Band page - Jon Oliva´s Pain

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Friday, April 22, 2011 - Jon Oliva's Pain Release Statement On Guitarists Death
Jon Oliva's Pain have release the following stament on the passing of their guitarist Matthew LaPorte:

"It is with great heartache and sorrow that we relay the passing of our dear friend, bandmate, guitarist and brother Matthew LaPorte.

Matt passed away in his home shortly after 6 p.m. on Wednesday. No information regarding his cause of death is currently available.

Matt was a brilliant guitar player on all levels. He understood that instrument better than almost anyone. His knowledge of music in general was just amazing. His contributions to Jon Oliva's Pain and every band he ever played with was also without measure. He was truly a one-guitar army when he needed to be and his solo performances on all the Jon Oliva's Pain CDs will forever send chills down our spines. A near-20-year history and friendship with one of the true greats has now ended and we are deeply saddened.

Matt was a fan of all kinds of music and instruments, having even embarked on a mission to conquer the hammered dulcimer...one of the hardest instruments to play. He was always trying to expand his musical horizons and influences. He marvelled at the musical greats, both old and new. He was never one to rate his talents above others and often commented about the great new music and artists he had just discovered.

Criss Oliva was without a doubt his most profound influence, and anyone who saw him play Savatage songs knew that Criss was channelling his talents via Matt. Matt's attention to detail and always striving to play everything perfect is without comparison. We would sit for hours during rehearsals with him muddling over whether a guitar chord was played exactly as recorded. Sometimes frustrating, but always appreciated in the end. He was the professionals' professional when it came to his guitar skills, and the loss of such a talent will be forever felt.

Matt was a gentle soul, and would avoid conflict at all costs. He got along with everyone and greeted all with a smile on his face. There was a shyness and almost embarrassment felt by him from the adoration of his fans around the world...and he had many. He was humbled by the love and respect music fans gave to him, but in a quiet way, that made him work just a little bit harder. His had a hilarious, twisted and often sarcastic sense of humour that was unique to him. A very funny man, indeed.

We miss you terribly, Matt, and we will celebrate your music and life each and every day. That great band in the sky just got a whole lot better, and you are in the most peaceful place you could have ever hoped for.

Until we meet again..."
Posted by: Stuart

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Thursday, April 21, 2011 - Jon Oliva's Pain Guitarist Dies
It has been reported that Jon Oliva's Pain's guitarist Matt LaPorte has passed away. Circle II Circle bassist Mitch Stewart referenced his passing on his facebook page. More information as it becomes available.
Posted by: Stuart

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Sunday, December 20, 2009 - Jon Oliva's Pain - Album news
News from Jon Oliva's Pain:

"The Jon Oliva's Pain show date for the Festival CD release party has been move to Friday, March 12th at Bourbon Street Nightclub in New Port Richey, Florida. Tickets now on sale at this location.

The worldwide release date is scheduled for February 19th, 2010 via AFM Records

Final European tour dates will be announced soon and includes JOP's live DVD recording concert at the 013 in Tilburg, Holland on Friday March 19th."
Posted by: Steen

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Monday, November 23, 2009 - Jon Oliva's Pain - Album News
News from Jon Oliva's Pain:

Mixing of the new JOP CD, Festival, has commenced!

We are beginning with the bonus tracks and the ballad today and from there we will set up the mix-template for the meat of the album. This is just a basic working template for the drums, bass and guitars. It's help us to speed up the time needed to put all the remaining instruments, vocals, tricks, trinkets and what-nots in their proper place. Needless to say that with more than 100 tracks on many songs...the process is still quite exhausting.

We will have mixes of three songs to digest this weekend. In the end, we will take a final 'review' day to fine-tweak all the songs in preperation for mastering. We will deliver the CD to AFM the first week of December...barring any crazy act of God that may get in our way.

We have focused on every conceivable detail possible while insuring that the mix is raw, alive and full of emotion. We stumbled upon so many great idea's during the last two months and most of these songs have taken on a shape that we had not previously imagined. That is simply the magic of having the time and also the support from our record label, AFM. Delivering anything but 110% would be insulting both to ourselves and of course you...our most supportive and enthusiastic fans!
Posted by: Steen

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Monday, October 26, 2009 - News from Jon Oliva's Pain
Jon Oliva's Pain drummer/producer Chris Kinder has issued the following update:

"Word up Legion! Update time....

Oliva is currently in Iowa to assist in programming the TSO light show... is there anything this guy can't do??

