Chance

Growing up in the 90s first discovering prog-metal bands, a few major acts would stand out as the sound that a generation of metal nerds would cling to!  Bands like Queensryche, Dream Theater, and Rush, to name a few, would shape and mold millions of listener, but not so much me... I loved these bands sure, but above all else, my favorite symphonic metal group in my youth was none-other than SAVATAGE!

With it being the holiday season and everyone and their brother are listening to songs by Jon Oliva anyway right?  Wait, who's Oliva?  Seriously guys- obviously the frontman and creator of Tran-Siberian Orchestra, which is required listening for every Christmas loving fool this time of year. Jon Oliva also was the creator of the aforementioned legendary metallers: SAVATAGE! 

But... For today's WMW write up, we're not exactly going to listen to Savatage, I mean other than this link: 

Check that out, it's Savatage's finest efforts ever, and such a precursor to the sound that TSB would later achieve for millions around the holidays. Lovely right?   Well, I think Oliva's writing is near perfection, but for me that original cut has a slightly better alteration done by gulp a pretty mediocre "NU-METAL" act from the early 2000s... Intrigued yet? Well, probably not.

Just strap in and check out an updated and far edgier version of "Chance" by Cipher here: 

What should you expect from this? Well, imagine if a Dream Theater's "Pull me Under" was redone by someone like Disturbed. Completely opposite sides of the metal spectrum right? That edgy early 2000s attitude with their best efforts to pull off a progressive masterpiece?  Well, this is EXACTLY what you will get with this cover of "Chance" 

The thing is, after this tribute was released, I checked out more Cipher and outside of a couple outlier tracks, they're about as bland and generic as most Nu-Metal from the 2000s were.  You could tell they put in their homerun- A+ effort into this including all the complex chords and brilliant transitions provided by Oliva in his writing.  Almost makes me with Jon would write an entire album for Cipher to cover!

Anyway, let me know your thoughts on this amazing song, it's truly one of my favorites and brings me back to the mid 90s laying on my bed blasting this track thru my headphones!!  This has been the final WMW before the ultimate Christmas is upon us all!  Be well my merry reader and be good this year!!  We'll see you next week for another trip into the void!