Customer Reviews

Faces (Bonus CD) (Dig)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was really wary of this when it was first released, for although Savatage is one of my favortie bands of all time, I figured that this was mostly a collection of Chris' ideas for a Savatage album that were deemed "not good enough" to be on an actual Savatage album. My skepticism only increased after hearing "Pisses Me Off" on the radio; this song gave me the impression that this was a collection of guitar-sololess, stereotypical nu-metal songs. For some reason, possibly the idea of getting two CD's, nearly 2 hours of music, for such a low price, I purchased this album anyway. For the first few listens, I thought I had wasted my money, but then something happened, but first let me give you a background for the album.

Chris Caffery was only twenty when he joined Savatage as a rhythm guitarist on the "Hall of the Mountain King" tour in 1987. He then played on "Gutter Ballet," but was released from the band. He rejoined them as a rhythm guitarist for "Dead Winter Dead" and became their only guitarist in 2001 after Al Pitrelli joined Megadeth. Chris Caffery also plays with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Doctor Butcher.

Caffery does all of the guitar and vocal parts himself. Joining him are Dave Z (TSO) on bass, Jeff Plate (TSO, Savatage) on drums, and Paul Morris on keyboards.

The sound of the album is similar mostly to Doctor Butcher, although there are hints of Savatage (of course), Alice in Chains, and even a (very) slight hint of Dream Theater.

Okay, now for the album itself. After several forced listens, it just sort of clicked. I was initially turned off by how much Caffery sounded like Jon Oliva at times, but eventually I learned to appreciate that he is actually a very good singer in his own right. "Faces" is the best song on the album, with a fantastic two-part guitar solo in the middle. Although I bashed "Pisses Me Off" earlier, I actually grew to like that one as well. Even though the lyrics are humorous, the musicianship is as good as anything else on the album, with Chris utilizing an uber-heavy guitar sound. I find this song excellent to sing (yell) along with after a tough day. "The Mold" is almost as angry as "PMO," and has a similar "good song after a tough day" quality to it. "Never" is the ballad of the album; it is surprisingly touching with great guitar work, although some might find it overlong at the end. "Music Man" is an acoustic song where Chris sounds surprisingly similar to Jon Bon Jovi. Other notable songs include "Fade Into the X" and "Remember."

Although there are quite a few weak spots on the first disc, it is almost made up for in quantity instead of quality. Also helping it is that the songs live up to Chris' title of "Faces." The songs display many different emotions (or faces) throughout; from anger, rage, and doubt to confusion, elation, and heartbreak. The second disc also has a theme: the war in Iraq (duh). Chris speaks out his thoughts on the entire thing, for while he doesn't make any incredibly intelligent points, it's nice to hear something other than "peace is the only way" which is really popular in the media, Hollywood, etc., but also isn't "bomb all our enemies to Hell!" The second disc isn't as good as the first, but for such a low price you can't lose.

It disappoints me how so many formerly great metal bands (Queensryche, Fates Warning, Metallica) have been releasing terrible albums, and how Savatage's solo projects like Circle II Circle don't live up to expectations. The lineup that Savatage had during "Dead Winter Dead" and "Wake of Magellan" was perfect and they seemed unstoppable, but with Jon Oliva spending his time with his solo band, another Savatage album seems unlikely. If there is to be another Savatage album it won't be out for several more years so until then, sit back and enjoy "Faces," because this is the best thing from any Savatage member (former or current) since "Poets and Madmen."

Even as a huge Savatage/Doctor Butcher/TSO/Jon Oliva's Pain fan this is possibly the most disappointing CD I have purchased in years. I have tried to force my self to listen to this CD on several occasions hoping it would grow on me a little bit, but no such luck.

First let me say it has nothing to do with comparing it to anything else from the Sava-camp. I don't care if Chris would have done Japanese power-pop album, as long as it was done well I would have liked it.
The real problem I have with this album is that the production/songwriting/execution is almost as poor as an average local band might sound. Chris really has no business trying to be a lead singer. His voice is frequently weak, which is forgivable, but also frequently out of tune and rarely is there really even a decent melody. The songs are not memorable and at times even annoying.
I really fail to see why others like it so much, the whole thing is really just sub-par to me and I thought Chris really would have done a better job than this.

At the end of the day I do admit that I wish the members of Savatage would quit screwing around with their individual projects and just get back together to produce a new Savatage album. Without trying to sound cheesy, they really do have a synergy together that is lacking when apart.

Faces is a great surprise, bringing some freshness into metal. This is no Savatage-lite like Zak Stevens and Jon Oliva recent albums (which are also great in their way). Chris brings a guitar and vocal style that mixes some modern, trash, classic, melodic, and even gothic. Great riffs, very good vocals.

In fact, I am so positively impressed that I hope the new Savatage albums (if there will be more) contain a good amount of Chris solo guitar playing style (for a change) and even add him as a singer (not backing vocals), to complement Jon Oliva and (aaarrrggghhh) Damond voices.

Chris Caffery delivers a monster album here. Every song is great, there's not a bad moment on this disc. I bought it without any idea of what to expect, and knowing little about Chris other than his background with Savatage and TSO.