JO (Jon Oliva / SAVATAGE) has completed vocal tracking on a few songs with many additional trial runs now on tape. When he returns next week, he will finalize all his lead tracks and then we head on into massive, massive back-up singing. Oliva just never knows when to leave a good thing alone...hehe!

It is once again awe-inspiring to witness pure genius and power when it come to JO's vocal tracks and his songwriting. Part of the staple JOP sound has become his ability to change characters and voices at will and to create incredibly interesting, thought provoking, passionate and down-right insane vocal melodies. Tom Morris and I have been pushing him to the edge (as JO requested), and we have met that challenge with great enthusiasm and also a bit of joy watching him suffer....

Oliva's tenancious attitude, drive and full desire to do the best he can is only partially over-shadowed by the seemingly impossible task of singing songs that would require most of us to swallow mass consumptions of razor-blades in order to deliver what would be considered as torture to any metal music lover. We are all stoked to say the least, and proud of his commitment to giving all of you...all he has!

Laporte and Tom McDyne will finish things up this week. The string sections are almost complete as well. Matt, Kevin, myself, Oliva and guest singer Todd Latorre (CRIMSON GLORY) will dive into back up singing next week. From there it's final reviews and begin mixing in early November. We will deliver the record on-time to AFM for our 2010 release.

Special thanks to Howard Helm, who has once again stepped in to lay down his amazing piano and keyboard tracks. Howard also played on Global Warning.

Also appearing on this CD will be the great Casey Grillo (supreme drummer of KAMELOT and an all around great guy). I am privileged to call him my friend and welcome his contributions to the record. Casey will be helping to fill our need for a war-time drum corp section for the song 'Death Rides A Black Horse'. Thank you Casey!

We once again thank you for the great support and pure enthusiasm for the next CD. So far, so good....we are all very happy with our progress to date!

Cheers peeps!"
Posted by: Steen

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Sunday, August 9, 2009 - Jon Oliva's Pain - Album news
Jon Oliva's Pain have issued the following update:

"Finalizing drum preparations as we begin recording JOP #4 this week. Really stoked about the new songs and lots of room to create some much needed chaos!

Oliva is parting with his mint condition in-ear monitors to make room for his new system for the upcoming tours. Here is the link and pass it on to all who might be interested! More items coming in the next few weeks.

Cheers!"
Posted by: Steen

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Friday, April 3, 2009 - Jon Oliva's Pain - Album News
Jon Oliva's Pain has issued the following update:

"JOP is currently in final negotiations with AFM Records for the release of our fourth CD (due out October 2009) and our first live DVD to be filmed in early 2010. We are planning a two hour show with a setlist consisting of the four JOP CDs as well as a healthy assault of Savatage classics! We are very happy with our relationship and aggressive promotion that AFM Records has consistently delivered...and we are sincerely grateful for their support and dedication!

With regards to the upcoming CD...we have completed 90% of the arrangements for 11 songs plus two additional bonus tracks. This CD should prove to be much heavier and far more aggressive overall than our previous releases. A few epic songs are always part of the equation but we wanted to make a record that was more in line with Maniacal Renderings meets Hall of Mountain King....and the current demo's prove to be just that. We will begin recording at Morrisound Studio's in July and deliver the record on time for an October release. Oliva continues to write at a feverish pace and he is hell bent on delivering one of his most agressive and powerful vocal performances to date!

The upcoming European Festival/club tour dates are almost complete. We are stoked to be hitting a number of countries that we have not yet performed in including Turkey, Romania and Finland. Tour dates are listed below with a few dates yet to be confirmed. This will be our busiest summer tour to date and a true testament to our increasing fan base who are supporting JOP and the rich Savatage history with great enthusiasm. Thank you all for making this and every tour possible. See you on the road very soon."

Jon Oliva's Pain live dates can be found at their official MySpace.
Posted by: Steen

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Monday, November 10, 2008 - Jon Oliva's Pain - Six Full Length Songs From Global Warning Available For Streaming
Jon Oliva's Pain have posted six full length songs from their latest album, Global Warning, on their official MySpace page for streaming. The songs on offer are 'Master', 'Stories', 'Firefly', 'Before I Hang', 'Open Up Your Eyes' and 'Walk Upon The Water'. Go to this location to check them out.

