Savatage
Encyclopedia
Savatage is an American
heavy metal
band founded by the brothers Jon
and Criss Oliva
in 1978 at Astro Skate in Tarpon Springs, Florida
.
and his brother Jon
formed their first band together, Avatar, in 1978, from the ashes of their former bands Tower and Alien respectively. In 1980, the duo met up with Steve Wacholz and jammed in a shack behind the Oliva home that was dubbed "The Pit" by the band. Wacholz originally tried out to be part of Jon's band, Alien, but when the first Savatage line-up was taking shape, Jon, who was originally on drum duties, was relieved of them by Wacholz. They also gave Steve a nickname that would follow him throughout his career: "Doctor Hardware Killdrums", often shortened to just "Doc" or "Doc Killdrums", which referred to Steve's hard playing style.
Criss, Jon and Steve played Tampa
(where they had moved with their family in the late-70s) and Clearwater
area clubs for many years. In 1981, Keith Collins joined them to relieve Jon of bass guitar duties. In late 2006, footage was released onto the internet of an early performance by Avatar at a gig in a Clearwater, Florida
parking lot and was prominent in featuring an early version of the song "Holocaust", which would later be released on Savatage's first album and a cover of Van Halen's "Eruption" and VH's version of "You Really Got Me". In 1982, Avatar took part in some heavy metal compilations, most notably "The YNF Pirate Tape", a promotion by Tampa rock radio station 95ynf
for local Florida bands. In 1983, "Avatar" was forced to change its name due to copyright issues. Combining the words "Savage" and "Avatar", the band arrived with Savatage.
Their first two albums, Sirens and The Dungeons Are Calling
, were released on Par Records, an independent label. In 1985, they signed a contract with Atlantic Recording Corporation and released their third album Power of the Night
. Power of the Night, which was produced by Max Norman
, who would go on to produce Megadeth
's 1992 album Countdown to Extinction
, showcased the band's unorthodox approach to metal, which included Jon's liberal use of keyboards on songs like "Fountain of Youth" and Broadway
-style song structures like the kind employed on "Warriors". It was well-received by critics but fell short of sales expectations. Atlantic budgeted to provide funds to make a video for "Hard for Love", on the condition that it be retitled "Hot for Love" for broadcast purposes. The band refused to change the song and consequently a video was not released.
In 1986, after the release of their fourth album, Fight for the Rock
, a failed attempt at a commercial approach imposed by the record company which the band themselves called Fight for the Nightmare, Savatage toured with Metallica
, KISS
and Motörhead. Many Savatage fans resent the making of the album and view it largely as a disappointment. The band themselves were not happy with the record, with pressure from the label to include two cover versions. Jon Oliva had been retained to write material for other artists on the Atlantic label, such as John Waite
and other pop-rockers. Later, the label turned around and demanded Savatage record the material themselves. In a show of youthful naivete, the band agreed. Not only did it destroy them in the press, it nearly destroyed the band and sent Jon into his early alcohol and drug problems. Oliva recently admitted however the album did have strong points, including the band's cover of Badfinger
's "Day After Day". During this time, original bassist Keith Collins left the band, and Johnny Lee Middleton
joined the band. Since 1987, Johnny has been the only consistent member of Savatage, performing on every album.
's Headbangers Ball
and this was followed up a by video for the song 24 Hours Ago. This album introduced a new musical style, featuring symphonic instrumentals strongly influenced by their new producer, Paul O'Neill
— that would shape the band's future recordings. O'Neill contributed most of the lyrics for the rest of their career, and gave them a more conceptual edge starting with their next album, Gutter Ballet
.
Gutter Ballet
, which was released in 1989, could be considered the band's true turning point, as since that point, the band have turned into a more progressive outfit, writing longer songs with more complex melodies and differing vocal styles, rather than a more straight forward Power Metal style that seemed apparent in earlier works. The change to a more progressive, opera
tic style was also precipitated by Jon, after seeing a performance of Phantom of the Opera
in Toronto
. The songs "Gutter Ballet" and "When the Crowds Are Gone" are examples of this influence from that album and their next album would follow a more operatic style, saying so in its title. Again, two videos were made from the album, When the Crowds Are Gone and Gutter Ballet, which received airplay on MTV.
Chris Caffery, who had been playing with Savatage on their 1987 tour as a second rhythm player offstage and out of audience sight, was introduced as a new band member in 1988. A message to him appears in the liner notes for the album Streets
, wishing him "luck in whatever roads in life he goes down." He left after the Gutter Ballet tour (prior to the recording of Streets), but would later return to the band.
In 1991, the band created their first rock opera
, Streets. The record did not do as well as the band would have liked however as it was released around the time that grunge
exploded onto the mainstream music arena. But a video for Jesus Saves was recorded and again got airplay and got a new audience to appreciate the band. However, after a tour in support of the album, Jon Oliva left the band to concentrate on his side-projects Doctor Butcher and his Broadway
-bound musical "Romanov", as well as continuing co-writing Savatage material with his brother Criss and producer Paul O'Neill. However, as of 2007, "Romanov" remains uncompleted and unreleased.
