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Savatage

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Gutter Ballet - Guitar Cover

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Band Overview

Savatage emerged from Tampa, Florida in the early 1980s as one of the most ambitious and technically gifted power metal bands of their era. Founded by brothers Jon (vocals) and Criss Oliva (guitar), the band carved out a distinctive niche by fusing aggressive Heavy Metal riffing with classical and progressive influences. Their evolution from raw speed metal on early albums like "Sirens" and "Power of the Night" into the orchestral, theatrically rich territory of "Gutter Ballet" and "Streets: A Rock Opera" makes them one of the most rewarding bands for guitarists to study. Criss Oliva, the band's founding guitarist and primary creative force until his tragic death in 1993, remains one of the most underrated players in metal history. For guitarists, Savatage offers an education in dynamics, phrasing, and the art of making heavy riffs coexist with melodic sophistication. Criss Oliva's playing blended neoclassical shred elements with a bluesy, emotive vibrato that set him apart from the wave of Yngwie imitators flooding the scene in the late '80s. His rhythm work was equally compelling: chunky palm-muted power chord riffs, open-string pedal tone passages, and complex time signature shifts all feature prominently. After Criss's passing, guitarist Al Pitrelli (formerly of Megadeth and Alice Cooper) stepped in, bringing a slightly more polished, technically precise approach while honoring the established Savatage sound. The difficulty level for learning Savatage material ranges from intermediate to advanced. Early material features fast alternate-picked riffs and shred-oriented solos that demand precision and speed. The mid-period and later work (including "Gutter Ballet") adds complexity through dynamic shifts, arpeggiated clean passages, and leads that prioritize emotion over raw speed. A solid foundation in alternate picking, legato phrasing, sweep picking basics, and confident vibrato technique will serve you well. If you can comfortably play Dio-era Sabbath and are working toward Queensryche-level complexity, Savatage is the perfect next step in your development as a metal guitarist.

What Makes Savatage Essential for Guitar Players

Criss Oliva's vibrato is a signature element of the Savatage sound. It is wide, controlled, and deeply expressive, closer to a blues player's feel than the typical narrow, fast vibrato of '80s shred. Studying his vibrato technique on slower passages will dramatically improve your lead playing across all genres.
Savatage's rhythm guitar parts frequently employ palm-muted pedal tones on the low E and A strings combined with open-string drones, creating a heavy yet melodic foundation. Tracks like 'Gutter Ballet' showcase how to shift between aggressive downpicked sections and delicate clean arpeggios within the same song.
Criss Oliva incorporated neoclassical elements such as harmonic minor scale runs, diminished arpeggios, and Bach-influenced sequences into his solos without sounding formulaic. His phrasing always served the song rather than simply showcasing technique, making his solos excellent models for learning how to compose memorable leads.
The band's later material features layered guitar arrangements with multiple harmony lines, often in thirds and sixths, influenced by classical orchestration. Learning these parts will sharpen your ear for interval relationships and improve your ability to write complementary guitar harmonies.
Dynamic control is central to playing Savatage correctly. Many songs require you to transition seamlessly from whisper-quiet clean picking to full-throttle distorted power chords. Practicing these volume and gain transitions with precision, rather than relying on a clean/dirty channel switch, will develop your touch sensitivity and picking dynamics.

Did You Know?

Criss Oliva was largely self-taught and developed his style by combining classical music theory he studied independently with the metal and hard rock records he grew up on. He cited both Bach and Randy Rhoads as primary influences, which explains the unique blend of structure and raw emotion in his playing.

Producer Paul O'Neill, who would later co-found Trans-Siberian Orchestra with Savatage members, pushed Criss Oliva to explore cleaner tones and more dynamic arrangements starting with 'Gutter Ballet.' This challenged Criss to find new ways to be expressive beyond heavy distortion.

On the 'Gutter Ballet' album, the title track's guitar arrangement was influenced by Mussorgsky and other Romantic-era composers. Criss layered acoustic and electric guitars with classical phrasing to create one of metal's most cinematic moments.

Al Pitrelli, who joined after Criss's passing, brought a different technical vocabulary to the band, including a more precise alternate picking approach and jazz-informed chord voicings. Comparing the two guitarists' styles across Savatage's discography is a masterclass in how different players can serve the same band's vision.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra, one of the best-selling live acts in the world, was essentially born out of Savatage. Many TSO guitar parts directly evolved from techniques and arrangements Criss Oliva pioneered with the band.

Criss Oliva reportedly tracked many of his solos in very few takes, preferring a spontaneous, performance-driven approach over endless studio punch-ins. This is evident in the slightly raw, lived-in feel of his recorded solos, which retain a human quality that overly edited solos lack.

The song 'Gutter Ballet' requires the guitarist to handle a classical-style fingerpicking intro before launching into heavy riffing. It is one of the best single-song exercises for developing versatility between clean fingerstyle and aggressive pick-driven metal.

