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 Many people know Jon Oliva's name. He has been in the Metal community for well over two decades now and has made quite a name for himself becoming one of the most respected vocalists in this world of ours that we like to call Metaldom. What makes him unique though is his voice. It would seem only common sense that every vocalist should be unique, but that's far from the case. Very few vocalists can say they have a sound all their own, but Jon is one of those select few. You can hear a split second sample of his voice anywhere, and you instantly say "Hey! That's Jon!". The man has seemingly endless energy as is evidenced by the fact at how hard he works for the
many different bands he's in. Why don't you sit back for a while, take
a break from what you're doing and join me as I chat with Mr. Oliva and
see what he's been up to lately, and what he has planned for his future.
Special thanks to Jon's personal assistant Kathy Tijou for relaying my
questions to Jon and transcribing his responses back to me.
Britton: Welcome, Jon! Let me start off by extending my gratitude to you
on behalf of the entire Metal Coven staff for taking the time out of your
busy schedule to do this interview. With lesser known bands, this is where
I'd ask them to introduce themselves, but is that needed here? Hahaha...
But hey, humor us for a bit by introducing yourself.
Jon: Hi. This is Jon Oliva coming to you from Audio Lab Studio in Tampa. I'm
sitting here at my personal bar drinking Jaeger and wishing I had a knife
so I could stab myself in the eye. I had one, but Kathy Tijou took it away
from me and how she's stabbing herself in the eye because she has to sit
here with me to make sure I get this interview done.
Britton: I see that Jon Oliva's Pain just signed to AFM Records. How did
this deal come about and why did you not release another J.O.P. album
through SPV?
Jon: I met with the guys from AFM and they were really eager and hungry. I
really like that label because it was smaller and had less bands. I
figured they could give us more attention. Nothing personal against SPV at
all.
Britton: I saw a press release the other day that stated John Oliva's Pain
will release a new E.P. in June and a new full length album called
"Maniacal Renderings" later on in the year. Can you give us any
information at all about how this new material will differ from "Tage
Mahal"?
Jon: This second record of this project is more experimental. I stated in many
of my previous interviews that the first record was basically me doing
what I've been known for. I wanted the first record to be familiar, style
wise, to what people are used to hearing from me, but I also stated that
as time went on that I would try to do different things. I've had lots of
people asking me about the other types of music that I do and on this
record I'm offering every type you can ask for. Lots of different things
vocally that I haven't done before lots of characterizations, voices and a
lot of different styles. I'm really excited about it and I'm very fond of
the material. As far as how it differs from the first one, it just a
different approach and a different sound. I'm a big believer and it sounds a
certain way, why do another one that sounds exactly the same. A lot of
bands are doing that today and it doesn't make sense. I mean, why do
something again? There's no sense in repeating it. So, with this record I
dug up some old riffs that Criss and I had been working on and I
incorporated it into some of the music, that's exciting. I have a couple
of acoustic tracks because people kept asking me about acoustic stuff and
then a couple of different, heavier styled songs.
Britton: It looks like you're set up to do a European tour sometime soon
along with a few fests. Which countries will you be hitting and which ones
are you the most anxious to play?
Jon: Germany, Hungary, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands and then back to the US to
create more "Pain." I love all of the countries. They're all unique. I
really love playing in Europe. I love going to Germany because they're
great beer drinkers. I love Holland. I'm always anxious to go there, but
all of Europe is just so beautiful.
Britton: Is there any plans for a John Oliva's Pain tour later this year
in the States?
Jon: Probably. There's nothing confirmed, but it would have to be after the New
Year.
Britton: In your opinion, do you think you have a bigger following here in
the U.S. or overseas?
Jon: Well, that depends on whether or not you're including TSO. If you are,
then it's here. We're selling millions of records, but if you're talking
about Jon Oliva with Savatage or Pain, then it's overseas and basically,
that's of my own doing.
Britton: Okay, let's move on to some Doctor Butcher questions. I'm
admittedly a big fan of Savatage. Have been since the mid 80's when my
buddy Mike accidentally left his "The Dungeons Are Calling" cassette in my
car one day. I listened to that and was hooked ever since. For some reason
I never picked up this Doctor Butcher album until late last year when it
was re-released. Is it just me, or was this C.D. hard to find here in the
states until it was re-released?
Jon: The original album was only available overseas. It was extremely difficult
to get. Basically, you had to order it as an import.
Britton: What do you think of the re-release that Black Lotus Records did for
"Doctor Butcher"? I think the packaging and layout is phenomenal, and the
bonus C.D. is great as well.
Jon: I think the packaging was great. They did a really great job on it.
Britton: You've always written "angry" music from time to time, but on
this Doctor Butcher album you seem angrier and more pissed off than ever
before. Any reason for this?