Get this album, you won't be disappointed.

I picked up this cd not expecting too much. Not that I did nto have the utmost confidence in Chrs's abilities. I just figured that he may have veered very far from what we know of him as many artists do with solo releases. Chris does break some new ground while remaining faithful the the music we know him for. For that incredible task, this cd gets 5 stars.
It begins with a very Savatage vibe. Caffery at times even sounds vocally liek Jon Oliva. No complaints from me. If this is the material that would have gone into the next 'Tage cd, it would have been phenomenal. However Chris makes sure people relaize this is not a realease by his band but one of his own. He is heavy and melodic and a welcome preence in metal on his own. I have only had this cd for a few days but it is absolutely ncredible and worth the purchase for metal fans.

Chris Caffery is a musical wunderkind! A superior musician who believes in giving as opposed to taking. He delivers on his first solo effort. Faces is a staggering monster of diverse musical and personality textures that make up this singular talent. Each song delivers. It is as if Sybil and her 15 personalities decided to give us an audio couch session.

I will not go song by song, as someone else will surely do so (and better than i can!).

Faces has it all: Thunderous old-school heavy metal, hard rock ballads, something folksy, something bluesy,...angry, melancholy... a full pallet of colors for your ears. Every song has its own catchy riff and hooks that sink deep. There are plenty of radio opportunities here.

This effort marks Chris' singing debut. The dude's got pipes! At times here and there one hears familiar influences; but taken on the whole, Chris has his own voice; his own style ...and it doesn't disappoint.

Each spin of the discs uncover the intricate layerings beneath the surface, making them even more remarkable. The lyrics actually have emotion and meaning, making this the perfect combination of some of the best and catchiest riffs and hooks that help to introduce you to the many Faces of this gifted Music Man.

It is impossible for me to select a best or favorite song, because they are all great and depend on one's mood at the time.

At 16 songs (and not one filler or clunker in the bunch), one should be more than happy with Faces. ...But wait! True to form, Chris has given us a 40 minute bonus CD built around the concept of the current war. It's edgy, catchy, and intelligent.

In short, it is truly refreshing to know that there is at least one artist willing to give the people what they want: a high quality/high quantity output that only gets better as one explores its many facets.

Faces is my album of 2004 and 2005.

I look forward to Faces 2005 Live on tour and Chris' next project.

I'm a huge fan of metal. I started buying tapes in 1985, and always gave the not so well known bands a try, such as King Kobra, Black and Blue, Kick Axe, Axe, Armored Saint, Saxon and most notably, Savatage. I'm not one to settle for just what's on the radio, even though I like to listen to it. Fast forward to 2005, and over the years it's been increasingly hard to find good music. With over 700 rock/metal cd's, I've got a pretty good selection of mandatory rock.
Every once in a while, a cd comes along that gives me goosebumps, because this cd is THAT FREAKIN' GOOD!!!!. I won't go into details of every song, since it's been done before. However, if you are a true fan of real musicianship, outstanding music, and want to weed out the posers and wanna be's, Buy This Cd NOW!!!!
If you are a real music fan, and definitely s savatage fan, do not hesitate to pick up this cd.

As a twenty year Savatage veteran, I fully expected to find similarities between Savatage and this release from Chris Caffery. However, after listening to the CD's, I am going to sidestep the usual Chris Caffery/Savatage/Doctor Butcher similarity conundrum, and offer a perspective from a "Chris Caffery, the artist" frame of reference. I do not subscribe to the comparisons so popular among many reviewers because, let's face it- in this day and age, it is impossible to come up with something so unique, unusual, and colorful that it could be considered completely and utterly original.

For years, Chris remained hidden behind his guitar- at last, he is able to showcase his songwriting and vocal talents. A substantial range of music aficionados could be appeased by this offering- from the uber heavy Edge of Darkness to the purely acoustic missives on Bag of Bones, one thing is clear- Chris Caffery is an excellent musician.

As for the messages being delivered by the lyrics- I don't listen to music to assist me with forming an opinion on world peace. I listen to music to enjoy the arrangements, the rhythms, and the skill with which each track is performed. If Chris wants to use his music as a platform to deliver his opinion on war, then so be it- everyone speaks their mind whenever and however they please. The fact that he is expressing his feelings about something he feels strongly about does not affect the quality of the musicianship.

Finally, if you are able to catch a live show, I highly recommend it. Chris Caffery puts on an amazing display, and is one of the most affable human beings you will ever meet, taking the time to chat and sign an autograph definitely puts him head and shoulders above many other artists I have met.

In summary, I believe that those truly interested in music will appreciate the skills that Chris demonstrates in this collection- those who seek to make comparisons should stick to the American Top 40, that way they can see exactly how one performer stacks up against another in black and white.

FROM START TO FINISH, WOW! PICK THIS UP! THE METAL MARCHES ON! THE BONUS CD IS GREAT AS WELL! THANX MR. CAFFERY! YOU ROCK!

