I remember seeing this for the first time on MTV, it's what got me into them in the first place. I friggin' love 'Tage. Try as I may though, I just can't get into Jon Oliva's singing. Zakk just fit them so well, and while I like Circle II Circle, it doesn't even come close to the stuff he did with them.'
Agreed. Jon can sing the ass of certain songs, but Zak Stevens was just untouchable; probably the greatest rock singer ever IMHO. When he took over on vocals it took the music to another level (RE. The criminally underrated 'Handful of Rain' album.). It's the same with Fates Warning; a lot of people don't like the Ray Alder albums, but I love them all. Jon Arch's vocals kinda ruin the first four albums for me.
Wierd thing is with Criss, it's kinda hard to pin down exactly what makes him so distinctive...I don't know if it's the tone or vibrato, but there's something about his playing that no-one else seems to be able to capture.
EDIT: The EoT solo does indeed kick much ass! It's just so dramatic and intense...
Handful of Rain's lack of popularity has nothing to do with the vocals. Skolnick couldn't fill Oliva's shoes, period. Hate that CD, and the Live in Japan where Alex fucking butchers Criss's solos.
HoR (the song itself) is pretty good, and Chance is awesome, but songs like Taunting Cobras are low on my list of Savatunes that I like. I'm with Toshiro on this one.