The band is currently working out dates for a European tour in 2009. They are confirmed to play the Rock Hard Festival in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, which runs from May 29th - 31st. More details will be revealed soon.
Posted by: Steen

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Tuesday, February 26, 2008 - Jon Oliva discusses new album
In a recent interview with BW&BK about the new JON OLIVA'S PAIN album, Global Warning, frontman/SAVATAGE founder Jon Oliva discussed his continued use of old demo tapes featuring musical ideas and compositions from his brother Criss to shape the record. Jon first began using the tapes for the previous JOP album, Maniacal Renderings:

Oliva: "I had material from Criss that was more substantial, and on the last album it was mainly riffs and stuff. This time it actual pieces of songs and full songs that we never finished or never recorded with Savatage. I'd work with those pieces and turn them into songs. Criss' contributions on Global Warning are much more prevalent and more important. They're full ideas, some of them we worked on when we were kids. Like the second song in, 'Look At The World', that's a song that Criss and I wrote in 1979. All I did was change the solo section and added a couple note changes here and there, but musically the basic song is the same as it was when we wrote it. It was my first attempt at writing something that I thought was in a Queen style. I found it on one of those tapes, with me at my grandma's house on a old Hammond organ she used to have in the living room and Criss on acoustic guitar (sings the melody, reminiscent of 'Killer Queen'). I heard it and thought, 'What the fuck.why not?'"

Watch for the full story in BW&BK #110.

Go to this location to hear audio samples from Global Warning. The album is slated for a March 21st release in Europe via AFM Records.

Posted by: Steen

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Sunday, February 10, 2008 - Jon Oliva's Pain - Five New Songs Available For Streaming + Tour news
Five audio samples from the new Jon Oliva's Pain album, Global Warning, are now available for streaming on their official MySpace page. Go to this location to check out the tracks 'Before I Hang', 'Adding The Cost', 'Firefly', 'Open Your Eyes' and 'You Never Know'. 

Jon Oliva's Pain will team up with CIRCLE II CIRCLE and MANTICORA for a North American tour in support of the new JOP album, Global Warning. Dubbed the Global Intrusions tour, this will mark the first time vocalists Jon Oliva and Zak Stevens have toured together since their days in SAVATAGE in 1999.

Jon Oliva: "Wow, it's certainly been a while since I have been able to get back on the road here in America...it must be snowing in hell. It's going to be great touring in support of what I consider one of the best records of my career. We really pulled out all the stops for this one. Touring with Zak and the Circle II Circle guys is going to be a treat as well, especially for Savatage fans. We've got a few tricks up our sleeves so don't miss out as it may never happen again. Looking forward to seeing all of you soon."

Stevens: "It's always special to perform on the same bill with Jon Oliva, especially here in the States! Obviously Jon has been a huge influence on my musical career and I remain one of his biggest fans. This tour will be a special event for all our fans that have enjoyed our work throughout the Savatage years and now into the new generation of Jon Oliva's Pain and Circle II Circle music."

Interested promoters and venues should contact Intromental Booking USA (www.intromental.com) for details.

AFM Records is set to release Jon Oliva's Pain's Global Warning on March 8th and Circle II Circle's Delusions Of Grandeur on April 25th.

Tracklisting:
Global Warning
Look At The World
Adding The Cost
Before I Hang
Firefly
Master
The Ride
O To G
Walk Upon Water
Stories
Open Your Eyes
You Never Know
Someone/Souls

The limited edition contains the bonus track 'No More Saturday Nights'.
Posted by: Steen

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Wednesday, January 23, 2008 - Jon Oliva's Pain - New album mixed and mastered
Jon Oliva's Pain drummer Christopher Kinder has issued the following update:

"Good evening to all!

The end of the recording process is now behind us!

I returned to Morrisound this evening to re-master the new disc. This is not really that uncommon and since Tom and Jim Morris have rightfully taken personal ownership of this CD, they and JOP had to be sure that all of you got the music you so richly deserve!

We are not afraid to say that we had some issues concerning the first pass at putting the sweet juices on top of what was already an amazing mix. Something got lost...but only for a moment. Eternal thanks to everyone at Morrisound.

Some of these songs had over 100 tracks of recorded instruments, vocals, bells and whistles. So putting every sound in it's proper place was a massive undertaking. Nothing could be sacrificed, and anyone who has mastered a CD before will tell you that it can all be ruined at this final stage of the game. JOP and the Morris brothers would have none of that.

We feel that we have prevailed in blazing fashion. I am currently listening to the final CD mix while typing this update and I could not be happier with the production, and the performance of everyone in JOP. This is absolutely some of the best songs Oliva has ever written and the best record JOP has recorded imop!

It's heavy, epic, and emotional and will hopefully satisfy your musical senses as it has for us.

A slightly revised album cover will be posted on the JOP site in the next day or so. Check the main page for a nice big view of it and spread the photo and release far and wide.