Jon hand-picked his replacement, former Wicked Witch lead vocalist Zachary Stevens
who was discovered and introduced to the band by Criss's best friend and guitar technician Dan Cambell. The band recorded their follow-up to "Streets", Edge of Thorns
in 1993. Steve Wacholz hand picked his replacement as well in ex-Roxx Gang powerhouse drummer Andy James, after he departed the band following the recording of EOT and his decision not to tour. The 1993 EOT touring lineup is hailed by most as the best live lineup the band ever had. For the first time, Savatage began to enjoy mainstream recognition, including increased radio play and a world tour which gained international press as "the best Savatage has ever sounded live". However, tragedy struck when Criss Oliva
was killed by a drunk driver on October 17, 1993. Jon chose to continue the band, although has since admitted that the band was pretty much over after Criss's death, but only kept going because of his memory and to "keep his music alive".
temporarily joined Savatage in 1994 for the release of their ninth album Handful of Rain
, written by Jon Oliva and Paul O'Neill. Although the album is technically a Jon Oliva solo album, with Jon handling all instrumental duties except for vocals and lead guitars, the album was released under the Savatage moniker with bass and drum credits given to Middleton and Wacholz respectively, as Andy James had left the band following the death of Criss Oliva to pursue other projects. The song "Chance" was the first Savatage song to contain the usage of counterpoint
vocals, a style which they continued to use on following albums. The album's final track, "Alone You Breathe", was a tribute to Criss Oliva. A live CD/VHS
entitled Japan Live '94
(in later releases it has been retitled Live in Japan) was released at the conclusion of a very short tour in support of the album with Skolnick's three-piece band Exhibit-A and power metal band Tempo Tantrum. After the tour, Alex Skolnick left the band to pursue other interests. In a 2011 interview, Skolnick had this to say about his time with Savatage:
His replacement would once more be former Savatage member, Christopher Caffery, who himself pays tribute to his late bandmate and friend by playing Criss' solos as he would have played them. Atlantic Records
, however, wanted another, more well-known guitarist to join the band, and Al Pitrelli
was chosen. Pitrelli was known for his previous work with Alice Cooper
and Asia
, among others.
In 1995, Savatage released their second rock opera Dead Winter Dead
, an even more ambitious undertaking than its predecessor, Streets. They also achieved cross-over success with "Christmas Eve Sarajevo 12/24
", which received heavy rotation on multiple radio formats during the Christmas season. While they toured Europe
and Japan
, the group forwent an American tour to work on their new project, Christmas Eve and Other Stories
, recorded by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra
(TSO), comprising Savatage and a large orchestra. Jon Oliva has since admitted that he was annoyed to see the success of TSO with what was originally a Savatage song, leading him to believe that the biggest barrier to success as Savatage was the name.
Their eleventh album, The Wake of Magellan
, was released in 1998 after a break to deal with the huge success of TSO, and dealt with such concepts as the worth of a life, suicide
and drug abuse, drawing on real-life events such as the Maersk Dubai
and the murder of Veronica Guerin
. Savatage parted ways with long-time label Atlantic after this release and eventually signed on with a much smaller organization, Nuclear Blast
(although Trans-Siberian Orchestra
albums would in the future remain on the Atlantic/Lava imprint). Jon Oliva
said that this was a good move, as Nuclear Blast
"loved the band and they know our songs and everything!".
By this time, Savatage was taking as much fire for their "Broadway-Metal" aspirations as they were praise; while there was no doubt that Trans-Siberian Orchestra albums had found an audience, many older, more long-term Savatage fans complained of a lack of any real difference between the sounds of Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Savatage. Many members of the fanbase felt alienated due to a lack of extensive Savatage touring in America (often Savatage played only a handful of shows on the east coast, with European fans also feeling alienated due to their lack of shows in that area) and the turn from a decidedly metal approach to a more symphonic base. Reviews of their material either praised their genius or berated their pretentiousness; there seemed to be no middle ground, and to this day the fan base and critics are still split.
project for a while, releasing The Christmas Attic, but the release of Poets and Madmen
in 2001 was highlighted by Jon Oliva's return as lead vocalist, replacing Zak Stevens
, who left the band citing family reasons, and the departure of Al Pitrelli
, who accepted an offer to join Megadeth
in 2000. Pitrelli did record solos for some songs prior to his departure. Another very limited US tour followed, supported by Fates Warning
in the early shows, and then Nevermore
for the remainder. Around this time, Jon chose Zak's replacement in the form of Damond Jiniya (Diet of Worms), who was once again brought to the band from long time friend and stage manager Dan Campbell. Damond sang "Edge of Thorns" as his audition song. Damond performed Zak's parts on tour, with Jon having an increased vocal role in proceedings. Jack Frost
auditioned for the role of rhythm guitar player, and got the gig. He played with the band for a majority of the tour, but was mysteriously asked to leave the band after the tour, although it could be said that Frost's commitments elsewhere drove him from the band. For Summer festival appearances in 2002, the band was joined by Annihilator
's Jeff Waters
.
Savatage have remained inactive since the tour, with band members concentrating on other projects. This has not pleased everyone, with Chris Caffery
in particular citing his anger at Savatage not recording a new album in almost 5 years .
TSO continue with their releases, with two companies now touring the US. Their latest release is Night Castle
, released on October 27, 2009.
