The band first reached substantial commercial success with its third studio album Fight for the Rock (1986), which peaked at number 158 on the Billboard 200. Its next four albums—Hall of the Mountain King (1987), Gutter Ballet (1989), Streets: A Rock Opera (1991) and Edge of Thorns (1993)—were also successful but more critically acclaimed than Fight for the Rock. On October 17, 1993, six months after the release of Edge of Thorns, guitarist Criss Oliva was killed in a car accident. Following his death, Jon (along with producer Paul O'Neill) decided to continue Savatage in memory of his brother. The band released four more studio albums, and went through several line-up changes before going on an extended hiatus in 2002. During the years—partly even before the hiatus—members founded various new bands such as Jon Oliva's Pain, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Circle II Circle and Doctor Butcher. On August 2, 2014, Savatage announced that they were reuniting for the 2015 Wacken Open Air; despite having discussed the possibility of more shows and new music, the band went on hiatus once again. Although Savatage technically remains inactive, half of the members of the band claimed in interviews during throughout 2020 and 2021 that they have been working on new material for a possible follow-up to Poets and Madmen (2001).
Studio albums
Sirens (1983)
Power of the Night (1985)
Fight for the Rock (1986)
Hall of the Mountain King (1987)
Gutter Ballet (1989)
Streets: A Rock Opera (1991)
Edge of Thorns (1993)
Handful of Rain (1994)
Dead Winter Dead (1995)
The Wake of Magellan (1997)
Poets and Madmen (2001)
There in the Silence
Savatage Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Behind walls made of stone
Where no one can enter and
The dark dreams alone
But now someone's entered
The walls are defied
The shadows they watched
But there in the silence
There in the silence
There in the silence
Something hides
Something lies
Something dies
Something breathes
The mind can imagine
The dark can deceive
And here on this night
Together they weave
A shadow's repentance
A forgotten life
All brought together
In the mercy of night
But there in the silence
There in the silence
There in the silence
Something hides
Something lies
Something dies
Something breathes
The lyrics to "There in the Silence" by Savatage describe a haunting and mysterious atmosphere full of darkness, shadows, and secrets concealed behind walls of stone. The stage is set for something ominous to occur, and indeed, the first few lines hint at a supernatural intrusion as an unknown figure penetrates the inpenetrable walls. The shadows, personified, watch as the dark, too, seems to take on a life of its own, sympathizing with the intruder. The line "something hides, something lies, something dies, something breathes," serves as an ominous refrain, repeating twice in each verse to describe the presence that is felt but not seen, alive but not fully realized. The mind is noted as an unreliable guide in the face of such darkness, and the lyricist implies that delusions and deceptions are to be expected. In the end, the presence is revealed only in the silence and through the imagination, and the listener is left wondering what exactly lies beyond the stone walls.
In terms of production, "There in the Silence" features heavy guitars and atmospheric synths, with impressive drumming and powerful vocals by lead singer Jon Oliva. The mix is dense and layered, adding to the feeling of being surrounded by an indescribable force. The song appears on Savatage's 1995 album "Dead Winter Dead" and was co-written by lead guitarist Al Pitrelli and keyboardist Jon Oliva. Interestingly, the song was reportedly one of the last to be written for the album, added in during the mixing stage.
Line by Line Meaning
Here on this night
On this particular night
Behind walls made of stone
Protected by sturdy walls
Where no one can enter and
Inaccessibility prevails
The dark dreams alone
Nightmares flourish undisturbed
But now someone's entered
An unknown entity has breached the walls
The walls are defied
The previously indestructible walls have been breached
The shadows they watched
The shadows observed the events unfold
While the dark sympathized
The darkness empathized with the entity
But there in the silence
In the absolute stillness of the night
Something hides
An unknown presence conceals itself
Something lies
Something dishonest or deceitful
Something dies
Life comes to an end
Something breathes
An entity is actively alive
The mind can imagine
The imagination runs wild
The dark can deceive
The darkness can trick and mislead
And here on this night
On this specific night
Together they weave
The imagination and the darkness combine
A shadow's repentance
A shadow seeks forgiveness
A forgotten life
A life that has been erased from memory
All brought together
Everything is united
In the mercy of night
The night offers a chance for forgiveness
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Blood Moon
Metal starts and ends with savatage. Led by Jon the out of this world oliva.
Janett Peláez Romero
¡Larga vida al heavy metal!
Hasso
That riff at the end is juicy
XvinX
I came here just to say that after watching some vid about the heaviest riffs.
I’ve had the poets & madmen CD in my car signed by them all since I could drive in ‘13
Saw taj in ‘15
Always hoping for more.
EMANUEL !
black sabbath´s best tradition
EMANUEL !
Masterpiece album, there is more there than you think
Linux
So underrated band :(
javier perez sanchez
Oh my god... What a song!!!!
Warrior of the Wasteland RV
Diggin it.
mark belluo
Under rated