Now on to phase 2...final CD preparation and promotion as we prepare for the release and the April/May tour.

A U.S tour plan is in the final phases and we are once again confident that everyone will be stoked about the line-up. Glenn Harveston (Prog-Power USA) and Intrometal will fill in the blanks very soon.

Locomotive will release the CD in the states following the Euro/Japan-release from AFM in early April. European April/May tour dates will be supported by MANTICORA and MASTERSTROKE."

The album is slated for a March 21st release in Europe via AFM Records.

Confirmed Jon OLiva's Pain tour dates are as follows:

April
25 - Haugesund, Norway - Karmøygeddon Metal Festival
26 - Copenhagen, Denmark - The Rock
28 - Aschaffenburg, Germany - Colos-Saal
29 - Wien, Austria - Planet Music

May
1 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
2 - Piacenza, Italy - Fillmore
3 - Florence, Italy - Viper Club
6 - Vitoria, Spain - Azkena
7 - Madrid, Spain - Caracol
8 - Barcelona, Spain - Salamandra 1
10 - Athens, Greece - Gagarin
11 - Thessaloniki, Greece - venue tba
13 - Essen, Germany - Turock
14 - Tilburg, Holland - 013

September
27 - Atlanta, Georgia - ProgPower USA (co-headlining with ICED EARTH)
Posted by: Steen

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Monday, December 3, 2007 - News from Jon Oliva´s Pain
Studio update from Christopher Kinder of Jon Oliva's Pain:

"Coming 'atcha with another round of JOP studio antics!

....and trust me, it's never a dull moment with this band.

We took sometime this week to really reflect on what Greg 'Super G' Marchak meant to all of us and our music. I have a picture of him right over the Pro-tools rig to constantly remind ourselves of what he will always mean to us.....and we are always looking to him for inspiration and guidance. How we miss you G!

Onto the recording sessions: Monday was an awesome day at Morrisound. Kevin had 2 weeks prior to review his initial performance and some of the changes Matt 'the musical note police' Laporte inflicted on these new songs. Kevin was of course very prepared and his new vintage Ampeg bass rig, along with a new fretless bass, allowed him to lay down some of the best performances he has done to date. His bass tone is without description and will be a feature highlight on the new CD. It's f*cking thunderous. Nice job Sir Rothney!

Oliva rounded out the day by completing his final guitar rythym tracks and his grand piano performances. The rest of the key tracks will be done here at our studio, now properly named Shabbey Road Studios. Pretty cool, huh?

Tues-Weds were just me and Laporte continuing to lay down his massive amount of lead guitar work. I have to say that nothing amazes me about Matt anymore....he just comes to the table with the most unpredictable idea's and a real talent for distorted melody. He makes everything, even the most basic of riff's sound exciting and most of all...memorable. He has completed about 6 songs worth of leads....just 8 more to go!

Oliva was here on Friday and will be back today to continue on the journey of keyboard, string, and special effects. His ability to create unlimited counter melodies within every song is awe inspiring. He plays violin and cello like a real player would, and while we will have some live string players on this CD.....no one will be able to tell the difference between the actual player and his expert keyboard string tracks.

We should begin vocals in the next week or so. Oliva's voice is once again in perfect shape and the amount of backing vocals that we have to record will make us all dizzy before it is done. But god-damn is it cool! Zahner will be coming in at the end to add all the bells, whistles, B3 organ and whatever else we need.

So it's back to the grind. Touring news will be available very soon. Expect a spring tour almost immediately after the release in April!"

Cheers and beers to you all.
Posted by: Steen

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Friday, November 2, 2007 - Studio update from Jon Oliva's Pain
Jon Oliva's Pain drummer Chris Kinder has issued the following studio update:

"A very good day to you all....and thanks for the enthusiasm for JOP 3!

Here's a recap now that I have finally gotten a few hours of meaningful sleep.

Last Monday we arrived at the world famous Morrissound Studio's to begin loading in drums and bass. The atmosphere here is relaxed and inspiring....and we needed as much of that as humanly possible. After about 3 hours of setting up and checking tones, we began the process of recording 14 songs for the new album. Most of them will make it on the actual CD and other's are bonus tracks required for different regions of the world and releases ( We know, that sucks!). Tom Morris, our most patient and competent engineer, dialed in my drums and Kevin's bass tones in no time flat. Honestly, the drums and bass have the biggest, fatest, warm and punchiest tones yet. Alot of that is due to the fact that we will be recording in High Definition CD quality....a huge jump from the process used on Maniacal Renderings. And as this is the foundation for the rest of the CD, it was a relief to hear such pleasant and exciting sounds coming from the studio speakers.....Crushing and mammoth would be an understatement and the smile on Tom's face said it all! We managed to get 2 songs down to tape on day one....and planned to spread the rest of remaining 12 songs over the next 2 days.

