Vocalist Jon Oliva and guitarist/bassist Chris Caffery, both of the Florida-based band Savatage, mark their heavy metal origins through the side project Doctor Butcher, which includes Seven Witches drummer John Osborn. At the time they started Doctor Butcher, Oliva and Caffery stood at a decisive juncture in their professional paths. Savatage had not yet reformed after the automobile death of Oliva’s brother and founding guitarist Criss in 1993. A founding member of the German band Metalium, Caffery entered Savatage in 1990 and helped record the group’s best album, Gutter Ballet. Although the band staged a brief reunion in 1995 that brought in Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick to replace Criss Oliva, Savatage could not regain its prior momentum. Following a three-year disbandment, the group resurfaced in 1998 with the power-driven album The Wake of Magellan. The Final Bell arrived in 2000. Doctor Butcher’s self-titled album first appeared in 1995 on the Gun label and was reissued the next year by Crook’d. That label later issued The Demos, which merged studio demos with live tracks recorded at a 1993 concert. While Caffery performed bass on the group’s recordings, Brian Gregory was brought in for live shows.
