Doctor Butcher

Vocalist <a href="spotify:artist:1UWyzG0c39DlEXqHDiICa1">Jon Oliva</a> and guitarist/bassist <a href="spotify:artist:6wcLciIf42eKhlJ7hafgVh">Chris Caffery</a> of Florida-based band <a href="spotify:artist:3N1B1g6JtIgd6ClRkzD4yT">Savatage</a> celebrate their heavy metal roots with Doctor Butcher, a side project with <a href="spotify:artist:10N9DC7QOWJee8PEyleZle">Seven Witches</a> drummer John Osborn. <a href="spotify:artist:1UWyzG0c39DlEXqHDiICa1">Oliva</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:6wcLciIf42eKhlJ7hafgVh">Caffery</a> were at a critical point in their careers when they launched Doctor Butcher. Their band, <a href="spotify:artist:3N1B1g6JtIgd6ClRkzD4yT">Savatage</a>, had yet to regroup following the automobile death of <a href="spotify:artist:1UWyzG0c39DlEXqHDiICa1">Oliva</a>'s brother and founding guitarist, Criss, in 1993. <a href="spotify:artist:6wcLciIf42eKhlJ7hafgVh">Caffery</a>, who had been a founding member of German band, <a href="spotify:artist:40Gp3ijkxpCi94Bu1Bft4f">Metalium</a>, joined <a href="spotify:artist:3N1B1g6JtIgd6ClRkzD4yT">Savatage</a> in 1990, helping to record the group's best album, Gutter Ballet.

Although they regrouped briefly in 1995, with <a href="spotify:artist:28hJdGN1Awf7u3ifk2lVkg">Testament</a> guitarist <a href="spotify:artist:3pMh93eWg95GY7au0XXolr">Alex Skolnick</a> replacing Criss Oliva, <a href="spotify:artist:3N1B1g6JtIgd6ClRkzD4yT">Savatage</a> was unable to recapture their earlier momentum. Disbanding for three years, they returned in 1998 with the power-driven album The Wake of Magellan in 1998. The Final Bell followed in 2000. Doctor Butcher's eponymous album, initially released in 1995 on the <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Gun%22">Gun</a> label, was reissued the following year by <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Crook%27d%22">Crook'd</a>. The label subsequently released The Demos, combining demos and live tracks from a 1993 concert. Although <a href="spotify:artist:6wcLciIf42eKhlJ7hafgVh">Caffery</a> played bass on the group's recordings, Brian Gregory was added for live performances. ~ Craig Harris