Tuesday and Wednesday began much the same. I spent about 20 minutes warming up and re-tuning my kit while we waited for Kevin to arrive and get his bass rig up and running. We mixed up most of the tracking with heavy and epic songs so as not to burn ourselves out. We were working 12 hour days....only breaking for lunch and dinner. It is incredibly exhausting work, both physically and mentally mainly because we are on a deadline to produce the CD by the end of the year. And as with any JOP Cd it seems even more tiring as we tend to write most of our parts in the studio. Arrangement's are always completed prior to beginning any CD, but something always get's in the way of us being able to spend enough time rehearsing.....this year it was the loss of our dear freind and producer, Greg "Super G" Marchak.

We managed to get most of tracking finished on Weds. but decided that we needed one more day to review all our tracks for errors and/or changes. That proved to be a good idea, but we only needed to repair 2 small parts. We always walk away from the final mix hearing how we would have played some things differently....but that's just the musicians in us and it is our nature to disect everything to the endth degree!....We will leave that up to all of you.

Now that we have left Morrisound, we will begin guitar tracks early next week at our own studio. Protools allows us to flawlessly transfer our work to Morrissound when we return in a few weeks. We don't value "editing" as it is jus the lame way of fixing a part that you know you could have performed better but are just to lazy to do it. So we will strive for 98% keeper tracks right from the start.

It is important to note how much Greg is missed. We find ourselves constantly questioning what he would do in certain situations, and while we are embracing everything that Tom Morris bring's to the table, we are also committed to what all of us, especially Greg, brings to the JOP sound and production. Special thanks to everyone at Morrissound for being so understanding and really getting into the vision that Oliva and the band are trying to preserve....and expand!

Oh, and there are some really kick-ass tunes on this record. You thought MR had flavor.....this one is going to open ears and really make you think!

Cheers to you all and we will talk again soon!"

Chris
Posted by: Steen

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Thursday, August 30, 2007 - Jon Oliva´s Pain - Album news
Jon Oliva's Pain drummer Chris Kinder has issued the following update:

"Sorry for the delay in keeping our most excellent fans up to date. Between pre-production, Oliva's TSO obligations, the passing of our good friend Les Talent.....well let's just say it has been crazy.

So let's bring everyone up to speed on what's been happening. Fifteen songs have been completed and are now in their rehearsal format for Kevin and I to begin our final preparation's before hitting Audio Lab in September. He and I will take a week apart to solidify our own idea's before spending a few final day's exchanging idea's and nailing the rythym section to the floor! Kevin and I have been writing, recording and performing together for more than 13 years. We know how to get it done in the least possible time, but unlike the last record (without all the stupid band turmoil), we will be very well prepared and the bulk of our idea's written in stone. Of course, anything can and will happen once we hit the studio and you can expect a good 20% of our idea's to be spontaneous. We always raise a few eyebrow's at each other after some track's are finished....'Hey, where the f*ck did you come up with that?'...... 'I don't know, it was actually a mistake.....cool!'

Oliva and company have spent tireless hour's recording, arranging, re-arranging, and more re-arranging. At some point you just have to say 'enough' and feel confident that the building block's are firmly in place............. and boy, are they in place! There is so much diversity and texture going into these songs. Some of the material will surprise your sense's and some will just make you smile knowing that Oliva's trademark stamp is still alive and well. There are some very heavy songs, and some bombastic epics......just what you would expect from an Oliva/JOP record. Now that we have arrived at the start of JOP#3, and the machine is now four years old....it runs like clock-work!.....This recording is going to the most fun and challenging yet!

The title of the CD and artwork concept are complete. AFM has approved all of our ideas with great enthusiasm. The schedule of event's for the next 4-6 weeks will be rehearsal, Drum and bass tracks recorded, and then back to rehearsal for the Bourbon Street show-Oliva's solo gig at PP-Atlanta- and our headling appearance at Prog-Power Europe on Sunday October 7. From there it is all JOP #3 until we turn in the final master to AFM by the end of November. Tentative release date is set for February 28th in Europe. A US date has yet to be determined.

Hope you are pumped up for the next installment of JOP! We are pulling out all the stops on this one and we certainly have some crazy idea's in mind. We are going to wake-up your senses, your ears and make you think!"

