JON OLIVA'S PAIN — Maniacal Renderings (review)

JON OLIVA'S PAIN — Maniacal Renderings album cover Album · 2006 · Progressive Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
UMUR
"Maniacal Renderings" is the 2nd full-length studio album by US power/heavy metal act Jon Oliva´s Pain. The album was released through AFM Records in September 2006. It´s the successor to "'Tage Mahal" from 2004 and there´s been one lineup change since the predecessor as guitarist Shane French has been added, making Jon Oliva´s Pain a sextet on "Maniacal Renderings". The two full-length studio albums are bridged by the June 2006 "Straight-Jacket Memoirs" EP.

Stylistically the material on "Maniacal Renderings" continue in the US power/semi-progressive (only the longer tracks) metal style of "'Tage Mahal" (2004). It´s more or less a continuation of 90s Savatage with Oliva on lead vocals. While the instrumental part of the music is certainly performed by skilled musicians (all had previously played with Circle II Circle), it´s Oliva´s distinct sounding voice and passionate delivery which are in focus. The tracks are all well written, intricate (the heavy riffs and leads are often amazing), and also relatively varied in style. The album features both ballads, power ballads, progressive epic tracks, hard edged US power metal tracks, symphonic moments, and even what I´d characterize as a full blown thrash metal song in "Push It to the Limit". I always knew Oliva would be a kickass thrash metal vocalist, and this proves it...

..."Maniacal Renderings" features a relatively well sounding production. All instruments are audible in the mix, and Oliva´s vocals are especially well produced. The drums unfortunately feature a weak cardboard box tone, and a more organic sounding drum production would have boosted the overall sound a lot. The rhythm guitars can also be a bit low in the mix on some parts, and all in all it´s just not as great a sound production as you could have wished for. When that is said "Maniacal Renderings" is still a quality US power metal release, and fans of Savatage should of course give it a listen. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Rot Stink Rip Death Metal
TOMBSTONER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Human Rosin Melodic Metalcore
HATE BREEDER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Through The Hell Hardcore Punk
ENEMY 906
Buy this album from MMA partners
Lightmatter: Rebirth Deathcore
EARTHGAZER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Eye Of Horus (Lightmatter EP Pt. 2) Deathcore
EARTHGAZER
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Agremorta - Adrocitas (Official Lyric Video)
AGREMORTA
Bosh66· 5 days ago
Agremorta - Ploratus Umbra (Official Lyric Video)
AGREMORTA
Bosh66· 5 days ago
Agremorta - Vertex Membrana (Official Lyric Video)
AGREMORTA
Bosh66· 5 days ago
HAIL SPIRIT NOIR - The Temple Of Curved Space (Official Track Stream)
HAIL SPIRIT NOIR
adg211288· 5 days ago
In Sulfur - The Gate (OFFICIAL VIDEO) 2022
IN SULFUR
Bosh66· 6 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed