This album featured Zak as a vocalist for the first time . 
This album was awarded for best vocals in the rock industry for that year (1993) , I don't know the name of 
the newspaper that held this contest but I know Zak won it big time . 
(I'll try to find out more details on that matter , if I'll find some more details I'll publish them here .) 
So vocals on this album are so good (I think even better than John's vocals , but shhhh don't say it 
to him). 

Now what can I tell you more on this album ... 
On this album you'll find alot of the new Savatage for that time , I mean alot of guitar's with the melody 
of the piano and keyboards . 
Criss really outdone himself on this one , he used alot of new F.X with his guitar . 
But one thing I don't like with all this new style and great guitar sound is that the album was recorded with 
a high echo sound , I mean the quality (my opinion) isn't so good . 

This year (1993) , was a bad year for Savatage , 
This was the year when Criss was killed by a drunk driver (more details on his tribute page) . 
The band didn't know where to turn next , Criss died in the middle of the Edge of thorns tour . 
Savatage even got to a point where they wanted to end it all , finish the story and close the great Savatage 
book . 
I won't start telling you here the story of their live , but what I will tell you is the reason Savatage 
decided not to close the book (taken from the show - Headbangers from MtV) . 

Venessa the former HeadBangers host on t.v had interviewed Zak and Johnny in their Tour bus. 
They were in the middle of their Dead Winter Dead tour . 
One of the question she asked them is why they have decided to keep the band alive , 
Zak quickly jumped into her question and answered so quickly - "Well we have thought of breaking up , 
but then we thought ... hey if Criss was still alive he would kill us for even thinking that , 
so the band took some time off and came back stong as never before . " 
Zak adds and say Savatage has nothing to be ashamed for , John is still here and still blasts with 
his lyrics , Johnny is still kicking ass with is base and Savatage will keep going ... 

O.k , hope you have enjoyed this little review . 

The songs on the album are : 

  1. Edge of thorns (This song kicks ass ...) 
  2. He carves his stone 
  3. Lights out 
  4. Skraggy's tomb 
  5. Labyrinths 
  6. Follow me (Oh boy ...) 
  7. Exit music 
  8. Degrees of sanity 
  9. Conversation piece 
10. All that I bleed (This start slow ... but look out ...) 
11. Damien (Old savatage hits again :) 
12. Miles away 
13. Sleep (An acoustic one)