Cheers to you all........See you soon!
Chris Kinder
Posted by: Steen

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Monday, May 21, 2007 - Jon Oliva´s Pain - Album news
Here is an update on Jon Oliva's Pain from drummer Christopher Kinder:

Aloha music-peeps,

Now that the spring touring is finally in the can, we thought it was time to update you with some detailed info on JOP #3...coming soon to a store near you! Actually it will be January/February 2008, but that's not really that far off. For JOP, the record has to be delivered by late October so we don't really have much time to dick around before we begin the high-energy, comedy filled recording sessions we all live for... (Frode, leave your evil twin in Norway...hehehe).

Now before we get into the actual record, we'll fill you in on some of our plans for this CD. AFM has picked up the option for the next release. In other words, we must have sold enough records to put some cash in AFM's pockets so they'll try another one with us and see if we can raise the roof even higher this time. We are thrilled to be working with them once again. They believed in the band, and the music and they did their jobs. It is a win-win for everyone including the fans.

So in light of that development, Oliva wanted to raise the bar with the packaging of the new disc. We have no say over the number of different releases or decisions that the label has the rights to. What we can do is try to bring something fresh and give you the fans every reason possible to go out and buy JOP's music. We have decided on a multi-media presentation that should blow everyones minds. Sorry, we can't give you the sorted details just yet, but if memory serves us right we can only think of one other band that has ever done what we are going to do for all of you. We will say this....there will be plenty of studio footage available for your viewing pleasure as well. It is our sincere intentions to bring as much of the recording experience to you as possible. Anyone who has had the chance to witness one of our sessions knows exactly what we are talking about....it's simply priceless and we could easily make a hit reality TV show out of it!.....It's that funny!

Now the Cd: We have settled on a sort of "theme" and are awaiting the official ok from AFM. It's not a concept record (yikes!) but each song will tell a story that binds it all together. It's going to be a very dark presentation! Oliva is not a happy man, and he is going to write all about it. Expect some of the darkest lyrics he has ever written, but the messages are important and real! Experimenting musically a bit more on this record seems logical for us. We all have a great many idea's to add to Oliva's already brilliant songwriting, and we are purposely going to look at anything and everything we can to make these songs as interesting as possible. Oliva's music will always sound like Oliva....so no matter what crazy idea or sound we come up with, the end result will never be sacrificed.

We are working on a 10 minute opening opus that will clearly set the tone for the rest of the CD. Currently we have 15 working titles, more Criss Oliva riffs to add and massive amounts of arrangments left to do. But the framework is there, and tonight Oliva, Kevin and I will begin the daunting task of sifting through everything we have so far...chopping, dicing, and mixing whatever is necessary to achieve another 60 minutes of magic.....as best we can. You are going to hear some things from Oliva that you probably never heard before. But that is the genius of his writing skills....he is finding new ways
to incorporate different elements but always managing to preserve his unique style.

Matt and Zahner will probably begin working with us again later this week. Pre-production at Audio should officially commence in the next month or so and once we have the final arrangements and basic recordings, Kevin and I will begin preparing to cut our tracks sometime in July or early August. JOP dealt with alot of unnecessary turmoil and anxiety during the first few weeks of the recording of MR. We will never put ourselves in that position again. Rothney and I want ample time to come up with the best performances we can.....because we know it's not going to be easy matching or beating Maniacal Renderings.....but we sure are going to try!

Get back to you all asap!....And thank's once again for believing in this band....JOP! As some of you have pationately stated, it is ALL about the music and nothing else. And if the rest of you cannot understand and accept that...then too f*cking bad for you....'cause your the one's missing out!

Cheers and beers,
Christopher Kinder
Posted by: Steen

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Tuesday, February 20, 2007 - Play Guitar with the Mountain King on "Jesus Saves" live
JON OLIVA'S PAIN, DIONYSUS and NOSTRADAMEUS will embark on their European spring tour beginning March 30. JOP will be heading up a series of fan contests for select shows. The first contest has begun and will give three fans/guitarists the chance to perform live on stage with the Mountain King! Official rules and regulations are listed below:

1. Contestants must make a video of themselves actually performing "Jesus Saves" live and post it on either YouTube or Google Video. This is not an air-guitar contest, so please be sure you know what you are doing.

2. Fans will be instructed to register and log onto the JOP message board. In this thread you will need to provide complete contact information, WHICH SHOW YOU WANT TO PERFORM AT and the link for JOP to review the video. The band is not going to patrol the Internet looking for you!

