The first thing you notice when holding the second JON OLIVA'S PAIN album titled "Maniacal Renderings" is a very unusual cover. In the middle of a huge room, an angel sits in an armchair, looking like a mental patient, frozen in horror at the visions before him. Jon Oliva's work has one colossal drawback -- the outcome is almost always predictable: if his name appears among the musicians who participated in creating a musical work, you can say with confidence that it will be high-quality in every respect, technically complex, and absolutely extraordinary. The leader of the famous SAVATAGE never formally announced the end of that band, but in the second half of the '90s he became more focused on writing material and producing TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, resulting in five platinum albums, phenomenal success, extensive touring, and huge venues. In one interview, Jon stated outright that SAVATAGE will never be the same, that it's impossible after the tragic death of his brother Chris in 1993. The famous musician's first side project appeared back in 1992, and two years later DOCTOR BUTCHER released its sole album, during the very period when Jon was virtually inactive with SAVATAGE. The JON OLIVA'S PAIN project launched in 2003, and Jon included compositions on the first album -- released the following year -- that he had previously written but never released on SAVATAGE records. Listeners were presented with a stunning mix of heavy metal, progressive, and classic British rock; a tour followed, and now here we have the second release.
On first listen the album seems interesting, but nothing more. However, when you listen more closely, each time you discover new intriguing details that ultimately create a truly extraordinary, vivid palette. Hyper-technical rhythm guitar parts, virtually non-repeating riffs, astonishing solos, equally impressive bass work proving that bass guitar is not just accompaniment, and the same goes for the drums. On top of all that, there are brilliant acoustic passages. And of course the highlight of the disc -- the extraordinary keyboard parts performed by John Zahner and Jon Oliva himself. As for the vocals, there are no fundamental changes here. Anyone who has heard Oliva sing even once knows that his voice can shift from plaintive and tender to vicious and furious in an instant. The album features hard-hitting tracks, contemplative drawn-out pieces, and outright ballads. If the album doesn't leave a positive impression right away, just listen to it a few more times, and your opinion will definitely change for the better.