Jon Oliva formed his own band, Jon Oliva's Pain
and released their first album in 2004 entitled 'Tage Mahal
. In 2006, the band signed with AFM Records
and a second record called Maniacal Renderings
was released on 2006-09-04. The band's third album Global Warning
was released on 2008-04-30 in the United States and features a guest appearance from Ralph Santolla
.
Lead guitarist Chris Caffery
also recorded solo material, with the MusicMan EP in 2004, followed by full-length albums Faces
, W.A.R.P.E.D.
in 2005 and Pins and Needles in 2007.
Former front man Zak Stevens was approached by long time friend and Savatage stage manager Dan Campbell to co found a new band, Circle II Circle in 2003 and their first record entitled Watching in Silence
was released in 2003, and produced by Jon Oliva and featuring a guest appearance from Caffery. After a dispute with the management during the tour, his entire band left and joined Jon Oliva's band. Zak regrouped with new members and release a second album, The Middle of Nowhere
in 2005. A third album entitled Burden of Truth
based on "The DaVinci Code" was released on "Black Friday", October 13, 2006. A fourth record, Delusions of Grandeur, hit stores in 2008.
In addition to his work with Trans-Siberian Orchestra
, drummer Jeff Plate performed with electric violinist Mark Wood (violinist)
and joined Metal Church
. He also reformed Wickedwitch with Zak Stevens, renaming the band Machines of Grace
, and releasing a self-titled album in 2010.
Steve Wacholz formed a new band in 2010, Reverence, with guitarist Pete Rossi, vocalist Todd Michael Hall (formerly of Jack Starr's Burning Starr
) and former Tokyo Blade
members guitarist Bryan Holland and bassist Frank Saparti. An album from this lineup is expected in Fall 2011.
then said in an interview in October 2006 that if a new Savatage album was to be recorded, then it's likely that Alex Skolnick would be involved, as well as original drummer Steve "Doc" Wacholz.
In a November 2006 interview to Greek
website, MetalTemple.com, Jon Oliva himself shot down all rumours of the return of Savatage, claiming that it never made him any money, but instead it cost him one million US dollars to keep the band going over the years
. Jon also said that his new band, Jon Oliva's Pain, is basically Savatage reincarnated, so it could co-exist with the more successful Trans-Siberian Orchestra. He did however state that a one-off anniversary tour featuring Skolnick, Wacholz and other past Savatage members is being planned with Paul O'Neill as a final send off to the band. Zachary Stevens has made it clear that he will participate in a 25th anniversary festivities with the band. Jon Oliva then said about the band "Well, it's over but it's not over, you know what I mean? It's over right now because no one's doing anything. We haven't disbanded or anything. We have plans to do something in the future." Jon also announced that he is doing "some video compilation stuff, and editing old things for a bonus DVD to go with it, that has a ton of live Criss stuff in concert, a lot of backstage frolicking about, and going to castles in Europe".
In 2007, Oliva denied any rumours of a Savatage reunion and tour, as the Trans-Siberian Orchestra has become a year round commitment, adding that Jon Oliva's Pain is "as close to Savatage as you can get". Despite Oliva's earlier denials, in October 2008 the band launched an official MySpace page, hinting that 2009 would see some activity under the Savatage banner. The line-up listed on official MySpace is: Jon Oliva
, Zak Stevens
, Chris Caffery
, Al Pitrelli
, Johnny Lee Middleton
and Jeff Plate
; signalling that Stevens would return as lead vocalist in a reunion. In December of the same year, a brand new Savatage web site was unveiled. However, Jon Oliva has since denied these reunion rumors saying
Former singer Zak Stevens
will reunite with Chris Caffery
for a special performance at the 2012 edition of Wacken Open Air
festival, where Stevens' band Circle II Circle will perform The Wake of Magellan
album in its entirety.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band founded by the brothers Jon
Jon Oliva
John Nicholas Oliva is best known simply as Jon Oliva and as founder of and lead vocalist for Savatage. He is the third of four children...
and Criss Oliva
Criss Oliva
Christopher "Criss" Michael Oliva was born in Pompton Plains, NJ. He was the lead guitarist in, and co-founder of, the band Savatage...
in 1978 at Astro Skate in Tarpon Springs, Florida
Tarpon Springs, Florida
Tarpon Springs is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The population was 21,003 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the city had a population of 22,554....
.
Early days (1978-1986)
Criss OlivaCriss Oliva
Christopher "Criss" Michael Oliva was born in Pompton Plains, NJ. He was the lead guitarist in, and co-founder of, the band Savatage...
and his brother Jon
Jon Oliva
John Nicholas Oliva is best known simply as Jon Oliva and as founder of and lead vocalist for Savatage. He is the third of four children...
formed their first band together, Avatar, in 1978, from the ashes of their former bands Tower and Alien respectively. In 1980, the duo met up with Steve Wacholz and jammed in a shack behind the Oliva home that was dubbed "The Pit" by the band. Wacholz originally tried out to be part of Jon's band, Alien, but when the first Savatage line-up was taking shape, Jon, who was originally on drum duties, was relieved of them by Wacholz. They also gave Steve a nickname that would follow him throughout his career: "Doctor Hardware Killdrums", often shortened to just "Doc" or "Doc Killdrums", which referred to Steve's hard playing style.
