Saviour Machine - I
I have found Saviour Machine to be a very special band.

To me, Saviour Machine is one of the truly original bands to walk this earth. They are able to convey massive amounts of emotion through their brilliant music like no other band I know. Unfortunately they are also one of the most overlooked bands in history. Through time I will review all their releases, but it will take some time as they are all very complex. This is their debut album, which mostly shows through the production. The production is a little rawer and thinner than on the following releases, but still it gets the job done ok.

This is also their most primal album. By that I mean that I find it their simplest and easiest to get into album. A good place to start if you want to discover this "one of a kind" band.

There are many things which combined make this band one of the truly original bands in the world of music. I don't know how to describe this style of music to others. I might call it Progressive Theatrical Metal, but then again, the best way is to give it a listen and make up your own mind. The first word that comes to mind when I listen to this music is Beautiful, but then again, not even that word justifies this music. Sometimes it is just out of this world, especially on their later albums.

I'll try to bring forward a couple of the songs that I like best from this debut to try and give you some idea of what the music sounds like.

The album starts out with Carnival of souls, which sets the mood for the rest of the album perfectly. I love the way the guitar and drums play together in that slow interlude before Eric starts singing. The next thing you notice is the voice of Eric Clayton. He is unlike any other singer I have ever heard. He has an extremely beautiful way of singing. It sounds like every word is sung with a burning passion. He has a very theatrical way of singing and combined with a very deep voice you have one of the most recogniseable singers in the world.

Legion is probably the song that is easiest to get into. It was the one that got me hooked on the band and it has been my album favorite since I first heard it. Legion is a fantastic song with a very special atmosphere created by the keyboard, an amazing rhythm section and of course, the vocals.

Ludicrous smiles continues a string of excellent songs. The song has a great drive, carried along by the always present guitar. So many great melodies are created by the guitar throughout this song. Ludicrous smiles continues into The wicked window which builds from a slow song to a fast and aggessive finish. Cool. Also check out the brilliant passage which starts at the 3 minute mark. This is one of the things that makes me love this band so much. Those brilliant changes.

Son of the rain has an excellent powerful start, which quickly slows down to a very emotional passage with Eric singing straight to the heart of anybody listening. I love how the keyboard and guitar underline and build the power of the song until the chorus finally takes over.

Killer is a 10 minute song with an epic feel to it. The brilliant guitar by Jeff Clayton carries much of this song along. I love his playing which has a kind of "flying" feel to it. The highlight comes about halfway through the song with a powerful passage filled with brilliant music and vocals. I find that the ending part slows the album down a little though.

After the slow ending of Killer Saviour Machine are back in full force with Widow and the bride. A powerful and fast song with a brilliant melody. Brilliant guitar and drum work is all over the song and the chorus is a great release.

Christians and lunatics is another favourite of mine. Again, I love the guitar playing in this song, along with the amazing chorus, singing and overall feel of the song. The way the song builds before the chorus is just genius...

I love the way the guitar and bass play together in The mask. Another great song with something new to catch my attention.

A world alone is an extremely beautiful ballad, both musically and lyrically. It is also a great showcase of Eric Claytons voice. Here his emotional voice pours all over the song and gives it that extra feeling and impact. This is also the song that best conveys the melancholic feeling that runs through the album.

Jesus Christ ends the album on a powerful and dramatic note. This is a brilliant song with many changing passages. The ending part of the song has to be heard. It it a definite highlight and a beautiful way to finish the album.

Well, I guess that was a little more than a couple of songs. Terribly sorry, got carried away a bit :)

All the musicians on the album play brilliant. Sometimes I wish the production was as good as on the later albums as some details tend to get lost in the background and can only be heard with headphones.

A highpoint of the album is the guitar playing of Jeff Clayton. He has a very interesting style. I impressed with the way his guitar playing gives a feel of flying through the album.... Sounds weird? Well, give it a listen then :)

This album only gets better with time. The first couple of times you hear it every song might sound the same, but give it time and you just might discover the brilliance of this piece of art. Whether I listen to the album with guitar, vocals or drums in mind there always seems to be something new going on.

Lyrically this is a very complex album. I don't want to get too much into them, as I'm not sure that I even understand them completely. The real reason I love this band is for the beautiful music they create.

This debut album of Saviour Machine was released back in 1993. If you have never heard of this band, now is your chance to discover one of the most overlooked bands in history. This is the first album I heard by them and I'd recommend everybody to start here too. Don't under any circumstances start by listening to the complex Legend Part II which is on sale most places. Do yourself a favor and get the albums in the correct order to get the most out of this "one of a kind" band.

Some people may get scared away when they discover that Saviour Machine is a Christian band, but I urge you to give them a chance like I did. You might just discover a whole new world of music.

Written by Steen
Friday, November 8, 2002
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Ratings

Steen: 9/10

Members: 10/10 - Average of 1 ratings.



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RevelationZ Comments


Comment by Mads (Anonymous) - Friday, October 11, 2002
It's About time you put this review up, you lazy man come on...
uhm tartlettes... hahahahaha



Comment by Dan (Anonymous) - Monday, November 11, 2002
Brilliant review...most things I couldn't have tried to say better...for it's so hard to "explain" Saviour Machine in itself...good job!


Comment by s4revok (Anonymous) - Friday, October 3, 2003
Well said...it's a shame that this band was so much overlooked.I totally love their music,every album is simply *brilliant* and indeed this album is a nice point to start with


Comment by DiscipleInAgony (Anonymous) - Monday, March 22, 2004
Great review, full of details and an aura of admiration for the band..dear Steen, proceed with the other SM albums!!I and all the other SM fans would greatly appreciate any added SM review, as I think that they tend to be scarce in the net..
Thank you very much!Waiting for the next reviews..;)
Take Care!


Comment by Steen (Staff) - Monday, March 22, 2004
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Comments: 518
Thanks a lot for the kind words. It's funny, but a couple of days ago I actually got Saviour Machine - II down from the CD shelf and decided it was time to review it soon, so expect your wish granted in one of the coming months.

Posted by Steen (Staff)
Monday, March 22, 2004

Comment by Dark Lord (Member) - Wednesday, December 12, 2007
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Comments: 33
Ratings: 89
Great review steen, although enough can`t be said about beauty of this band's music. I really like to read your reviews on "Legend" albums.

Posted by Dark Lord
Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Comment by Steen (Staff) - Wednesday, December 12, 2007
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Comments: 518
Thanks! I am planning to review all the Legend albums, but it is quite an undertaking. One fine day Part I will be online.

Posted by Steen (Staff)
Wednesday, December 12, 2007










Review by Steen
None

Released by
Massacre - 1993

Tracklisting
01 - Carnival of souls
02 - Force of the entity
03 - Legion
04 - Ludicrous smiles
05 - The wicked window
06 - Son of the rain
07 - Killer
08 - The widow and the bride
09 - Christians and lunatics
10 - The mask
11 - A world alone
12 - Jesus christ


Style
Progressive Theatrical Metal

Related links
Visit the band page

Saviour Machine - Official Website

Other articles
II - (Steen)

Legend - Part I - (Steen)

Legend - Part II - (Steen)



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Ratings
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4 - Below average
5 - Average
6 - Good
7 - Very good
8 - Outstanding
9 - Genius
10 - Masterpiece
666 - Unrated

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