THE DUNGEONS ARE CALLING

"The Dungeons Are Calling" is an EP release by US, Florida based power/heavy metal act Savatage. The EP was released through Par Records in March 1984. It bridges the gap between the band´s debut- and second full-length studio albums "Sirens (1983)" and "Power of the Night (1985)". The 6 tracks on the 32:02 minutes long EP were recorded during the sessions for "Sirens (1983)" but ultimately left off that album because of the limited space on vinyls. The material is from the same time period though (1979-1983) and several had appeared in the band´s live set since 1979. So the additional text on the album sleeve which reads: "Features lost Savatage tracks", isn´t completely true, but you don´t really want to write the word "leftover/outtake" material on an album sleeve.

There´s not much "leftover/outtake" quality about the material on "The Dungeons Are Calling" though, as the tracks are of an equal quality to the material featured on "Sirens (1983)". Stylistically it´s traditional heavy metal played and sung by very competent musicians. Even this early on Savatage displayed great playing skills and sophisticated songwriting ideas. The rhythm section is tight, Criss Oliva has a rare tone and feel to his guitar playing, which provides the music with an extra bite and conviction, and Jon Oliva has a powerful rusty voice and a commanding delivery (and also adds some occasional piano and keyboards to the mix).

The sound production is raw and pretty well sounding for the time, and upon conclusion "The Dungeons Are Calling" is a good quality release by Savatage and for fans of "Sirens (1983)" it´s a mandatory listen. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.