Criss, Jon and Steve played Tampa
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
(where they had moved with their family in the late-70s) and Clearwater
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of...
area clubs for many years. In 1981, Keith Collins joined them to relieve Jon of bass guitar duties. In late 2006, footage was released onto the internet of an early performance by Avatar at a gig in a Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of...
parking lot and was prominent in featuring an early version of the song "Holocaust", which would later be released on Savatage's first album and a cover of Van Halen's "Eruption" and VH's version of "You Really Got Me". In 1982, Avatar took part in some heavy metal compilations, most notably "The YNF Pirate Tape", a promotion by Tampa rock radio station 95ynf
WWRM
WWRM is an adult contemporary music formatted radio station serving the Tampa-St. Petersburg, Florida radio market. WWRM began on 107.3 , but later moved to 94.9 with its soft AC format...
for local Florida bands. In 1983, "Avatar" was forced to change its name due to copyright issues. Combining the words "Savage" and "Avatar", the band arrived with Savatage.
Their first two albums, Sirens and The Dungeons Are Calling
The Dungeons Are Calling
-Personnel:Interesting to note is that in the liner notes for the album, they gave themselves roles instead of listing their instruments.*Jon Oliva - Shrieks of Terror *Criss Oliva - Metalaxe...
, were released on Par Records, an independent label. In 1985, they signed a contract with Atlantic Recording Corporation and released their third album Power of the Night
Power of the Night
-Personnel:*Jon Oliva – lead vocals & keyboards*Criss Oliva – guitars*Steve Wacholz – drums*Keith Collins – bass guitar...
. Power of the Night, which was produced by Max Norman
Max Norman
Max Norman is a retired record producer and recording engineer in the 1980s and 1990s. He produced many acclaimed heavy metal releases, and was renowned for his top notch production. Max got his "big break" while he was the resident engineer at Ridge Farm Studios in London, England...
, who would go on to produce Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
's 1992 album Countdown to Extinction
Countdown to Extinction
Countdown to Extinction is the fifth studio album by the American heavy metal band Megadeth. It was released on July 14, 1992 through Capitol Records. Countdown to Extinction is Megadeth's best-selling album, eventually achieving double platinum status...
, showcased the band's unorthodox approach to metal, which included Jon's liberal use of keyboards on songs like "Fountain of Youth" and Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
-style song structures like the kind employed on "Warriors". It was well-received by critics but fell short of sales expectations. Atlantic budgeted to provide funds to make a video for "Hard for Love", on the condition that it be retitled "Hot for Love" for broadcast purposes. The band refused to change the song and consequently a video was not released.
In 1986, after the release of their fourth album, Fight for the Rock
Fight for the Rock
Fight for the Rock is the fourth album released by the band Savatage, their first with new bass player Johnny Lee Middleton, who has since become the only ever-present member on each Savatage record released since....
, a failed attempt at a commercial approach imposed by the record company which the band themselves called Fight for the Nightmare, Savatage toured with Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
, KISS
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
and Motörhead. Many Savatage fans resent the making of the album and view it largely as a disappointment. The band themselves were not happy with the record, with pressure from the label to include two cover versions. Jon Oliva had been retained to write material for other artists on the Atlantic label, such as John Waite
John Waite
John Charles Waite is an English rock singer and musician. He was lead vocalist for The Babys and Bad English. As a solo artist, he scored several international hits, including 1984's "Missing You", a top ten hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart, reaching #1 in the...
and other pop-rockers. Later, the label turned around and demanded Savatage record the material themselves. In a show of youthful naivete, the band agreed. Not only did it destroy them in the press, it nearly destroyed the band and sent Jon into his early alcohol and drug problems. Oliva recently admitted however the album did have strong points, including the band's cover of Badfinger
Badfinger
Badfinger were a British rock band consisting originally of Pete Ham, Ron Griffiths, Mike Gibbins and Tom Evans, active from 1968 to 1983, and evolving from The Iveys, formed by Ham, Griffiths and David "Dai" Jenkins in Swansea, Wales, in the early 1960s. Joey Molland joined the group in 1969,...
's "Day After Day". During this time, original bassist Keith Collins left the band, and Johnny Lee Middleton
Johnny Lee Middleton
Johnny Lee Middleton is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the bass guitar player for Savatage and Trans-Siberian Orchestra.-Musical beginnings:...
joined the band. Since 1987, Johnny has been the only consistent member of Savatage, performing on every album.
"The Golden Era" (1987-1993)
In 1987, Savatage released their first commercially successful album, Hall of the Mountain King, which became the base for the band being catapulted into a more mainstream arena. The band recorded their first music video for the album's title song, which received extensive air play on MTVMTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's Headbangers Ball
Headbangers Ball
Headbangers Ball is a music television program consisting of heavy metal music videos airing on MTV2, MTV Australia, MTV Two , MTV Adria , MTV Brand New, MTV Portugal, MTV Finland, MTV Arabia, MTV Norway, MTV Sweden, MTV Denmark, MTV Greece, MTV Türkiye, MTV...
and this was followed up a by video for the song 24 Hours Ago. This album introduced a new musical style, featuring symphonic instrumentals strongly influenced by their new producer, Paul O'Neill
Paul O'Neill (rock producer)
Paul O'Neill is an American music composer, lyricist, producer, and songwriter.-Early years:A New York City native, O'Neill began playing guitar with a number of rock bands in high school and quickly graduated to folk guitar gigs at downtown clubs...