3. JOP will decide the winner for each show. Winners will be asked to arrive (with their guitar) and perform with the band during soundcheck. If you can really play... then you will perform.

4. Winners will receive two free tickets for that night's show (so you can bring a witness to actually verify that you performed with the Mountain King).

5. Winners will be notified by e-mail with instruction's for that day's performance.

6. It is the winner's sole responsibility to secure their own travel arrangements and guitar. Amp and cabinets will be provided.

7. JOP reserves the right to terminate the winner's possible performance if it turns out you just plain suck!

8. Deadline for entries is March 25, 2007.

Log on to www.jonoliva.net to register and post your video.

Shows for this contest are as follows:

Apr. 03 - Prattlen, SWI @ Z7
Apr. 12 - Oslo, NOR @ Johny Dee
Apr. 16 - Hamburg, GER @ Kantine
Posted by: Steen

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Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - Jon Oliva´s Pain samples online
Jon Oliva's Pain's MySpace page has been updated with a couple of tracks from the band's forthcoming new album, Maniacal Renderings, due out September 1st via AFM Records. Check them out here.
Posted by: Steen

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Monday, January 30, 2006 - Studio Report from the Mountain King himself....
Jon Oliva has posted the following update on his official website:

I know that I personally don't post here much.....ever. I can't type!!! But, I wanted to get on here and let everyone know that things in the studio are really going great!

This record is different from the last, very versatile, with lots of things going on, everything from heavy metal to progressive metal, to just all kinds of stuff. We're experimenting with lots of different things and all of us, the whole band, are really excited about it. Everyone has contributed music and ideas and it's just been a lot of fun! I know you guys will be blown away!

Now, with the update of the "goings on" in the studio taken care of, there's something else I'd like to address before false stories and rumors begin to spread. I want to take this opportunity to get the story straight.

Last year Jerry Outlaw was hired to go on tour with the band and to fill the position of additional guitarist, which I believed would take the band to another level. Jerry did an outstanding job, fulfilling every expectation. His abilities are incredible. There is however, an enormous difference between touring and being in a studio environment.

For the past 2 years I've been playing with John, Chris, Kevin and Matt and we've developed a "formula", one that had proven to be a successful one with the release of the last album. My theory is "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." However, when we returned from the last tour in Europe and began working on creating the new album, it became apparent that there were distinct differences in the process that Jerry was used to in the studio, as opposed to how the band had done things the previous year and wanted to continue doing. We tried to make some changes to make the situation adaptable and comfortable for Jerry, but unfortunately, it became clear that it was just not something that was going to work. So, last week Jerry was let go from the band. Understand that this is not to say that Jerry was not capable of handling the guitar duties, actually, quite the opposite. What it does mean is that Jerry's way of doing things was different from mine and the rest of the band's. He was having difficulties with our process in the studio and creative differences began to emerge. I felt it was better to move on before actually entering into the studio to begin final recordings.

All of us would like to thank Jerry for his contributions and for the incredible job he did while he was on tour with us. We wish him lots of luck and all the best in his future endeavors.

Love you guys and we'll see you on the road soon!

Jon Oliva
Posted by: Steen

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Sunday, November 20, 2005 - Jon Oliva's Pain - New album and festival appearance
Jon Oliva's Pain has set "Maniacal Renderings - Chapter 2" as the title of their next album which will be released next spring. Working songtitles include "Maniacal Renderings", "Time To Die", "I Don't Want Blood On Your Hands", "Pyramid on Mars" (instrumental), 'The Answer', and 'Reality's Fool'.

The band has also been confirmed for the Bang Your Head festival 2006, set to take place June 23-24 in Balingen, Germany. The following bands have been confirmed so far:

Count Raven
Europe
Flotsam And Jetsam
Jon Oliva's Pain
L.A. Guns
Leatherwolf
Powerwolf
Rik Emmett
Victory
Y&T
Posted by: Steen

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Sunday, August 7, 2005 - John Oliva´s Pain, Chris Caffery and Beyond Fear to tour the U.S.
Chris Caffery has confirmed that he will be touring the U.S. with John Oliva's Pain and Iced Earth vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens' other outfit, Beyond Fear. Here is the official news:

"Hello all...

OK, here is the deal. On September 9th, which happens to be my birthday, we are starting a short US tour. The first date is in Cleveland at the House of Blues at the annual World Series Of Metal Festival. The remaining dates on the tour will be with Jon Oliva's Pain, Chris Caffery's Faces and Beyond Fear.

Ripper and I will alternate show times and Jon will close the show. I am hoping to join Jon at the end of the night for some special surprises!

