Hall of the Mountain King
Hall of the Mountain King is the fourth studio album by the American band Savatage, released on 28 September 1987 on Atlantic. It was the first record made with producer Paul O'Neill, who joined the band after the tour for Fight for the Rock, and his influence nudged them towards the conceptual approach they would follow from here on. It also marked the first sleeve painted by Gary Smith, the artist behind guitarist Criss Oliva's airbrushed guitars.
The opener, "Prelude to Madness", reworks Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King", with keyboards and guitar also quoting Holst's "Mars, the Bringer of War". Grieg is credited instead on the title track, an original song. Trans-Siberian Orchestra later recorded the prelude again as "The Mountain" for Night Castle in 2009. The album reached No. 116 on the US Billboard 200, and Metal Hammer placed it eighth among power metal albums in 2019.
Hall of the Mountain King: tracklist, credits and charts
10 tracks · 39:27Tracklist
- 124 Hrs. AgoMiddleton, O’Neill, Oliva, Oliva4:56
- 2Beyond the Doors of the DarkJon Oliva5:09
- 3LegionsCriss Oliva and Jon Oliva4:51
- 4Strange WingsO’Neill, Oliva, Oliva3:46
- 5Prelude to Madness3:13
- 6Hall of the Mountain KingGrieg, Middleton, O’Neill, Oliva, Oliva5:33
- 7The Price You PayOliva, Oliva, Wachholz3:52
- 8White WitchCriss Oliva and Jon Oliva3:21
- 9Last DawnCriss Oliva1:08
- 10DevastationCriss Oliva and Jon Oliva3:38
- Produced by
- Paul O’Neill, Savatage, Savatage
- Recorded at
- The Record Plant (New York City)
- Mixed at
- The Record Plant
- Engineered by
- James A. Ball
- Mastered by
- Jack Skinner
- Artwork
- Bob Defrin, Savatage, Gary Smith, Alex Kurnik
- Label
- Atlantic
- Length
- 39:27
Line-up
- Robert Kinkel · keyboard
- Johnny Lee Middleton · bass guitar
- Criss Oliva · guitar
- Steve Wachholz · drums (drum set)
- Jon Oliva · lead vocals
- Ray Gillen · background vocals · guest
Singles
- “Hall of the Mountain King” · 1987
- “Strange Wings” · 1987
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 · 1987 | 116 |
| German Albums · 2022 | 26 |
| Swiss Albums · 2022 | 48 |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
Released the same week
Also released on 28 September
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Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + wikidata
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 1987 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 28 September 1987 | |
| Wikidata | 28 September 1987 | |
| US release | 1987 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 1987 | earliest UK or European date |
11 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | CA | Atlantic | 075678177569 | other |
| 1987 | FR | Atlantic | 075678177521 | original |
| 1987 | US | Atlantic | 075678177521 | original |
| 1987 | XE | Atlantic | 075678177514 | original |
| 1987 | US | Atlantic | 075678177521 | original |
| 1987 | US | Atlantic | 075678177514 | original |
| 1997 | XE | Concrete | 4009880894828 | other |
| 21 October 1997 | DE | Edel Records | 4009880894828 | other |
| 18 February 2002 | DE | Steamhammer | 693723740225 | other |
| 21 October 2011 | — | earMUSIC | 4029759071297 | other |
| 21 October 2011 | DE | earMUSIC | 4029759071297 | other |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · upscaled: minor: best source 1417x1417, upscaled to 1500 (x1.06)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 1417×1417 | upscaled: minor: best source 1417x1417, upscaled to 1500 (x1.06) |
| deezer | 1200×1200 | upscaled |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |