Burnham: When did you get the solo bug? How did the decision come about?
Caffery: Hi…thanks for the interview! Savatage had released one CD in the past 7 or 8 years…I was enjoying the success of TSO, but I was very depressed about the lack of activity from Savatage. I was watching the prime of my life go by waiting to tour at Christmas. Not that it is a bad thing, I just wanted to be in other countries and playing the metal festivals. I was thinking about forming a band with other people, but I did not want to run into the same problems I had with Savatage. I figured if I went solo, I could play whenever I wanted to. The singing was the thing that made my final decision for me.

Burnham: What is it like to have your own album away from the Savatage empire and related projects?
Caffery: It is a great feeling, it is a lot of work, but I like knowing that hard work does pay off if you really dedicate yourself to something!

Burnham: Now that you have center-stage, do you feel that you have truly validated yourself as a metal guitarist, and as a result, be appreciated more by fans without them trying to measure you up to the memory of Criss Olivia?
Caffery: Well, I think I had been validating myself for a long time, but this is the first time since the Doctor Butcher CD that it is all me and people know it! I also am happy that I was just myself and did not try to imitate anyone on this CD/s. I have a lot of music in me, I think this has opened the doors for people to get to know a lot more about me in the future.

Burnham: Are you satisfied with the response Faces has generated in the rock/metal press?
Caffery: I am very happy…90% of the reviews have been great. The small percentage that has not has been people that are either unable to digest all of the music or ones who over analyze my voice. It is funny when you think about it. I recorded 30 songs of vocals in 17 days…lead and background vocals…lead guitars too…then some people discuss not liking the vibrato on my voice! What is vibrato! ;) I just started singing, I am proud of what I was able to do in a short period of time!

99.9% of the fan reviews have been amazing…this is what I am the happiest about! I did this CD for myself and them!

Burnham: The production is pristine. From a musician's standpoint, did the album turn out as you hoped?
Caffery: Well, now that I listen to it, I probably could have worked on my vibrato! ;) There are always things you are not happy with, I would not be an artist if I was satisfied with everything I did! I did feel that I lost a little bit of my snare drum in the mastering, but I think that is something I overanalyze at louder volumes!

Burnham: Is Faces a one-time excursion?
Caffery: No way! It is just the beginning!

Burnham: You paid God Damn War out of your own pocket for the Faces package. Go through this decision to release it together.
Caffery: Well…I wrote 65 songs. A lot were about me, a lot were about the modern war and politics. The War songs were the more true metal songs…a HUGE Face of Chris Caffery. I felt the CD would not have been right with the two sides mixed together…emotionally, musically and lyrically. One was not the right Face of me alone either. If I had just released WAR, I would not have been able to say as much as I wanted musically…if I just released Faces I would have left out my heart and soul…which is the metal.

Burnham: Has the response to GDW been positive for you (considering the extremely polarized nature of viewpoints of the operations in Iraq in North America and abroad)?
Caffery: Actually, the response to GDWAR has been better then Faces and it is not the finished CD! There is a 9 song and an 11 song version out now….there will be a 16 song version released in June…the missing songs are the heaviest stuff yet! The WAR is a sensitive subject, but I am not really taking a side, just aksing questions and making you think.

Burnham: Take me through the recording process of the album. What went well? What went wrong? What happened unexpectedly?
Caffery: Hmm…mostly everything went well. We started the recording in January of 2004 and finished in May. The unexpected thing was that my voice held up very well. I sang as much as 10 hours a day! The only tough part was finishing 30 songs. It was exhausting. 16 hours a day, 6 days a week. I did not expect certain songs to come alive so much in the studio…Some things went wrong…like I forgot my own arrangements…when I went to do lead guitars I realized I screwed that up! We had to edit entire drum parts…thank god for computers! I was very surprised at how amazing Dave Eggar was on Cello! Everyone did a great job on the CD!

Burnham: Tell me about Dave Z. and Paul Morris. What's your history with them?
Caffery: Dave Z plays live with me in TSO East. I discovered him! Paul Morris and I have been friends for a long time. We met through Al Pitrelli. I think that most musicians met through Al!

Burnham: Were you happy with the results of your recent promo tour?
Caffery: It was an adventure! Lots of flying! Some personal injuries! But it was fun!

Burnham: You are rumoured to be the headliner of the BW&BK Six-Pack Weekend this summer in Cleveland, Ohio. Is this confirmed?
Caffery: Yes…I headline May 6th….Friday night!

Burnham: Are there any further solo touring plans (other than the BW&BK Fest)?
Caffery: I am heading out on the road…US, then Europe for festivals!

Burnham: What's next for Chris Caffery, solo artist?
Caffery: I am currently finishing up the full WAR CD. Jon Oliva sang one song. It is an old Dr. Butcher song called Iraq Attack! There are another 3 songs I sang too. This will be out in June. I am also going to release into stores the EP Music Man in October. This was an internet release in 2004. There will be new material. It is basically a holiday CD for the TSO related audience. One song sample on my web-site had 150,000 downloads!

Burnham: Fans of Savatage often wonder quietly if TSO and the various solo-projects are quietly signifying the end of 'Tage. Then we read that you all are still going strong. Where are you guys in terms of writing or recording the next Savatage album?
Caffery: We are planning on a 25th anniversary CD next year. We have tons of stuff written….fingers crossed!

Burnham: Are you excited about what the future still holds for you and Savatage?
Caffery: I am optimistic that Savatage will finally get the attention it deserves in the US. TSO is basically Savatage with Bob Kinkel and Paul O'Neill! Add a bunch of different singers and the tuxedos! The future for all of the projects: CC, TSO and Savatage seems amazing…I am just happy to be able to play music and make a living at it for so long! Paul O'Neill really has done an incredible job with TSO, it is a pleasure to be a part of it…he is dedicated to making sure Savatage gets that same shot, so I feel we are in a great position. Once he is determined, there is really no stopping him!

Burnham: Will Dr. Butcher ever leave the slaughterhouse for the studio again?
Caffery: We just recorded one new song this weekend! "Inspecter Highway". It was actually written in 1992…it is going to be a bonus track for the re-release and 10th Anniversary of the Butcher CD! I am hoping that this will spawn off into another full studio CD! This should be released in May.

Burnham: Can you give a quick word on current touring plans for TSO? Is the Beethoven's Last Night tour still in the works?
Caffery: This will tour in 2006 following the release of Night Castle. The second non-holiday TSO CD!

Burnham: Any final words for the fans who read at OntarioMetal.net?
Caffery: Thanks for all of your support, if you are a new fan…welcome aboard and visit my web-site www.chriscaffery.com. I update this regularly and it is one of the busiest artists sites on the web!

Thanks for the interview!