The Dungeons Are Calling

The Dungeons Are Calling
EP by Savatage
Released	March 22, 1984 (U.S.) July 1985 (UK)
Recorded	January 1983 at Morrisound Studios, Tampa Florida, United States
Genre	Heavy metal, speed metal, power metal
Length	24:54
Label	Combat (US) Music for Nations (UK)
Producer	Danny Johnson
Savatage chronology
Sirens (1983) The Dungeons Are Calling (1984) Power of the Night (1985)
1994 CD edition cover

The Dungeons Are Calling is an EP by the American heavy metal band Savatage, released in 1984 on Combat Records. Though the EP was not released until 1984, most of the songs featured on the it and the debut album Sirens had been in the band set list since 1979, and are part of the Live in Clearwater and City Beneath the Surface EPs. The Dungeons Are Calling is a loosely based concept album and the title track, contrary to popular belief, is not about Hell or torture, but about the horrors of drug use. The song used many metaphors, which have been sometimes misunderstood.^[1]

The tracks on this EP were recorded the same day as the tracks for the Sirens album. The two were meant to be a full-length debut but were divided due to limited space for songs on vinyl. The two were released together in 2011 for the first time "as they were meant to be"(Jon Oliva)

The cover is a picture of a human skull with a homemade syringe, a reference to the title track of the album.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Rock Hard (de)	9.5/10[2]
Allmusic	[3]
Martin Popoff	[4]

In 2005, The Dungeons Are Calling was ranked number 349 in Rock Hard magazine's book of The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time.^[5]

Track listing

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"The Dungeons Are Calling"	Jon Oliva, Criss Oliva, Keith Collins	4:55
2.	"By the Grace of the Witch"	J. Oliva, C. Oliva	3:16
3.	"Visions"	J. Oliva, C. Oliva	3:05

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
4.	"Midas Knight"	J. Oliva, C. Oliva, Collins	4:24
5.	"City Beneath the Surface"	J. Oliva, C. Oliva	5:49
6.	"The Whip"	J. Oliva	3:31

Bonus tracks (1994 CD reissue)
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
7.	"Fighting for Your Love" (demo)	J. Oliva, C. Oliva	3:20
8.	"Sirens" (live)	J. Oliva, C. Oliva	3:21

Bonus tracks (2002 Metal Blade reissue)
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
7.	"Metalhead" (demo)	J. Oliva, C. Oliva	4:46
8.	"Before I Hang" (demo)	J. Oliva, C. Oliva	4:12
9.	"Stranger in the Dark" (demo)	J. Oliva, C. Oliva	5:01
99.	"Piper Rap" (hidden track)		1:41

Bonus track (2011 EarMusic reissue)
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
16.	"In the Dream" (acoustic version)	J. Oliva, C. Oliva	3:34

Personnel

Savatage Jon Oliva - lead vocals Criss Oliva - guitars, backing vocals Keith Collins - bass guitar, backing vocals Steve Wacholz - drums, percussion

Production Danny Johnson - producer Jim Morris - engineer Mike Fuller - mastering Eddy Schreyer - re-mastering

References

1. "Savatage FAQ - section 2 - the albums - part 1". Savatage official website. Retrieved 2013-04-16.
2. Lerch, Uwe. "Rock Hard review". issue 12. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
3. Orens, Geoff. "Savatage The Dungeons Are Calling review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2013-04-16.
4. Popoff, Martin (1 November 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. ISBN 978-1894959315.
5. [...], Rock Hard (Hrsg.). [Red.: Michael Rensen. Mitarb.: Götz Kühnemund] (2005). Best of Rock & Metal die 500 stärksten Scheiben aller Zeiten. Königswinter: Heel. p. 70. ISBN 3-89880-517-4.

External links

• Dungeons Are Calling Entry at Official Savatage Homepage