ALBUM:THE WAKE OF MAGELLAN
ARTIST:SAVATAGE
YEAR OF RELEASE:1997
RATING:*****

When I first ordered this album, I was a little worried. I wasn't a big fan of most of Savatage's post-Hall of the Mountain King output, but due to my enjoyment of their Trans-Siberian Orchestra stuff, I thought I'd go ahead give it a shot. Turns out I was worried over nothing, as not only is this album brilliant, it actually surpasses everything they've done previously. This album is a concept album, which combines the true stories of Veronica Guerin(an Irish report killed by the mafia for her extreme anti-crime views) and the throwing overboard of 2 stowaways found aboard the Maersk Dubai, with the fictional story of a sailor descended from Fernando Magellan who has decided his time is over, and will sail out to sea to die on the ocean. Exceptional lyrics(and poetry in the liner notes, which gives additional insight into the story), brilliant musicianship, and wonderful vocals don't even begin to describe the quality of this album. The only album I can even compare it to is Blind Guardian's Nightfall in Middle Earth, which is just about the highest praise I can give an album. If you're a fan of truly excellent metal, you must own this album. Just a few of the *many* highlights are the 2 minute intro "Welcome", "Turns to Me", "Paragons of Innocence", and the awe-inspiring title track.

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