Savatage Interview With Chris Caffery

Having played with some of the heaviest metal bands going including Savatage and Metalium, Chris Caffery has gotten a great deal of experience in dealing out crushing metal riffage. The axe-slinger has recently released a new solo effort on Black Lotus Records entitled "W.A.R.P.E.D.", a concept record revolving around current sociopolitical situations. Recently, the guitarist spoke with The Gauntlet about the new record...


The Gauntlet: Would it be safe for me to say you play power metal?

Chris Caffery: Hi…Thanks for the interview!
I suppose it is safe to say that, there are so many different names for metal, I lose track!


The Gauntlet:How has your new CD, "W.A.R.P.E.D." been doing sales wise? Have you gotten much positive feedback on it?

Chris Caffery: WARPED has just been released, it is selling steadily, there is still a lot of promotion to do and I am planning on a lot of touring. The feedback has been 98% very positive, you really cant please everyone!


The Gauntlet: Your album is quite long, clocking in over seventy minutes long. That's very long for a metal album. Why did you decide to make such a lengthy album?

Chris Caffery: My fans have been waiting for new music from Savatage for a long time, I have done a lot of writing, I had a lot of things to say. I personally don't pay that much attention to times when I write, I really just want to get my music out there. I don't force anyone to listen to all of it, that is the beauty of digital music, you can make your own playlists!


The Gauntlet: I noticed this is a concept album. Can you tell our readers a little about the story?

Chris Caffery: Your readers have been living the story. It is just about 9-11 and the post 9-11 events leading to the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is also about the war itself…life and death. How it is effecting us all. It is mostly factual…it is meant to make you think about things.


The Gauntlet: W.A.R.P.E.D. features a couple of songs about Iraq ("Saddamize, I, Irag Attack"). What is your view on the war in Iraq, and do these songs reflect that view?

Chris Caffery: I feel the war in Iraq was a waste of time, money and lives. We have so many things to worry about in America. We seem to ignore our own problems and always give some excuse for helping everyone but ourselves. First the war was about terrorists and WOMD…then it was about toppling the Saddam regime, then it was about freeing the people of Iraq…every few months it was another story. Saddamize is about the little people of the US and Iraq getting screwed by their leaders for gains that do not necessarily help the whole country, just certain people. "I" is a song about the protests…Iraq Attack is about the war itself, that song was actually written by myself and Jon Oliva in 1992!!!


The Gauntlet: Your former band mate in SAVATAGE, John Olivia, lent his vocals to the track "Iraq Attack." Tell me about how you set this up?

Chris Caffery: First off…Jon Oliva is still my band mate in Savatage, the band is still together and we are both still in it, we have just been on a break for the past few years…Iraq Attack was originally a Doctor Butcher song. We wrote it about the first Gulf War…I thought it was perfect for this CD and Jon was perfect to sing it!


The Gauntlet: Do you and him stay in touch? Do you still communicate with the other guys from SAVATAGE.? What do you think about the various musical projects your former band mates are involved in now, most notably TRANS SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA?

Chris Caffery: Once again….they are not former band mates. TSO is something we are all involved in. I am the frontman for the TSO East Coast touring band. I have been a part of TSO from day one. I am proud of what this band has accomplished. The new tour is all arenas this year. It has been fun to watch it develop.


The Gauntlet: How does your solo work differ from SAVATAGE? Would you recommend it for fans of SAVATAGE?

Chris Caffery: My solo stuff is a bit mre raw and aggressive, but I do recommend it to Savatage fans. Many of the people who buy my CD's are Savatage fans. The emotions are similar. The sound is different but the influences and styles are similar. Most any metal fan can find something they like in my music. It seems to have a very wide range appeal.


The Gauntlet: You've been playing heavy music for a long time. How long have you been playing guitar? How do you stay in shape?

Chris Caffery: I have been playing guitar for over 25 years. I love the instrument. I always am playing, writing or touring…so musically I stay in shape by these activities…Physically I spend a lot of time in the gym and outdoors. I love to do regular work on my house. Carpentry, landscaping, etc…it definitely keeps you in shape. I run a lot!


The Gauntlet: On the subject of guitar playing, there is a riff on "God Damn War," which really caught my ear. It's the part right before the verse, "Welcome prince of war." It sounds like an extremely rapid triplet. Can you tell me about what technique you're utilizing here?

Chris Caffery: I played the guitar to sound like a machine gun…it is just really quick picking. I am muting the notes too…


The Gauntlet: What bands do you listen to lately? Did any of those bands help shape the sound on "W.A.R.P.E.D.?"

Chris Caffery: I listen to a little bit of everyone. It is difficult to try and keep up with trends so I tend to avoid trying! I just want to have music with emotion and enjoy playing it. I am hoping to make others happy with the stuff. I love my job and I feel very fortunate to be a professional musician after all of these years…I hope this continues! I enjoy a lot of bands as I said. Tool, System of a Down, Shadow's Fall…lots of bands…there are so many great heavy bands in 2005, it is a good thing!





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Tags:  Savatage  , Chris Caffery, interviews

Darren Cowan    October 23, 2005