Criss Oliva

[OnlineStageGear]

I don't know if anyone posted this or not, but this is a pretty cool little video someone put together.

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=scMDw9sqM7Y&feature=related

Sux that my 2 favorite guitarists are dead and died way too young. Criss wrote some of the best riffs/solos and just kept getting better. What the dude made flow from his fingers is just sick. R.I.P

Matt

[DonP]

I still remember hearing Holocaust for the first time. My buddy made compilation cassette tapes and we played it in my 70 Challenger (upgraded with an Alpine stereo). Sirens is still one of my favorite albums.

[thebigz]

That was awesome! I just wish there was more of his stuff circulating!

[fullmetalguitar]

Streets by Savatage is one of my all time favorites. A true under appreciated classic.

[horns666]

I bought that exact bootleg show about 15 years ago..or so.

[Musician78]

Streets by Savatage is one of my all time favorites. A true under appreciated classic.

That album is somewhere in my top 20 favs. I can listen to the whole thing from beginning to end, but there are certainly highlights throughout. Too bad Jon Oliva quit singing.

[STLKINGV]

Criss Oliva is one of my all time favorite guitar players!! I opened for them on the Gutter Ballet and Streets tour stops in St. Louis..... Fuggin guy was a MONSTER!!!!... He always had time to sit and chat after sound check.

I remember the day that they announced his death on the radio....

R.I.P Criss!!

A~

[savage]

excellent!
RIP criss
your playing lives on!

[Tekky]

Criss is also one of my all-time favorites. His playing was/is the perfect blend of technique and raw emotion. It's hard to believe that next October he'll be gone 15 years.

[Tekky]

Too bad Jon Oliva quit singing.

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Check out Jon Oliva's Pain. http://www.jonoliva.net/index2.html

With Savatage taking their sweet time on calling it quits (I know guys, some of you hold fast to Savatage being over when Criss died, to a certain extent, I agree) Jon's band is probably the closest we have to keeping Savatage alive.

[horns666]

??

Check out Jon Oliva's Pain. http://www.jonoliva.net/index2.html

With Savatage taking their sweet time on calling it quits (I know guys, some of you hold fast to Savatage being over when Criss died, to a certain extent, I agree) Jon's band is probably the closest we have to keeping Savatage alive.

Yep...

Also check out Sweden's Morgana Lefay..alot of Savatagians compare Jon and their singer. Both have their own sig, but I can see the comparisons. He was going to hook up with Jack Frost when he got the boot from 'Tage..Jack just isn't that good.
http://www.lefay.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgana_Lefay

OK, back to the Criss worship..

:idea:..Oh..Don't forget Jon Oliva first '93 effort DOCTOR BUTCHER w/ Chris Cafferty..

[HiOctane]

Criss was a very underrated guitarist. "Hall Of The Mountain King" is a classic! Great songs, great playing- and way ahead of its time in terms of the low tunings, heaviness and the orchestral elements. I think a lot of bands that followed picked up quite a few tricks from Savatage!

Check out the live disc "Ghost In The Ruins" for some vintage Criss.

[CharvelRocker]

One of the things that always stuck out to me about his playing (Edge of Thorns may be one the best examples of this) is he could take a very simple riff or series of notes and make it sound just incredible. Edge of Thorns may be my favorite album by them, but Sirens and Hall of the Mountain King are close. That said, for some reason, I never liked Streets, even if it is a musically excellent album.

[thetroy]

I love their songs with piano more than the older stuff. Edge of Thorns is AMAZING

[chrisolson]

Speaking of keeping the faith...

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk5tUnM99_E