It's A Power I'm Drawing ...

On Savatage's Third outing the band softens a bit leaving more accessible songs that lose most of the dark, bleak feel of the "Dungeon's ..." EP. "Power Of The Night" is by no means a bad album, it's chalked full of catchy riffs, screeching solos and gravelly melodies. This is one the first "early" Savatage albums I picked up and have thoroughly enjoyed it.

"Power Of The Night" kicks off with the albums title track which is a mid-fast paced anthem that is instantly hooky and memorable. "Unusual" is a catchy galloper with an eerie chorus assisted by subtle keyboards.

The dark edge is not completely lost. "Necrophilia" is a mid-fast pace song with some killer riffs. "Fountain Of Youth" is pretty dark with some cool guitar work and wicked breakdown which showcases Jon Oliva's unique vocal qualities. This is a fun song, but it has a disjointed feel. Like tacked together parts that don't have a continuous flow.

"Washed Out" and "Skull Session" are fast and heavy with thick galloping riffs and wailing solos that never sacrifice melody. "Hard For Love" is a toss away rocker with a strong commercial feel that's made for radio. It's catchy, but just doesn't feel right here. "Stuck On You"s commercial rock feel is not as cheesy, but still a throwaway.

"In The Dream" is the album closing ballad whose sombre passion lets the listener ease out of the record. It's a nice tune with some cool solos. My favourite song here is "Warriors". It starts off quiet and atmospheric before kicking in with a killer mid-pace riffs and solos. It's the song that sticks with me long after I've stopped listening to the album.

Overall "Power Of The Night" is a solid album, though not their best work. The band at this point was really laying down a distinct style and the Oliva brothers really shine here.

However, the band took a step back with their next release. The lackluster "Fight For The Rock".

That's coming up next.