Review Summary: A brave, but successful foray into Progressive Metal that only seems to improve with age.
GUTTER BALLET is a mature and confident album that successfully moves Savatage forward into the realm of progressive metal. While HALL OF THE MOUNTAIN KING had one foot planted in the past, it also found them dabbling with more ambitious neo-classical ideas. Produced and entirely co-written with Paul O'Neill, this album is a brave step forward towards a more dynamic, more musical sound that utilizes their metal tendencies in a more sparing and balanced manner. It's very much a transitional record which foreshadows the direction they'd pursue on their following releases.
The three key tracks for this album for me are the title track, "Hounds" and "When The Crowds Have Gone". Their flair for the dramatic exemplify the spirit of and core this excellent record. Although "Gutter Ballet" was only a modest hit for them, the interplay here between Jon's piano and brother Criss' tasteful guitar work really prove how well their new formula works. The introspective and dramatic piano ballad "Where The Crowds Have Gone" is particularly praiseworthy for the eloquence and emotional honesty of Jon's lyric. The lyrics for both of these tracks truly crossover into musical theater without becoming excessively maudlin. It seems apparent that these two songs provided the roadmap towards their even more ambitious STREETS (A ROCK OPERA) that would follow in 1991.
The moody and dynamic "Hounds" is their musical take on Arthur Conan Doyle's classic Sherlock Holmes novel THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES. It's easily one of my favorite tracks as Jon's performance is appropriately dramatic and Criss' guitar work absolutely stunning. Musically, it possesses the best of all worlds for Savatage with it's dramatic moody intro, the majestic chorus and some full out shredding by Criss during the middle and ending of the song. This song was a live highlight during the 1990 tour.
There was still plenty enough of the heavier stuff (mostly during the second half) to satisfy my craving for Savatage's more metal side. The opener "Of Rage And War" is a catchy, mid-tempo rocker where Jon rants about the sad state of world geopolitics and the need for nuclear disarmament. Lyrics that are just as relevant today as they were in 1989. "She's In Love" is faster riff rocker that's a perfect opportunity for Criss Oliva to rip it up on the fretboard. It's the only song here about women but it's not as cheesy as sort of stuff they did on POWER OF THE NIGHT. "Mentally Yours" has another solid guitar riff and is about a guy losing his mind. A similar theme is explored on the album's bonus track, "Thorazine Shuffle", which is actually one of my favorites on the album. It sounds like it could have been an outtake for "Hall Of The Mountain King" and does evoke the original sound of the band. "The Unholy" is also a heavier track that falls into the same category.
The first half of the album does seem a bit padded and in-cohesive due to the inclusion of two instrumentals ("Temptation Revelation" and "Silk And Steel"), even if both were superbly executed. In retrospect, they remind of the sort of instrumental interludes that Black Sabbath would include on many of their studio albums as a change of pace. With its sound effects and dramatic theme, "Temptation Revelation" is reminiscent of "Prelude To Madness", but without less guitar acrobatics. It does seems somewhat out of place as an introduction to "Where The Crowds Are Gone" though. "Silk And Steel" is a rather nice acoustic guitar piece by Criss that reminds vaguely of Randy's "Dee", if only in spirit.
The ever shifting tone and themes throughout the record provide a great deal of variety to the record, but also makes it a seem a bit unfocused at times. For that reason, I've always thought that GUTTER BALLET was just a hair short from being on par with HALL OF THE MOUNTAIN KING or STREETS. Still, it is an excellent album overall and one that continues to earn my respect in the years that have passed since it's release.