— that would shape the band's future recordings. O'Neill contributed most of the lyrics for the rest of their career, and gave them a more conceptual edge starting with their next album, Gutter Ballet
Gutter Ballet
-Song information:On the original cassette and CD releases, "Thorazine Shuffle" was a bonus track.Had the band originally stuck with the story set-out in Paul O'Neill's original 1979 story, the song "When the Crowds are Gone" would have followed Streets track "A Little Too Far".Two videos from the...
.
Gutter Ballet
Gutter Ballet
-Song information:On the original cassette and CD releases, "Thorazine Shuffle" was a bonus track.Had the band originally stuck with the story set-out in Paul O'Neill's original 1979 story, the song "When the Crowds are Gone" would have followed Streets track "A Little Too Far".Two videos from the...
, which was released in 1989, could be considered the band's true turning point, as since that point, the band have turned into a more progressive outfit, writing longer songs with more complex melodies and differing vocal styles, rather than a more straight forward Power Metal style that seemed apparent in earlier works. The change to a more progressive, opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
tic style was also precipitated by Jon, after seeing a performance of Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. The songs "Gutter Ballet" and "When the Crowds Are Gone" are examples of this influence from that album and their next album would follow a more operatic style, saying so in its title. Again, two videos were made from the album, When the Crowds Are Gone and Gutter Ballet, which received airplay on MTV.
Chris Caffery, who had been playing with Savatage on their 1987 tour as a second rhythm player offstage and out of audience sight, was introduced as a new band member in 1988. A message to him appears in the liner notes for the album Streets
Streets: A Rock Opera
-Production:The album was originally due to be a double CD record, but record label Atlantic Records lost reels of the sessions in their vaults. These "lost tracks" were re-written over the years and eventually formed parts of songs on Edge of Thorns and later works...
, wishing him "luck in whatever roads in life he goes down." He left after the Gutter Ballet tour (prior to the recording of Streets), but would later return to the band.
In 1991, the band created their first rock opera
Rock opera
A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections in the manner of opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. More recent developments include...
, Streets. The record did not do as well as the band would have liked however as it was released around the time that grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
exploded onto the mainstream music arena. But a video for Jesus Saves was recorded and again got airplay and got a new audience to appreciate the band. However, after a tour in support of the album, Jon Oliva left the band to concentrate on his side-projects Doctor Butcher and his Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
-bound musical "Romanov", as well as continuing co-writing Savatage material with his brother Criss and producer Paul O'Neill. However, as of 2007, "Romanov" remains uncompleted and unreleased.
Jon hand-picked his replacement, former Wicked Witch lead vocalist Zachary Stevens
Zachary Stevens
Zachary "Zak" Stevens , is best known as the former lead vocalist of the band Savatage. He is also a drummer and has a degree in psychology but is not, as is often reported, a licensed, practicing psychologist....
who was discovered and introduced to the band by Criss's best friend and guitar technician Dan Cambell. The band recorded their follow-up to "Streets", Edge of Thorns
Edge of Thorns
-Band members:*Zachary Stevens – lead vocals*Criss Oliva – guitars*Johnny Lee Middleton – bass guitar*Steve Wacholz – drums -Additional musicians:...
in 1993. Steve Wacholz hand picked his replacement as well in ex-Roxx Gang powerhouse drummer Andy James, after he departed the band following the recording of EOT and his decision not to tour. The 1993 EOT touring lineup is hailed by most as the best live lineup the band ever had. For the first time, Savatage began to enjoy mainstream recognition, including increased radio play and a world tour which gained international press as "the best Savatage has ever sounded live". However, tragedy struck when Criss Oliva
Criss Oliva
Christopher "Criss" Michael Oliva was born in Pompton Plains, NJ. He was the lead guitarist in, and co-founder of, the band Savatage...
was killed by a drunk driver on October 17, 1993. Jon chose to continue the band, although has since admitted that the band was pretty much over after Criss's death, but only kept going because of his memory and to "keep his music alive".
Life after Criss (1994-2000)
Alex SkolnickAlex Skolnick
Alexander Nathan Skolnick is an American jazz and metal guitarist. He was a member of the San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal band Testament from 1983 until his departure in 1993...
temporarily joined Savatage in 1994 for the release of their ninth album Handful of Rain
Handful of Rain
-Personnel:Due to the shake-up in the band following Criss's death, the line-ups were somewhat unclear at the time. Drummer Steve Wacholz left the band and did not play on the album, but he is pictured in the album to maintain a more "classic" Savatage line-up. Bassist Middleton was apparently...
, written by Jon Oliva and Paul O'Neill. Although the album is technically a Jon Oliva solo album, with Jon handling all instrumental duties except for vocals and lead guitars, the album was released under the Savatage moniker with bass and drum credits given to Middleton and Wacholz respectively, as Andy James had left the band following the death of Criss Oliva to pursue other projects. The song "Chance" was the first Savatage song to contain the usage of counterpoint
Counterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent . It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period,...
vocals, a style which they continued to use on following albums. The album's final track, "Alone You Breathe", was a tribute to Criss Oliva. A live CD/VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
entitled Japan Live '94
Japan Live '94
Japan Live '94 a live album that was recorded by Savatage. The show that was recorded for the release was held in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan on November 12, 1994 and was the last show on the short Handful of Rain tour.Due to a lack of time on the CD, the entire show was not released onto CD...
