Dead Winter Dead
| Dead Winter Dead | ||||
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| Studio album by Savatage | ||||
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Publication |
1995 |
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| Label (s) |
Atlantic Records WEA Records (D) |
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Format (s) |
CD, LP |
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Title (number) |
13 |
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running time |
52 min 06 s |
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| occupation |
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Paul O'Neill , Jon Oliva |
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Dead Winter Dead is the ninth studio album by the US power metal band Savatage from 1995, which is about the Bosnian War .
The story
After the overture , the story begins with a gargoyle on the facade of Sarajevo Cathedral , which after a thousand years of observing people in the square in front of the church is still wondering what laughter and what tears should mean (set to music in the song Sarajevo ). The Berlin Wall has just fallen and in Europe almost everyone is looking hopefully into the future ( This Is The Time ). In the Balkans, however, a few individuals sow discord and hatred ( I Am ).
Serdjan allows himself to be seduced and joins the Serbian army, and shortly afterwards is involved in the siege of Sarajevo ( Starlight ). In Sarajevo, Bosnian Katrina buys some weapons for combat ( Doesn't Matter Anyway ) from a seedy, for-profit arms dealer and begins to shoot back. It seems that all the people of the Balkans have decided for one side or the other, but in any case for war ( This Isn't What We Meant ). In November 1994, however, a cello player began to make music on the Sarajevo market square amid the din of war. Serdjan and Katrina spend a month sometimes shooting at each other, sometimes together, sitting in different coverings, listening to the cello player ( Mozart And Madness , Memory ). The cellist himself, an old man, repeatedly witnesses crimes against the civilian population ( Dead Winter Dead ), but continues to make music despite or perhaps because of the terrible situation. While on patrol through the city, Serdjan sees that the artillery bombardment has also taken the lives of school children and is traumatized by it, he decides to desert ( One Child ). On Christmas Eve 1994, however, the cellist's playing suddenly stopped ( Christmas Eve ). Serdjan and Katrina both fear the worst and carelessly make their way to the place where the music previously came from. At the same time they arrive under the gargoyle, recognizing that they are actually mortal enemies, but at the same time with the sure knowledge of the common ground that brought them together here ( Not What You See ). The shattered body of the cello player lies under the gargoyle. A drop of water falls on him from the gargoyle. The story ends with two verses that are inserted in the booklet between the lyrics:
And the soldier felt a shudder
for the worst had come he feared
when the only sign of pity
was a single gargoyles tear.
Then they left the square together
neath the fading fires light
and the gargoyle watched and wondered
on that winter's silent night.
And the question remains how all this could happen, which not only Katrina and Serdjan should ask, but also the listener.
background
With this album Chris Caffery returned to the band as guitarist, who was part of the band on the 1989 tour for the album Gutter Ballet . Alex Skolnick , his predecessor, left the band to focus on Testament . With Jeff Plate , a new drummer was found. With Al Pitrelli , a second guitarist got on board who took over the lead guitar.
The instrumental Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24) became an unexpected radio hit in the USA at Christmas 1995. The song is a medley of the Ukrainian Christmas carol Carol of the Bells and the song God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman . This song and its success gave Savatage the impetus to found the band Trans-Siberian Orchestra , which should continue to pursue this musical direction.
Mozart And Madness and Memory (Dead Winter Dead) quote classical works. Mozart And Madness is a rock version of the first movement ( Allegro con brio ) of Symphony No. 25 in G minor ( KV 183) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart . Memory is a recording of the fourth movement from Ludwig van Beethoven's 9th Symphony (→ European anthem ). These were the first Savatage classical adaptations since Prelude To Madness from the album Hall Of The Mountain King (1987), on which Criss Oliva played the phrase In der Halle des Bergkönigs from Edvard Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite on electric guitar.
Track list
- Overture - 1:50
- Sarajevo - 2:31
- This is the time - 5:40
- I am - 4:32
- Starlight - 5:38
- Doesn't Matter Anyway - 3:47
- This Isn't What We Meant - 4:12
- Mozart and Madness - 5:01
- Memory (Dead Winter Dead Intro) - 1:19
- Dead Winter Dead - 4:18
- One Child - 5:14
- Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24) - 3:24
- Not What You See - 5:02
Re-releases
- In 2002 the album was re-released by SPV and the pieces All That I Bleed (acoustic piano version) and Sleep (acoustic version) were added.
- In 2011, the album was re-released by Edel and the pieces Miles away / Follow me (acoustic version) and When the crowds are gone (acoustic version) added.