Remembering Criss Oliva Of Savatage

[@SeriouslyLarry]

I still have Sirens on vinyl. Love that album. It was like nothing I ever heard before. Hall of the Mountain King is great but Sirens was special to me cuz I felt like I had discovered something before everyone else. I turned my metalhead friends onto it. Savatage was like MY band because I'd discovered them before anyone else, before they got big. They never got as big as they deserved though because of the reasons mentioned in the video. I'm glad they got as far as they did, and that there are some of us out here who still remember Criss & appreciate how great he really was. RIP Criss Oliva. What an artist.

[@ericcurry-pitcher5493]

My Grandfather, a WW2 vet, was also ran over by a illegal on his 6th DUI. Crazy how many people have had the same or similar experience. Criss was truly gifted and is missed dearly by the true fans.

[@KyleInTheSanctuary]

I just shared this to my older brother who is a big Savatage fan. He's been friends with Chris Caffrey since the early 80's. Savatage is a great band that should be more well known. Thanks, Ralph. Keep up the great work! 🤟🏻😝🤟🏻

[@rubbabubba6489]

Love Savatage, Chris was a game changer. Awesome riffs and he was one of the first to use drop tunings so popular now. Thanks for highlighting his talent

[@williamj.nerison8834]

Always have been Always will be a fan 🤩🤩🤩

[@viciouswasinnocent8575]

Streets is an incredible masterpiece. The most underrated concept album in METAL. Right up there with Mindcrime.

[@metaloverkill6217]

Criss had one of the best guitar tones ever, especially on Streets and Edge of Thorns. I can't imagine how he must have sounded live. The 1987 Cleveland bootleg is the closest to capture the monster of a tone he had live. I'm happy I isolated his guitar across the Savatage discography

[@greggom656]

Ralph...I wish a million could get to view this. A tragedy in so many ways. A gifted individual taken from us. His playing is so under rated. I turned many friends on to his genuis playing. Don't forget..the mighty Overkill honored him with their R.I.P. song on the W.F.O. album. That shows you, that those in the know...really knew!

[@-MetalSage-]

Makes me proud to be from New Jersey.

[@mattw4461]

I think their catalogue is spotty but I like Sirens and Mountain King a lot.

[@johnkatsoudas4767]

Absolutely love Savatage. Love both the Jon Oliva and Zach Stevens eras big time. Hall Of The Mountain King is easily their MASTERPIECE. Criss was definitely a guitar legend! His guitar playing was incredible. One of the greatest guitar tones along with Jake E Lee and John Sykes. We are so lucky to have had so many phenomenal guitar players in our lifetime.

[@GaelDT]

Edge of Thorns was the tour you saw them on in 1993, that was Chris’s last album with them before he passed. RIP!

[@gearjmr]

He was always among the best guitar players to me. Love this band!

[@tcollier5460]

Criss was an amazing guitarist, definitely one of my favorites! Such a horrible tragedy,....Never received the recognition he truly deserved

[@GeorgieRocks-pq8bs]

I first saw Savatage on January 28th, 1988, on their Hall Of The Mountain King tour, warming up for Mega Death and Dio at the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Fla... The tickets were a Christmas present from my new girlfriend at the time Lora Howe who had just kicked her ex-boyfriend Crimson Glory drummer Dana Brunell to the curb... Great show! Good times!!! 🤘

[@joebrezel]

LOVE Chris. SO underrated‼️‼️‼️ Love that you love him so much too, & give him love a lot. He is MISSED. Sykes is definitely missed, as well. But, I appreciate you keeping Chris' GREATNESS alive. You ROCK, Ralph‼️‼️‼️🤘🏽🤘🏽🤘🏽

[@LANagr8tr]

One of the best guitarist ever tragically gone too soon. Criss has so much more to do

[@kenedie4646]

I saw Criss with Savatage. Dio, in Toronto, Dream Elvil tour. Amazing.

[@The1WhoKnowsTheTruth]

🤘❤️🤘

[@rexrogers4588]

Great tribute Doc.

[@ericprater1970]

🤘🤘🤘🎸🎸

[@leddygee1896]

I'd put Criss right up there with Dime... Taken way too soon. Thanks for recognizing his brilliance Ralph. RIP Mr. Oliva.

[@deathmetalrob7]

I saw Dio Megadeth and Savatage in 1988 at the West Palm Beach Auditorium January 29th and man that show was awesome. Not a bad seed in the house. I was right up front for Savatage and I love hall of the Mountain King

[@rejeanroy216]

Savatage was at their best with both Olivia's brothers.

[@JasonWorstenholm]

I was working at guitar center, it was Dec 9, 2004. It's 7:30 in the morning and later that night me and my cousin were going to see damageplan at the machine shop here in Flint.Mi.So the phone rings and my cousin is on the line and says " are you watching the abc morning news ticker?" I said " no", and he proceeds to tell me dimebag got murdered on stage last night in Ohio. I told him" ha ha, that's not even funny, it's too early for this kind of shit! " He insists it's true. So we hang up, and I'm not seeing anything about it on the news. This was pre every body having the internet. So, finally I decide to call the local hard rock / heavy metal radio station. It rings forever and finally a guy answers and says annoyed and pissed off " yeahhhhhhh?!!!!!!" I said " is it true?" He replied " YEAH! ITS FUCKIN TRUE!!!!!!!" . We hung up and I will never forget that morning.

[@gregbrewer6005]

a great loss to us all, amazing guitarist sadly also carl albert (vicious rumors) was taking the same way 2 years later.

[@g-pa-Rok-n-Tok]

I only had 1 album by these guys, but it was kick ass. It was Power Of The Night! Like Sad Wings, I bought it cuz of the cover. 🤘

[@muziktrkr]

Hope you do a deep dive on Savatage if you haven’t

[@pommyray5667]

how many members of a tribute band have written songs for the bands they are tributing?

[@jimmycoleman5853]

Do you remember Florida guitarist Ronnie Garvin

[@almosthuman56]

I am a huge fan of stranger. So sad how he committed suicide. What an amazing guitar player