Doctor Butcher

Doctor Butcher
Studio album by Doctor Butcher
Released	1994 2005 (Re-release)
Recorded	August–October 1994 at Morrisound Studios, Tampa, Florida
Genre	Heavy metal
Length	50:00
Label	GUN Records Black Lotus Records (Re-release)
Producer	Jon Oliva Chris Caffery
Alternative cover
Remastered album cover

Doctor Butcher was a side project involving Jon Oliva and Chris Caffery of Savatage which released one major self-titled studio album in 1994.

The project was born when Jon Oliva left Savatage at the conclusion of their 1991 tour in support of their album Streets: A Rock Opera. Caffery was invited to play with the band on tour, like he did in the support of their 1989 album Gutter Ballet, but issues within Atlantic Records meant this was not possible. After Chris heard of Jon's departure from the fore of the band, he called Jon, and "over ten bottles of Jack Daniels", Doctor Butcher was born.

Zachary Stevens replaced Jon as lead vocalist for Savatage in 1993, but Jon continued to work with his brother Criss on the record which would eventually become Edge of Thorns. Chris was again asked to re-join the band, but, he stayed loyal to Jon and Butcher. Some initial demos were recorded with Hal Patino and Gene Barnett for Butcher, but bad press over Jon's health (he was still recovering from the drug and alcohol addiction he had during the late 80s and early 90s) lead Atlantic Records to make a decision - Doctor Butcher or Savatage. Atlantic chose Savatage.

Hopes of an American release were shattered. However, Butcher was picked up for a European release, and this is the record that followed. Despite being let-down by a non-US release, plans were made for a second record with the tentative title, The Good, The Bad, and the Butchered, to be released in January 1996. However, after Jon Oliva and Chris Caffery re-joined Savatage, the album saw a possible release date pushed from 1997 (a post on the Savatage website claimed that it may also have been released prior to the band's then forthcoming album, The Wake of Magellan). Due to a contractual obligation to Edel Records, the second album was eventually never released. A compilation of the band's demos was released in 1999 by Crook Records. In 2005, Black Lotus Records re-issued the album featuring a bonus disc, featuring one new song ("Inspecter Highway") and four tracks taken from the demo CD.