More dates will be announced on Monday (August 8th). I want you all to come out in force!!! We are hoping the shows are a big success so we can do another five week run across all of America in early 2006. Right now the dates go into Canada and down the east coast, ending up somewhere in Florida.

The line-up for my band will be the same as the one I took to Europe: Jeff Plate, Ira Black, Paul LaPlaca and Nick Douglas.

The Faces of War hit the road again!

See ya soon!"
Chris
Posted by: Steen

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Thursday, October 28, 2004 - Jon Oliva´s Pain begins 2004-2005 World Tour!
Jon Oliva's Pain, the band featuring Savatage Mastermind Jon Oliva, announces the beginning of the 2004/2005 World Tour in support of his solo debut titled 'Tage Mahal!

Tampa FL., hometown to Oliva and the band, will begin the tour at Boomerz Boiler Room in Seminole FL, and then on to Greece for 3 shows. The band will perform 2 electric shows in both Athens, and Thessaloniki, and a very special "once in a lifetime all acoustic show" in Athens.
Jon Oliva - "The Greek fans are clearly one of the biggest supporters of my music over the last 20 years, I just wanted the chance to give something back to them for all their incredible dedication to me, Savatage, and now my new project, Pain. Performing an all acoustic show for the Greek fans is going to be very special for me, and the band. I can't wait... expect lots of surprises!"

Dates are confirmed - Venues to be announced in the coming days!

December 11 - Boomerz Boiler Room - Seminole, FL
December 18 - Thessaloniki, Greece
December 19 - Athens, Greece
December 20 - Athens, Greece (all Acoustic Show)

The record was released in Europe and the UK on October 25th through SPV records. The US release date is set for January 2005, but can be purchased online through most of the good online stores, such as The End Records, Impulse Records, and CD Insane. Check the bands web-site for links to those outlets.

2005 Festival/tour dates to be announced soon!

For more information visit the official website.
Posted by: Steen

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Sunday, May 30, 2004 - ´Tage Mahal annouce plans for 3-record release and DVD box set
Latest news from the Jon Oliva camp:

Jon Oliva's 'Tage Mahal and SPV records are proud to announce the beginning of what will now be a 3-record series released over the next few years.

Metal-lover's all over the globe can expect the first release of Volume I in Sept/Oct. of this year followed by a systematic and timely release of the following 2 records. Jon has already begun writing music for Volume II There are plans to begin work on the second release in December 2004, with the very real goal of releasing this second installment in time to perform at some of the major European Festivals for 2005. Volume III will follow along the same time line as I and II. Once that task has been complete, 'Tage Mahal will release a box-set of all 3 -volumes along with DVD's of both live performances and the comedic studio/touring footage from those 3 records.

Volume 1 is now mixed/mastered and we hope to announce an official release in the coming weeks. The artwork is near completion and once SPV has received the "complete package", they will set the release date for the debut ablum from 'Tage Mahal.
Posted by: Steen

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Thursday, May 27, 2004 - Jon Oliva and ´Tage Mahal sign with SPV Records!
Savatage mastermind-Jon Oliva, has signed a new deal with SPV Records to distribute the debut release from 'Tage Mahal.

Oliva's first solo release is now complete and will be released worldwide in Sept/October 2004. The album will feature more than 60 minutes of Jon's solo material recorded by Greg Marchak at Audio Lab Studio's and mixed/mastered by Jim Morris at Morrisound Studio's in Tampa, FL.. Fans can anticipate a return to Oliva's aggressive vocal style, along with a diverse recipe of his favorite musical influences over the last 20 years. The new album is powerful and covers the spectrum of music that has been the inspiration of Jon Oliva and 'Tage Mahal. Mixing Engineer Jim Morris described the new record as "one of the best albums" recorded by Oliva. Also, Steve "Dr. Killdrums" Walcholz recorded two songs for this release!

'Tage Mahal will debut the new record at the sold-out "Progpower USA V" on September 16 in Atlanta, GA.. An extensive fall tour will follow throughout the US and Europe. The other member's of 'Tage Mahal are Matt Laporte (Guitars), Kevin Rothney (Bass), John Zahner (keyboards), and Christopher Kinder (Drums), all formerly of Cirlce II Circle.

For more information and Tour Dates visit the official website
Posted by: Steen

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Articles on this site

Album Review - ´Tage Mahal
(Steen)

Album Review - Maniacal Renderings
(Steen)

Album Review - Global Warning
(Steen)

Album Review - Festival
(Steen)



Related Links

Jon Oliva´s Pain - Official Website



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