Jon: Lack of drugs and money was probably the biggest reason. I was
kind of pissed off. Now that I think back about it, I was sleeping on
floors, I was really not happy about anything.yeah, I was really pissed
off and the lyrics came out the way that they did. I still really love a
lot of the lyrics from those songs.
Britton: One thing I noticed about the Doctor Butcher album is that there
were no synths nor any piano on the album (aside from a few of the bonus
tracks). Synths and piano seem to be a staple of your music. Did you make
a conscious effort to keep that aspect out of Doctor Butcher?
Jon: Absolutely.
Britton: Doctor Butcher's status was officially "On Hold" last I knew. Is
there any chance we will see anymore new Doctor Butcher material in the
future? I know there was a new track ("Inspector Highway") on the
re-release, but I'm asking if there will be any new full albums on the
horizon?
Jon: I don't know. I'd hate to say yes or no because then I'm backed into
something. Whatever is gonna happen in the future is gonna happen. I have
no way of saying right now.
Britton: Chris Caffery is someone you've worked with for quite a while now
in a few different projects. I think he's a great guitarist and I really
like the one solo album of his I have called "W.A.R.P.E.D.". I reviewed it
for the 'zine and rated it pretty high. Is it me, or is Chris's playing
very reminiscent of your brothers? It never sounded that way to me on the
later Savatage albums he was on, but with his solo stuff and the Doctor
Butcher material, I'd swear Criss taught Caffery how to play guitar, or at
least Caffery was influenced greatly by your brother.
Jon: Well Caffery did learn from my brother from playing with him on tour and
then playing in Savatage for as many years as he has you just can't help
it. Chris had a lot of opportunity to be around Criss and spend a lot of
time with him and my brother did show him a lot of things. He was blessed
to be able to learn those things from someone of my brother's caliber.
Britton: The last Savatage album "Poets And Madmen" is nearly five years
old now. Any plans for a new album soon?
Jon: I can't answer this question at this point. What I would like to say is
that there has been no official announcement that Savatage has been
disbanded. But as far a committing to something specific where Savatage is
concerned, I can't really do that because there's so much other stuff
going on; TSO doing so well and is very popular, it's all becomes a time
issue. When it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen because everyone is ready
and available to do it, although we are trying to put together a show in
Germany for the 25th Anniversary in 2007, but it hasn't been confirmed
though. We're working on it though. It's just difficult for me to
speak for all the other guys because everyone has so much going on in
their lives. Until then, you're gonna have to be satisfied with what I
give you and if you love Savatage then you'll love what I'm doing now.
It's basically just an extension of Savatage with a bunch of hipper guys.
Britton: Your involvement with Savatage is something I've never been able
to keep track of for the last few years. To this day I don't know if
you're now considered a full time member, or a contributing member of the
band. In all honesty, and no disrespect to the other band members, but I
just don't seem to fully enjoy a Savatage album unless you do the vocals
for it. I heard there's a new vocalist named Damond?
Jon: Even for the one year I was gone and Zak stepped in, it was only supposed
to be temporary and then Criss was killed and everything was screwed up.
Damond stepped in and did a tour with us, but that was only on a trial
basis for that time because we didn't know what the future held for
Savatage. I'm more than just a contributing member.
Britton: What prompted Savatage in the late 80's/early 90's to change
their sound? When I first heard "Gutter Ballet" and especially "Streets",
the old Metalhead in me hated those albums. I guess I wanted to always
hear "Sirens Part 2" every time Savatage released an album. It took me a
while, but I grew to love "Gutter Ballet" and "Streets" just as much as
the early stuff.
Jon: I'm glad you saved yourself. Sirens was a great record, Dungeons
was a great record, but we always tried to progress. We were always very
musical and wanted to try different things and that's why the band has
been around for 25 years. The versatility has to tell you something.
Gutter and Streets are my favorite albums.
Britton: What happened to the old Savatage message board? I was not a
member, but was asked to ask you about this from an old member of the
board. She said some of the people from the Sava-message board went to
Caffery's board, some went other places on the net to talk. I guess they
lost their sense of community and want it back. Hahaha...
Jon: We're not going to go down that road. It's too ugly.
Britton: Now a few personal questions before we wrap things up. Where do
you find inspiration from when you write your lyrics? Your lyrics seem
very heartfelt for the most part, like they come from personal experience.
Few lyricists are secure enough with themselves to write about their own
life like that.
Jon: Words are tough for me, but they just come out for me. Paul is a great
lyricist, but it takes him 27 years to write two versus, but they're
brilliant. I just don't have that kind of patience and I kind of write
more simple lyrics with deep meaning.
Britton: Is it me, or have your lyrics gotten more and more spiritual as
time has went by? Which seems odd, since they've also gotten angrier as
well!