Essential Albums for Guitarists

Gutter Ballet 1989

This is the essential Savatage album for guitar study. The title track alone teaches you clean arpeggiated fingerpicking, dynamic transitions to heavy distortion, and emotionally charged lead work. Songs like 'Of Rage and War' and 'Hounds' showcase aggressive alternate-picked riffing and powerful solo construction that balances speed with melody.

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Hall of the Mountain King 1987

The title track's Grieg-inspired main riff is a workout in precision alternate picking at high tempos, and the album overall represents Criss Oliva at his most ferocious. '24 Hours Ago' and 'Legions' feature some of his most technically demanding solos, incorporating sweep-picked arpeggios and harmonic minor sequences that are perfect for intermediate players looking to push into advanced territory.

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Streets: A Rock Opera 1991

As a concept album, 'Streets' demands incredible range from the guitarist. Tracks like 'Jesus Saves' feature aggressive, dark riffing, while 'Tonight He Grins Again' and 'Somewhere in Time' explore melodic clean passages and layered harmony guitar lines. This album is ideal for learning how to serve a narrative with your playing and master tonal variety within a single project.

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Power of the Night 1985

If you want raw, unfiltered Criss Oliva shredding in a classic '80s metal context, this is where to start. The riffs are built on fast downpicking and palm-muted gallops, and the solos are full-throttle neoclassical runs. 'Power of the Night' and 'Warriors' are perfect for building speed, stamina, and confidence with aggressive metal rhythm playing.

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Tone & Gear

Guitar

Criss Oliva was most closely associated with Jackson guitars, particularly the Jackson Soloist and custom Jackson models with Floyd Rose tremolo systems. He favored superstrat-style bodies with thin, fast necks suited to his legato and shred technique. In the band's later period, Al Pitrelli used various superstrat-style guitars as well, including models from Jackson and Ibanez. For authentically replicating the Savatage sound, any quality superstrat with a locking tremolo and humbuckers will get you in the right ballpark.

Amp

Criss Oliva relied heavily on Marshall amplifiers, particularly JCM800 and modified Plexi-style heads, driven hard for natural tube saturation with plenty of midrange bite. The gain was typically set high enough for sustain on leads but not so saturated that rhythm parts lost their articulation. For the cleaner passages on 'Gutter Ballet,' the amp's clean channel or a lower gain setting was used to achieve a warm, glassy tone. A Marshall-style tube amp (or a quality modeler replicating one) set to a medium-high gain with strong mids is the best starting point.

Pickups

Criss Oliva's guitars were equipped with high-output humbuckers, likely in the range of 12-16k ohms, providing the hot signal needed to drive Marshall amps into creamy saturation. The humbuckers delivered a thick, compressed lead tone with enough clarity for fast runs to remain articulate. For replicating his sound, pickups like the Seymour Duncan JB (bridge) or DiMarzio Super Distortion offer the right balance of output and definition that characterized his tone across the band's discography.

Effects & Chain

Criss Oliva kept his effects chain relatively simple, favoring a 'tone from the hands and amp' philosophy common among serious metal players of the era. A wah pedal (Dunlop Cry Baby style) was used occasionally for expressive lead passages. Some chorus or light delay may have been used in the studio for clean arpeggiated sections, particularly on the 'Gutter Ballet' title track. For solos, a touch of analog-style delay (300-400ms, low mix) adds the right amount of space without washing out the notes. The core Savatage guitar tone is fundamentally about hot pickups pushing a cranked Marshall, with minimal processing in between.

Recommended Gear

Amp

Marshall JCM800

Criss Oliva's primary amplifier, the JCM800 delivers the natural tube saturation and midrange bite essential to Savatage's heavy yet articulate metal tone. Set to medium-high gain, it maintains clarity on rhythm parts while providing creamy sustain for blazing lead passages.

Pickup

Seymour Duncan JB

The JB bridge pickup in Oliva's guitars provides the hot output needed to push the Marshall into natural saturation while maintaining definition during fast legato runs and complex solos. Its balanced character captures Savatage's thick, compressed lead tone across the band's discography.

Pickup

DiMarzio Super Distortion

This high-output humbucker offers the same compressed, articulate lead tone as Oliva's original pickups, delivering enough signal to drive a cranked Marshall while keeping fast passages clear and defined. It's an ideal alternative for replicating Savatage's signature guitar voice.

Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Oliva occasionally used the Cry Baby to add expressive character to lead passages throughout Savatage's catalog, particularly on studio recordings. Though not central to his tone, it provided dynamic articulation for select solos without compromising the amp-driven core sound.

How to Practice Savatage on GuitarZone

Every Savatage song page on GuitarZone includes a built-in Practice Toolbar. No app to download, no account needed. Open any song, then use the toolbar to slow the video to 0.5× speed, set an A/B loop around the exact riff you're working on, and jump between song sections instantly.

The toolbar appears automatically on every guitar tab, lesson, and cover page. Pick a song below, hit play, and start practicing at your own pace.

Practice Gutter Ballet - Guitar Cover