Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Temptation Revelation (Live in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania 2023) Video

Temptation Revelation is an instrumental track by the American heavy metal band Savatage, featured as the third track on their 1989 album Gutter Ballet. The song, was written by Criss Oliva, Jon Oliva, and producer Paul O’Neill. It showcases Savatage’s shift toward a more progressive and symphonic sound, blending heavy metal with classical influences. The track is notable for its emotive guitar work by Criss Oliva, which serves as a centerpiece, highlighting his technical skill and melodic sensibility. According to Jon Oliva, the song was inspired by a vision of standing on a mountain in a serene, majestic setting, like the Scottish Highlands. It starts with a peaceful piano and cello arrangement but grows more dynamic with Criss’s guitar, delivering a solo described as more restrained and melodic, akin to Michael Schenker’s style, rather than his usual high-energy approach. The instrumental is designed to evoke personal interpretation, allowing listeners to form their own imagery. Temptation Revelation also appeared in live performances, notably during the Gutter Ballet tour, and was later performed by Trans-Siberian Orchestra in 2023 as a tribute to Criss Oliva.

John Oliva
Zachary Stevens
Al Pitrelli
Chris Caffery
Johnny Lee Middleton
Jeff Plate
Criss Oliva
Alex Skolnick
Savatage is an American heavy metal band founded by brothers Jon and Criss Oliva in 1979 in Tarpon Springs, Florida. The band was first called Avatar, but, shortly before the release of their debut album Sirens (1983), they changed their name to Savatage, as Avatar was already taken by another band. Savatage is considered a significant member of the American heavy metal movement of the early-to-mid-1980s and has been cited as a key influence on many genres, such as power metal, progressive metal, speed metal, thrash metal, death metal and symphonic metal.
Savatage has released eleven studio albums, two live albums, four compilations and three EPs. The band first reached substantial commercial success with its third studio album Fight for the Rock (1986), which peaked at number 158 on the Billboard 200. Its next four albums—Hall of the Mountain King (1987), Gutter Ballet (1989), Streets: A Rock Opera (1991) and Edge of Thorns (1993)—were also successful but more critically acclaimed than Fight for the Rock. On October 17, 1993, six months after the release of Edge of Thorns, guitarist Criss Oliva was killed in a car accident. Following his death, Jon (along with producer Paul O'Neill) decided to continue Savatage in memory of his brother. The band released four more studio albums, Handful of Rain, Dead Winter Dead, The Wake of Magellan, Poets & Madmen, and went through several line-up changes before going on an extended hiatus in 2002. During the years—partly even before the hiatus—members founded various new bands such as Jon Oliva's Pain, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Circle II Circle and Doctor Butcher. On August 2, 2014, Savatage announced that they were reuniting for the 2015 Wacken Open Air; despite having discussed the possibility of more shows and new music, the band went on hiatus once again. Although Savatage technically remains inactive, half of the members of the band claimed in interviews during throughout 2020 and 2021 that they have been working on new material for a possible follow-up to Poets and Madmen (2001).