Jon: I'm spiritual, but I'm pissed off. I don't sit down and say "I'm
going to write a spiritual song" or "I'm going to write an angry song." It
just comes out that way. Kathy's assisting me here because she knows what I'm talking about it.
Kathy: If you think about it, with everything that's happened with the
loss of Criss, you begin to question your spirituality because of such an
event and you're angry that God, or whoever, could let something like that
happen and there's no answers. So, it's only natural that the music would
become more spiritual, yet angry.
Jon: Yes, yes. That's it exactly. See, I knew I had her around for a
reason.
Britton: When did you start playing the piano and synth/keyboards?
Jon: I think I was about 11 or 12 and my dad a piano and he tried to give me
lesson but that last about 13 minutes. When I wanted to learn Strawberry
Fields Forever and he wanted me to learn Mary had a little lamb, we had a
conflict in interest.
Britton: Like I said in the foreword of the interview, you have a very
distinct voice. It's very gruff sounding at times, almost as if you
somehow managed to hook up a distortion pedal to your vocal chords. Or
maybe cartons of cigarettes and gallons of booze accomplishes that effect?
Hahaha... Yet when you see the need for it, you can also have a very clean
and mellow voice. Did you ever have any formal vocal training?
Jon: No distortion pedal. Cigarettes, yes. Booze, absolutely. The only
training I had was when I guy taught me to grab my tongue with a towel and
go "gee, gee, gee, gee." That was about all the formal training I had.
Other than that, cigaretts and gallons of booze. I just sound like me,
that's all.
Britton: Why is it so hard for me to classify the music you've created
throughout your career? Whenever I tell someone about Savatage or any of
the other bands you're involved in, they ask "Are they Thrash", and I say
"Well, no. Not quite". "Are they Glam or cock-rock?". No, not that either.
Your music is not those or Speed Metal or Death Metal or Progressive Metal
to me. It's simply Savatage, or simply Doctor Butcher, etc. Completely
unique Metal in and of itself.
Jon: Yep unique, just like you said. It is what it is. I don't like being
classified because once that type of music goes out, your career is over.
We just continue to do what we've always done.
Britton: I was as heartbroken as anyone when I heard that Criss died. It
all seemed like such a waste to me, and always kept me asking "what if"
questions, much like when Randy Rhoads died. But hey, Criss lives on every
time I or another Savatage fan spins one of those old Savatage albums,
right? Then I got word that his wife Dawn passed away last year as well
which just deepen the whole tragedy even more. I had talked to her a few
times via email a few years ago about Criss's benefit concert, and she
seemed like an extremely nice person. How hard was it, or how hard is it
still to go on with all of the bad shit that happened? Does playing and
writing music make you feel better about it all? I'd think so, and I'd
think Criss probably
would have kept going with music as well if something had happened to you.
Jon: Going on was a difficult thing to do. Savatage was always me and my
brother, but we had a conversation one time and we promised each other
that if anything happened to one of us that we'd go on with the band. Of
course, we always thought it was going to be me. So, that's what I've
tried to do by keeping Savatage together. Not only that, but there hasn't
been one song I've written over the years that I haven't stopped and said
"I wonder what Criss would have done here" and then I've tried to do it.
We were a team. As for the Memorial Concert, that was just another way of trying to
remember my brother and highlight his brilliance as a guitar player. He
never got the recognition he deserved. Kathy worked a lot of long hours,
for over a year, to put that thing together and it was a great. My brother
definitely was smiling down on us all that night. There were 1000 people
there, from all over the world, remembering him and his music.
Britton: What do you want your fans to take away from your music when they
listen to it, and your lyrics when they read them?
Jon: I want the fans to enjoy the music and with the lyrics and stuff,
especially with the stuff I'm doing now, there's a lot of stuff I'm trying
to say to people about being a little more aware of what's going on around
them and how screwed up the world really is.
Britton: How in the hell do you find time to do everything you do?
Savatage, Jon Oliva's Pain, Doctor Butcher, remasters/re-releases, label
swapping, tours, Trans Siberia Orchestra... That assuredly is more than
one person can handle!?!?!
Jon: I haven't told anybody this, but I've cloned myself. I have
parts of me in 4 corners of the world. Seriously, yeah it's really hard to
do all of this stuff, but I love what I do.
Britton: Towards the end of last year you were nominated for a lifetime
achievement award. Congratulations! You deserve it! Who gave you the
nomination?
Jon: Hard Music Awards, a Tampa based organization.
Britton: Well Jon, we've come to the end of this interview. Thanks again
for your time, and I look forward to the new Jon Oliva's Pain E.P. and
full length coming up later this year. I leave the last word for you to
add anything you wish.
Jon: Phew! Great questions and enjoy the new material and we'll see
you on the other side! Thanks for everything!
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