9M
Release Date: 2002-11-26

Tracks:

Ocean
Welcome
Turns to Me
Morning Sun
Another Way
Blackjack Guillotine
Paragons of Innocence
Complaint in the System (Veronica Guerin)
Underture
Wake of Magellan
Anymore
Storm
Hourglass
Somewhere in Time/Alone You Breathe [*]
Sleep [*]
Stay [*]

Album Description

2002 reissue of the U.S. progressive metal act's 1998 album. Includes 2 bonus tracks 'This Is Where You Should Be' & 'Desire' (acoustic piano version) plus unseen photos, liner notes, original artwork & new booklet. Steamhammer.

Customer Reviews:

The Ultimate Savatage Album.......2006-08-02

It's hard to imagine that Savatage could get any better than their 1995 album Dead Winter Dead, but when they released the Wake of Magellan in 1998 the band did just that.

Like Dead Winter Dead, the Wake of Magellan is a concept album, this time focusing on three seemingly unrelated stories. O'Neill and Oliva weave the three together, while the band makes the story come alive. This is easily Savatage's most epic and progressive album to date, as emphasized by everything from the powerful instrumental tracks to the intricate vocal layering. The Wake of Magellan is an album that recalls the very best of Iron Maiden, Rush, and Queen. This is also the Savatage album most likely to draw parallels with O'Neill and Oliva's highly successful Trans-Siberian Orchestra project.

Founding member Jon Oliva once again contributes vocals to this album. His voice is perfect on those tracks where a little extra aggression is required, and serves as a nice counterpoint to regular (but never ordinary) vocalist Zak Stevens. Sadly, this album is the last Savatage release to feature Stevens on vocals. He has since launched a solo project called Circle II Circle, which should definitely appeal to Savatage fans.

While the album was extremely strong from start to finish, there are some standout songs that rank among Savatage's best, including the title track, the Storm, the Hourglass, and Blackjack Guillotine. The beautiful instrumental tracks are just as impressive. There really isn't a weak moment on the whole album, which remains my all-time favorite Savatage release.

The Wake of Magellan has not been remastered, but the 2002 SPV reissue does have a few extras that make it worthwhile. It features 2 additional tracks - This Is Where You Should Be and an acoustic version of Desiree. The real bonus is that the liner notes have been expanded to include several pages of very detailed information about the band during this particular stage of their career. When added to the chapters from the other SPV Savatage reissues, you'll get the real story behind one of the best (and most underrated) metal bands of all time.

Unfortunately, the SPV reissue does not contain the three acoustic bonus tracks from the regular version, so I have two copies of the Wake of Magellan on my shelf.

The Wake Of Perfection.......2004-01-20

On this, Savatage's final album with Zachary Stevens on vocals and Al Pitrelli on guitar, the band has taken their operatic metal sound to an absolute pinnacle. The previous album, Dead Winter Dead, was their comercial breakthrough, and The Wake Of Magellan builds on that music to a satisfying climax.

The band took their experiments with counterpoint vocals, layering multiple lyrics and melodies over top each other, to the ultimate level. On the title track, Stevens is singing no less than 6 distinct vocal parts, overlapping. Such is the wonderful production (as always by Paul O'Neill) that you can hear each one, with a little bit of effort. Not only this, but Stevens also successfully tackle's O'Neill's patented "rapid fire lyrics", singing them in a blur, but distinctly, all within the same song!

Band members Johnny Lee Middleton, Al Pitrelli, and Chris Caffery all provide co-songwriting credits on this album. This is somewhat rare for a Savatage record, as the last several were usually written by keyboardist/vocalist/founder Jon Oliva, and Paul O'Neill. The result is that this is a more varied record than Dead Winter Dead, and more riff oriented. Dead Winter Dead was written on keyboards, this album was written on guitar, and the difference is evident.