(in later releases it has been retitled Live in Japan) was released at the conclusion of a very short tour in support of the album with Skolnick's three-piece band Exhibit-A and power metal band Tempo Tantrum. After the tour, Alex Skolnick left the band to pursue other interests. In a 2011 interview, Skolnick had this to say about his time with Savatage:
"Savatage was a very bittersweet situation. On the one hand I got to do an album with a band that I liked in high school. The flipside is that the gig came about because of a tragedy: Savatage guitarist Criss Oliva had passed away in 1993. That was around the time that I had left my band, Testament (band)Testament (band)Testament is an American metal band from Berkeley, California, formed in 1983. They are often credited as one of the most popular bands of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
, because things hadn't been working out, and I found playing with Savatage appealing. It was like, 'Hey, why not?' Then again, I knew I was heading in a different direction from the band, but I just didn't know where. For some reason, joining Savatage just didn't feel right. I'm not sure why that is...It wasn't one particular thing. Maybe I felt I needed to ... be one of the main creative voices in the band. If I had stayed with Savatage I wouldn't have been."
His replacement would once more be former Savatage member, Christopher Caffery, who himself pays tribute to his late bandmate and friend by playing Criss' solos as he would have played them. Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, however, wanted another, more well-known guitarist to join the band, and Al Pitrelli
Al Pitrelli
Al Pitrelli is a guitarist, best known for his work with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Megadeth, Alice Cooper, Joe Lynn Turner, Asia and Savatage.-Early career :...
was chosen. Pitrelli was known for his previous work with Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
and Asia
Asia (band)
Asia are an English rock group formed in 1981. The band was labelled a supergroup as it included former members of several veteran progressive rock bands, namely John Wetton , Geoff Downes , Steve Howe and Carl Palmer Asia are an English rock group formed in 1981. The band was labelled a...
, among others.
In 1995, Savatage released their second rock opera Dead Winter Dead
Dead Winter Dead
- Story :In the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, there is a town square surroundedby buildings that were constructed during the Middle Ages. Thesquare has a beautiful stone fountain at its center and at one...
, an even more ambitious undertaking than its predecessor, Streets. They also achieved cross-over success with "Christmas Eve Sarajevo 12/24
Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24
Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 is an instrumental medley of "Carol of the Bells" and "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" first released on the Savatage album Dead Winter Dead in 1995 as "Christmas Eve ." It was re-released by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, a side project of several Savatage members, on...
", which received heavy rotation on multiple radio formats during the Christmas season. While they toured Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the group forwent an American tour to work on their new project, Christmas Eve and Other Stories
Christmas Eve and Other Stories
Christmas Eve and Other Stories is a rock opera and Christmas album by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The story is about a young man who wanders into a bar on Christmas Eve where he encounters a mysterious old man who tells him a tale about the magical effect of Christmas day on the human race...
, recorded by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Trans-Siberian Orchestra is an American progressive metal band founded in 1993 by producer, composer, and lyricist Paul O'Neill, who brought together Jon Oliva and Al Pitrelli and keyboardist and co-producer Robert Kinkel to form the core of the creative team. Since then, TSO sold nearly 8...
(TSO), comprising Savatage and a large orchestra. Jon Oliva has since admitted that he was annoyed to see the success of TSO with what was originally a Savatage song, leading him to believe that the biggest barrier to success as Savatage was the name.
Their eleventh album, The Wake of Magellan
The Wake of Magellan
-Personnel:*Zachary Stevens - lead vocals*Jon Oliva – lead vocals , keyboards*Chris Caffery – guitars, backing vocals*Al Pitrelli - guitars, backing vocals*Johnny Lee Middleton – bass guitar, backing vocals...
, was released in 1998 after a break to deal with the huge success of TSO, and dealt with such concepts as the worth of a life, suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
and drug abuse, drawing on real-life events such as the Maersk Dubai
Maersk Dubai incident
The Maersk Dubai incident took place aboard the Taiwanese-flagged 1,984-TEU container ship Maersk Dubai, which was on a long-term time charter to the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group in 1996...
and the murder of Veronica Guerin
Veronica Guerin
Veronica Guerin was an Irish crime reporter who was murdered on 26 June 1996 by drug lords, an event which, alongside the murder of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe three weeks earlier, helped establish the Criminal Assets Bureau....
. Savatage parted ways with long-time label Atlantic after this release and eventually signed on with a much smaller organization, Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast is an independent record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The record label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label moved on to releasing albums by melodic...
(although Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Trans-Siberian Orchestra is an American progressive metal band founded in 1993 by producer, composer, and lyricist Paul O'Neill, who brought together Jon Oliva and Al Pitrelli and keyboardist and co-producer Robert Kinkel to form the core of the creative team. Since then, TSO sold nearly 8...
albums would in the future remain on the Atlantic/Lava imprint). Jon Oliva
Jon Oliva
John Nicholas Oliva is best known simply as Jon Oliva and as founder of and lead vocalist for Savatage. He is the third of four children...
said that this was a good move, as Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast is an independent record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The record label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label moved on to releasing albums by melodic...
