DOCTOR BUTCHER — Doctor Butcher (review)

DOCTOR BUTCHER — Doctor Butcher album cover

Album · 1994 · Power Metal

3.5/5 · 2020-10-14
UMUR

"Doctor Butcher" is the eponymously titled debut full-length studio album by US power metal act Doctor Butcher. The album was released through GUN Records in 1994. The pressure of touring took a toll on Savatage frontman Jon Oliva, who had to leave the band in 1993 after years of substance abuse. He was far from done with music though, and Doctor Butcher was his first music project after leaving the band he had founded with his brother in 1979 (when Savatage went under the Avatar monicker). Oliva formed Doctor Butcher in 1992 with guitarist Chris Caffery (who had a short stint with Savatage from 1987-1988) and drummer Jon Osborn. The bass on the album is handled by Oliva and Caffery. The former also plays keyboards.

Stylistically the music on the 11 track, 49:43 minutes long album is the epitome of US power metal. Hard edged riffs which occasional touch thrash metal territory, blistering guitar solos, a heavy playing rhythm section, and a raw sounding frontman in Oliva, who can also sing more clean type vocals when that is needed. He generally sounds pretty pissed throughout the album though, so he mostly sings using his raw vocals.

The material on the album is generally well composed and quite catchy, but there are times when the tracks feature sections which sound a bit awkward when combined with the other sections in the same song. I´m not sure if it´s because both Oliva and Caffery have contributed riffs and ideas for the tracks, and the two didn´t have enough time to work out which ideas would make most sense to combine, but sometimes there are just some sections which seem a bit out of place. But it shouldn´t be interpreted as if it´s a general trend on the album, because there are many well composed and powerful tracks featured on the album.

It´s the quality of the musicianship I`m mostly impressed by though. Not that it´s a surprise if you´re familiar with the musicians involved, but my jaw still hits the floor more than one time during the playing time. Oliva not only has a strong voice and a distinct delivery, but his phrasing is incredibly powerful too. Not enough good things can be said about his performance here. Caffery´s performance also deserves a special mention. His hard edged yet groove laden riffs are brilliant and his solos are nothing short of amazing. He can shred with the best of them, but his tone and the way he is always able to create memorable melodies are what makes him special. So while the material is mostly of a high quality too, it´s the intensity and skill behind the performances, which take the prize.

The album features a powerful, detailed, and very well sounding production too, so upon conclusion it´s a high quality release in almost any way possible. Had the songwriting been just slightly more consistent and focused, I would probably have rated this album with a very high rating. As it is a 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is still well deserved though.