This reissue, for the most part, makes a good thing even better! The liner notes are fantastic. They are enlightening, in depth, and feature insights from many band members. They are long enough that they take almost as long to read as the album does to listen to. The bonus tracks on this CD have been heard before, but are hard to find. "This Is Where You Should Be" was previously available on a greatest hits album, and chronologically does not fit in with The Wake Of Magellan. It was recorded 10 years beforehand by a completely different version of the band. "Desiree" was available on a Japanese import, and is much more rare. It doesn't exactly fit in with this album either, but at least now it's easier to get. Finally, the cover art for the album has been (unintentionally?) altered for this reissue. The original was bright and clear, this version is dark and muddy. Although this is dissapointing, the wonderful liner notes here make this my preferred version of the album.

Any Savatage fan, from any era of the band, would do well to pick up this version of The Wake Of Magellan. Musically it offers something for all of us, and added value of bonus tracks is always a plus.

Average customer rating:

The Ultimate Savatage Album

The Wake of Magellan
Savatage
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Progressive Metal | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
Hard Rock & Metal | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00005GY4M
Release Date: 2004-01-06

Tracks:

Ocean
Welcome
Turns to Me
Morning Sun
Another Way
Blackjack Guillotine
Paragons of Innocence
Complaint in the System (Veronica Guerin)
Underture
Wake of Magellan
Anymore
Storm
Hourglass
Somewhere in Time/Alone You Breathe [*]
Sleep [*]
Stay [*]

Album Description

Japanese edition of their 1997 & 11th album. Contains 13tracks, including 'The Ocean', 'Welcome' and 'Turns To Me'.A Victor release.

Customer Reviews:

The Ultimate Savatage Album.......2006-08-02

It's hard to imagine that Savatage could get any better than their 1995 album Dead Winter Dead, but when they released the Wake of Magellan in 1998 the band did just that.

Like Dead Winter Dead, the Wake of Magellan is a concept album, this time focusing on three seemingly unrelated stories. O'Neill and Oliva weave the three together, while the band makes the story come alive. This is easily Savatage's most epic and progressive album to date, as emphasized by everything from the powerful instrumental tracks to the intricate vocal layering. The Wake of Magellan is an album that recalls the very best of Iron Maiden, Rush, and Queen. This is also the Savatage album most likely to draw parallels with O'Neill and Oliva's highly successful Trans-Siberian Orchestra project.

Founding member Jon Oliva once again contributes vocals to this album. His voice is perfect on those tracks where a little extra aggression is required, and serves as a nice counterpoint to regular (but never ordinary) vocalist Zak Stevens. Sadly, this album is the last Savatage release to feature Stevens on vocals. He has since launched a solo project called Circle II Circle, which should definitely appeal to Savatage fans.

While the album was extremely strong from start to finish, there are some standout songs that rank among Savatage's best, including the title track, the Storm, the Hourglass, and Blackjack Guillotine. The beautiful instrumental tracks are just as impressive. There really isn't a weak moment on the whole album, which remains my all-time favorite Savatage release.

The only difficulty lies in choosing which version to get. The domestic version features three acoustic bonus tracks (as does the more expensive Japanese import), but the similarly-priced SPV import might be the better option. It has not been remastered, but the 2002 SPV reissue does have a few extras that make it worthwhile. It features 2 additional tracks - This Is Where You Should Be and an acoustic version of Desiree. The real bonus is that the liner notes have been expanded to include several pages of very detailed information about the band during this particular stage of their career. When added to the chapters from the other SPV Savatage reissues, you'll get the real story behind one of the best (and most underrated) metal bands of all time.

Unfortunately, the SPV reissue does not contain the three acoustic bonus tracks from the regular version, so I have two copies of the Wake of Magellan on my shelf.

Average customer rating:

"HE PUT ON THE MAST ALL THE CANVAS SHE'D TAKE/....THE SHIP WAS HIS COFFIN THIS MOMENT HIS WAKE"
OK, but no DWD
The distant cousin of Dead Winter Dead
The Ultimate Savatage Album
Classically-trained Musicianship & Longing for Salvation w/ProgRock sound