"loved the band and they know our songs and everything!".
By this time, Savatage was taking as much fire for their "Broadway-Metal" aspirations as they were praise; while there was no doubt that Trans-Siberian Orchestra albums had found an audience, many older, more long-term Savatage fans complained of a lack of any real difference between the sounds of Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Savatage. Many members of the fanbase felt alienated due to a lack of extensive Savatage touring in America (often Savatage played only a handful of shows on the east coast, with European fans also feeling alienated due to their lack of shows in that area) and the turn from a decidedly metal approach to a more symphonic base. Reviews of their material either praised their genius or berated their pretentiousness; there seemed to be no middle ground, and to this day the fan base and critics are still split.
Hiatus and side projects (2001-present)
Savatage continued to focus on their Trans-Siberian OrchestraTrans-Siberian Orchestra
Trans-Siberian Orchestra is an American progressive metal band founded in 1993 by producer, composer, and lyricist Paul O'Neill, who brought together Jon Oliva and Al Pitrelli and keyboardist and co-producer Robert Kinkel to form the core of the creative team. Since then, TSO sold nearly 8...
project for a while, releasing The Christmas Attic, but the release of Poets and Madmen
Poets and Madmen
-Personnel:*Jon Oliva – lead vocals, keyboards*Chris Caffery - lead & rhythm guitars, backing vocals*Johnny Lee Middleton – bass guitar, backing vocals*Jeff Plate – drums, backing vocals-Additional musicians:*Bob Kinkel - additional keyboards & backing vocals...
in 2001 was highlighted by Jon Oliva's return as lead vocalist, replacing Zak Stevens
Zachary Stevens
Zachary "Zak" Stevens , is best known as the former lead vocalist of the band Savatage. He is also a drummer and has a degree in psychology but is not, as is often reported, a licensed, practicing psychologist....
, who left the band citing family reasons, and the departure of Al Pitrelli
Al Pitrelli
Al Pitrelli is a guitarist, best known for his work with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Megadeth, Alice Cooper, Joe Lynn Turner, Asia and Savatage.-Early career :...
, who accepted an offer to join Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
in 2000. Pitrelli did record solos for some songs prior to his departure. Another very limited US tour followed, supported by Fates Warning
Fates Warning
Fates Warning is an American progressive metal band, formed in 1982 by vocalist John Arch, guitarists Jim Matheos and Victor Arduini, bassist Joe DiBiase, and drummer Steve Zimmerman in Hartford, Connecticut. Fates Warning has experienced numerous line-up changes...
in the early shows, and then Nevermore
Nevermore
Nevermore is an American heavy metal band from Seattle, Washington. Formed in 1991, they are known to incorporate elements from styles such as thrash, power, progressive, and neo-classical metal into their songs, and also makes use of acoustic guitars and a wide range of vocal styles.-Early years...
for the remainder. Around this time, Jon chose Zak's replacement in the form of Damond Jiniya (Diet of Worms), who was once again brought to the band from long time friend and stage manager Dan Campbell. Damond sang "Edge of Thorns" as his audition song. Damond performed Zak's parts on tour, with Jon having an increased vocal role in proceedings. Jack Frost
Jack Frost (musician)
Jack Frost is the guitarist/founder of the heavy metal band Seven Witches and also a part of The Bronx Casket Company. Frost is also known for playing guitar on Savatage's tour in support of Poets and Madmen in 2001 and 2002 before being dismissed from the band for unspecified reasons...
auditioned for the role of rhythm guitar player, and got the gig. He played with the band for a majority of the tour, but was mysteriously asked to leave the band after the tour, although it could be said that Frost's commitments elsewhere drove him from the band. For Summer festival appearances in 2002, the band was joined by Annihilator
Annihilator (band)
Annihilator is a Canadian heavy metal band hailing from Ottawa, Ontario, also from Vancouver, British Columbia between 1987-2002 by founding member, vocalist, guitarist and bassist Jeff Waters. The band has been around since 1984 and is the biggest selling heavy metal artist from Canada in history,...
's Jeff Waters
Jeff Waters
Jeff Waters , is the guitarist and mastermind of the metal band Annihilator. He was born in and resides in Ottawa, Canada. As the main member and songwriter for Annihilator, Jeff is considered among the most influential guitarists in the world and as a top songwriter. He is also a well-known mix...
.
Savatage have remained inactive since the tour, with band members concentrating on other projects. This has not pleased everyone, with Chris Caffery
Chris Caffery
Chris Caffery is a heavy metal guitarist who is best known for his work as a member of Savatage and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra...
in particular citing his anger at Savatage not recording a new album in almost 5 years .
TSO continue with their releases, with two companies now touring the US. Their latest release is Night Castle
Night Castle
- Disc two :- Personnel :* Paul O'Neill - Producer* Robert Kinkel - Producer* Dave Wittman - Recording & Mix Engineer- Vocals :Solo:* Jay Pierce - "Childhood Dreams", "The Safest Way Into Tomorrow"* Tim Hockenberry - "Sparks", "Believe"...
, released on October 27, 2009.
