Savatage - LIVE DEVASTATION

...otherwise known as "the lost Savatage live album." I'm curious about this one, does anyone 'round here have it? As I understand it, Metal Blade was about to release this in the mid 90s but it ended up getting shelved so only a bunch of promotional copies were distributed. I've never actually seen a copy of this puppy (and in fact never even knew it existed till I started prowling teh internetz back in the early '00s). Last I looked those promos go for some pretty good coin on eBay (there's one on there right now with a Buy It Now of $155 -- yikes! Too rich for my blood!)

Does anyone know when/where it was recorded? Chris Caffery's site sez it was taped during the GUTTER BALLET tour but doesn't say where... I did see Savatage on that tour (at L'amour in Brooklyn, NY) and Jon O. informed the crowd that the show was being recorded for a live album, so I'm wondering if this might have been the show I was at. Probably not (because I'm sure the show I was at was not the only one they taped), but you never know.

Chris goes on to say that the album got cancelled at the last minute because Metal Blade didn't have proper clearance from Atlantic Records (Savatage's then-current label) to release it, and that the band wasn't happy about the sound quality of the album either. So if anyone's got it, how does this thing sound?

Any info would be appreciated!

I have a DVD boot by that name recorded on the Gutter tour that I got from Rich. The thing is freakin awesome!

SpectreFate wrote:

I have a DVD boot by that name recorded on the Gutter tour that I got from Rich. The thing is freakin awesome!

I'm sure it is... I'd love to see that DVD (hint, hint...haha). The show I saw in Brooklyn is bar none the best show I ever saw in my life! Savatage was ON FIRE that night (I was right up front and both Criss Oliva and Doc Killdrums high-fived me at the end of the set!), and the opening act was Trouble (pimping their Def American debut)... I still get all squishy inside when I remember that gig... ahhh, memories...

Quote :

I'm sure it is... I'd love to see that DVD (hint, hint...haha).

I still gotta make that Overkill DVD for ya too. Looking forward to that Sepultura review!

SpectreFate wrote:

I still gotta make that Overkill DVD for ya too. Looking forward to that Sepultura review!

Ugh, don't remind me... I have had NOOOO time for finishing my review shiz lately...but I'll git that stuff I promised you shipped out someday, I sweartagawd...

I've got it. Won a copy off ebay pretty cheap. It's a promo in a carboard slip sleeve just like your picture. I have no complaints about the sound at all.

I have never seen it, not even used on any store

I think you pretty much nailed it with yor own research there, FF. I have the disc and it is a cardboard promo only. A very cool item indeed. 155$, eh? Man, if I sold my shitz, I'd be a rich man now. My cover is signed by several Savatage members.

kmorg wrote:

My cover is signed by several Savatage members.

It's funny, when I did a Google Image Search to find a pic of the CD cover to start this thread, several of the hits that came back were all of the same signed CD cover. One guy's picture must be circulating to a whole bunch of different sites.

Fat Freddy wrote:

kmorg wrote:

My cover is signed by several Savatage members.

It's funny, when I did a Google Image Search to find a pic of the CD cover to start this thread, several of the hits that came back were all of the same signed CD cover. One guy's picture must be circulating to a whole bunch of different sites.

I think I used to have the same picture on my site, until I got a picture of my own CD taken, or scanned.

powermacho wrote:

I have never seen it, not even used on any store

Same here.

I bought mine for 39.99 sealed on ebay, and free shipping to boot.

Of course, it's incredible.

So anyways, I recently managed to get hold of this album through (*cough cough*) alternative channels, and it's not bad. The sound quality could be a bit better I suppose (it sounds more like a decent quality bootleg, rather than an official "live" album) but some of Jon O's stage patter with the crowd is hilarious ("YOU ARE METAL!" ... "Ya like dead people don'tcha?" Bwahahahaha) but overall I can see why this one was shelved, particularly since the GHOST IN THE RUINS and LIVE IN JAPAN '94 albums were already out there around the time that this was due to be released (1995)... the probably didn't want to flood the market with yet another live Savatage album...

Does the promo CD mention where it was recorded?

detuned wrote:

Does the promo CD mention where it was recorded?

Nope, but Jon O. mentions "Deutschland" a couple of times in his stage patter so it must've been taped in Germany.

I've got a sealed copy of this and a cdr to listen to. GREAT live set,
but the sound is a little muddy. It's either the best bootleg you've
ever heard or a so-so official release.

This is the one from the HOTMK tour , right? Me havey! 10/10

I just discovered that the live version of "Sirens" from this release is the same as the bonus track on the "Sirens/Dungeons Are Calling" reissue from 1994.