Savatage has been on hold for years; producer Paul O'Neill is concentrating on TSO, Jon Oliva is doing his solo project, and so, not surprisingly, guitarist Chris Caffery has also released his first solo album recently. The album will definitely interest old-school Savatage fans who want to hear tons of guitar solos, heavy and aggressive vocals, and less symphonic/progressive arrangements. Chris Caffery's Faces will, no doubt, deliver if that's what you're looking for. However, I beg to differ from the previous reviewers who deem this disc as perfect and flawless. Well, far from it, Faces and especially the bonus disc, God Damn War, do have their downsides, which I'll address in the following paragraphs of this review. But first the positive aspects...

Faces contains sixteen tracks and over 76 minutes of music. It was decided that this record would contain music that would represent different facets (or "FACES") of Caffery's music. Overall, the album is raw, heavy and agressive throughout. It refuses to slow down for even two subsequent tracks, but continues to rock hard delivering in-your-face type of vintage Savatage. After giving this disc its first set of spins, you'll find yourself thinking, "Is this Caff or Jon Oliva on vocals?". It's certainly a great surprise that Caff can actually sing this good, but after listening to the album for a couple of months, different sort of questions start to pop up: "Well, Caff can sing for sure, but doesn't his voice lack character in the way it sounds too Oliva-ish, even for the biggest Oliva fans?". I'd be more interested in hearing a more personal vocal statement from Caffery rather than him trying way too hard to emulate Jon's UNIQUE vocal stylings. However, knowing it's going to please pretty much everyone out there, I digress.

Chris Caffery handles pretty much every aspect of this album, including all guitars, lyrics, vocals, etc. However, the fact that he also tried to have a finger in the production process unfortunately detracts from the vocals. Try listening to several albums from different genres on your stereo, and then pop Faces in, everything will sound great except the vocals. They've been obviously muffled during the mastering process. Caff thinks it's a good production for a debut release, but I know better than that. This record was meant to be as perfect as possible, since day one. However, once the CD came out and people started questioning the validity of the vocal production, Caff became rather defensive. No worries though, the album sounds absolutely great if you hear it with good headphones. All the other instruments sound great. Caff plays acoustic guitars, rhythm and lead. Savatage drummer Jeff Plate supports him on drums and Dave Z is on bass. There are few keys present here, but it's not completely devoid of keyboard and piano work. Paul Morris plays them in a very fitting manner.

I hear a good dose of Doctor Butcher on this album. Not just in the vocals, but also the music. Caffery doesn't abandon his Savatage roots completely either. You'll hear interesting symphonic elements on "Fade into the X" except that the song is ultra-heavy otherwise. Similarly, Caff's vocals on the acoustic-driven track, "Music Man", are almost identical to Jon's vocals in the intro of the Savatage track, "The Rumor". The Savatage similarity is further exhibited on "Abandoned"; lots of counterpoint vocal harmonies with great piano rendering from Paul Morris. "Abandoned" was one of those songs Chris was particularly fond of, since he mentioned it quite a bit during the making of this record, and after hearing it I guess I can see why. "The Fall" sees Caffery doing some excellent vocals, but they're certainly meant to sound like Jon's, which isn't so nice, in my opinion. Songs like "The Mold" and "So Far Today" are among the most diverse tracks on Faces, the former being unbelievably skull-crashing. My favourite song, however, is "Never" because it's a profoundly engaging ballad with excellent guitar tone, powerful rhythms and soaring vocals. Also note the great intro of "Jealousy". Much to my dismay, the song isn't developed in a style I'd like to hear. "Preludio" is an almost instrumental piece for about three minutes, but then picks up with fury-ridden guitars.

The bonus disc, God Damn War, is an interesting one. 42 minutes and nine tracks, this was intended to be Caff's statement regarding the war going on in the world. Sadly, Caff fails to offer different perspectives on the matter, but just looks at the situation from an American standpoint. It's understandable that Caff and many others may have their own political views, but I find it to be a contradiction when a person first clearly admits supporting the American troops' invasion of Iraq and then claims to make an "anti-war" album and seriously believe he'll get away with it by simply calling it "GOD DAMN WAR". Honestly, how can you be against war if you openly support it in the first place? Caff is certainly entitled to his opinion but so are we, his fans. Also, I'm really glad it's not Caff who does the lyrics in Sava. Else we'd never have universally-themed records like Dead Winter Dead and The Wake of Magellan. It is one thing to have extreme political views, but it's something totally different to implement these views (indirectly imposing your ideas) in your lyrics. There are better ways to get your message across, just listen to Pain of Salvation - Entropia or the self-titled Office of Strategic Influence if you want to see how they created anti-war albums making universally accepted statements, not just those addressed to the American people.

Well, enough with politics. I'm personally of the opinion that unless you are sure you'll get your points across without hurting others' feelings, go for it. But looking at the situation from a fixed standpoint is bound to cause some trouble. Hell, what's the point of naming a track "Saddamized" using fake dialogues between American soldiers and 'happy' Iraqis? What's the point of Heavy Metal if it doesn't reflect reality? Back to music - I enjoy this disc for what it is, especially the main disc, Faces. But the bonus disc simply fails me.