Review by MartinDavey87 for Savatage - Sirens (1983)

Before they became comfortable releasing rock operas full of theatrics and orchestrations, Savatage were a straightforward heavy metal band, who's debut album 'Sirens' caused a small buzz when it was released in 1983, but has since been lost in time, swept under the rug of the then-rising thrash metal scene.

'Sirens' may not be as epic, complex or majestic as the bands later material, but it's raw and gritty sound perfectly encapsulates the energy of the bands performances. Song's like 'Scream Murder', 'Holocaust', 'I Believe' and the title track are all fantastic examples of early 80's metal, and it's an absolute tragedy that this album has become not much more than a hidden gem in the metal landscape.

The music, sound, and overall vibe of this album is very reminiscent of Randy Rhodes-era Ozzy Osbourne, with the production and songwriting just oozing everything 80's. Jon Oliva's shrill vocals along with brother Criss Oliva's guitar virtuosity puts them both miles ahead of all the young players coming out of the thrash scene of the time. What this albums lacks in aggressiveness and attitude, it more than compensates for with melody and enthusiasm.

'Sirens' is nothing groundbreaking or unique, it's just a straight-up metal album which spawned the careers of one of the genres most beloved cult bands, and should be in the collection of every metal fan.