One
of the most promising guitarists to have ever entered the genre of Heavy
Metal, Criss Oliva was also truly one of the most underrated. His prowess
as a musician was nothing short of amazing from the beginning of his professional
career with the band Savatage. He was a master of rapid, wild leads that
were filled with fluid fretboard-tapping and screaming tremolo manipulation,
but he also possessed a natural ability for powerful rhythms and expressed
an excellent understanding of dynamics that equally complimented his expertise
as a guitarist. In my opinion, he also had the definitive "Metal guitar-sound"
which was best displayed on the album STREETS--A ROCK OPERA (also possibly
his best work). Criss was the perfect bipolar balance between both order
and chaos, and he should have been remembered amongst the greatest of guitarists
as an innovator of aggressive, yet emphatically emotive Metal.
But alas, he and Savatage were victims of lazy label promotion and misguided marketing within a style that was becoming overcrowded by imitators who were only interested in financial success. Unfortunately never given the proper spotlight to showcase his highly-talented musicianship, Criss died prematurely in a tragic alcohol-releated automobile accident in October 1993 at the age of 30. Had this incident been avoided altogether, I believe that Criss would have pioneered a new breed of symphonic Metal that was only hinted at on albums such as GUTTER BALLET and the aformentioned STREETS. Criss Oliva will be sadly missed by Savatage fans worldwide.
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