Jon Oliva formed his own band, Jon Oliva's Pain
Jon Oliva's Pain
Jon Oliva's Pain is the latest project of Savatage co-founder Jon Oliva.-Band history:Originally, the project consisted entirely of solo recordings by Oliva, but after several months of work he was joined by former members of Circle II Circle to form a band.The band's first performance was at the...
and released their first album in 2004 entitled 'Tage Mahal
'Tage Mahal
Tage Mahal is a 2004 release by Jon Oliva's Pain. This was the first non-Savatage related release by Jon Oliva since 1994's Doctor Butcher.Ironically, just like Savatage, the band faced a problem with its name...
. In 2006, the band signed with AFM Records
AFM Records
AFM-Records GmbH is a music label based in Schwalmstadt, Germany. They focus on the heavy metal musical genre, signing bands such as U.D.O., Doro, Kotipelto, Masterplan, Nostradameus, and Annihilator....
and a second record called Maniacal Renderings
Maniacal Renderings
Maniacal Renderings is a 2006 release by Jon Oliva's Pain. It was their first full-length studio recording released for new label, AFM Records....
was released on 2006-09-04. The band's third album Global Warning
Global Warning (Jon Oliva's Pain album)
Global Warning is a 2008 release by Jon Oliva's Pain. It is the band's third studio release. The record reached #11 in the German MRC Rock Radio Charts during March 2008....
was released on 2008-04-30 in the United States and features a guest appearance from Ralph Santolla
Ralph Santolla
Ralph Santolla is an Italian-American metal guitarist. He has played in many bands in the past, most recently Deicide, but also including Eyewitness, Death , Millennium, Iced Earth, and the Sebastian Bach band...
.
Lead guitarist Chris Caffery
Chris Caffery
Chris Caffery is a heavy metal guitarist who is best known for his work as a member of Savatage and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra...
also recorded solo material, with the MusicMan EP in 2004, followed by full-length albums Faces
Faces (Chris Caffery album)
Faces is an album released by Chris Caffery of Savatage in 2005. It was his first solo album. There are various editions of the album that were released including a one disc, two disc digipak, and two disc digipak with bonus tracks.-Track listing:...
, W.A.R.P.E.D.
W.A.R.P.E.D.
W.A.R.P.E.D. is a 2005 album by Savatage guitarist Chris Caffery. A majority of the record appeared as the bonus disc to Chris's first album, Faces.-Track listing:# "Home Is Where The Hell Is"# "God Damn War"# "Election Day"# "Erase"...
in 2005 and Pins and Needles in 2007.
Former front man Zak Stevens was approached by long time friend and Savatage stage manager Dan Campbell to co found a new band, Circle II Circle in 2003 and their first record entitled Watching in Silence
Watching in Silence
Watching in Silence is a 2003 release by Circle II Circle. It was the band's first release, and featured guest appearances from lead vocalist Zachary Stevens's former band mates from Savatage, Jon Oliva and Chris Caffery, who co-wrote many of the songs on the album.- Track listing :#"Out of Reach" ...
was released in 2003, and produced by Jon Oliva and featuring a guest appearance from Caffery. After a dispute with the management during the tour, his entire band left and joined Jon Oliva's band. Zak regrouped with new members and release a second album, The Middle of Nowhere
The Middle of Nowhere (Circle II Circle album)
The Middle of Nowhere is a 2005 release by Circle II Circle. It was the band's second studio release, but the first featuring the new band assembled after Stevens fired the original band in 2003...
in 2005. A third album entitled Burden of Truth
Burden of Truth
Burden of Truth is a 2006 release by Circle II Circle. It was the band's third full-length studio release so far, and is a concept album, with the songs telling a story based on The DaVinci Code...
based on "The DaVinci Code" was released on "Black Friday", October 13, 2006. A fourth record, Delusions of Grandeur, hit stores in 2008.
In addition to his work with Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Trans-Siberian Orchestra is an American progressive metal band founded in 1993 by producer, composer, and lyricist Paul O'Neill, who brought together Jon Oliva and Al Pitrelli and keyboardist and co-producer Robert Kinkel to form the core of the creative team. Since then, TSO sold nearly 8...
, drummer Jeff Plate performed with electric violinist Mark Wood (violinist)
Mark Wood (violinist)
Mark Winthrop Wood is an electric violinist, as well as the founder of Wood Violins, a company that makes unique electric violins. He is also an Emmy-winning composer. His music and strings education program has been featured on news programs nationwide....
and joined Metal Church
Metal Church
Metal Church was an American heavy metal band. They originally formed in Seattle, Washington as Shrapnel in 1980. Their first album was released in 1984, and the band's most recent work, This Present Wasteland, was released in 2008....
. He also reformed Wickedwitch with Zak Stevens, renaming the band Machines of Grace
Machines of Grace
Machines of Grace is an American hard rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. The band features two former members of Savatage, namely vocalist Zachary Stevens and drummer Jeff Plate. Zachary Stevens is also the vocalist for Circle II Circle and Jeff Plate is the drummer for the Trans Siberian...
, and releasing a self-titled album in 2010.
Steve Wacholz formed a new band in 2010, Reverence, with guitarist Pete Rossi, vocalist Todd Michael Hall (formerly of Jack Starr's Burning Starr
Jack Starr's Burning Starr
Jack Starr's Burning Starr is an American heavy metal band from New York, formed in 1984. The band was founded and guided by former Virgin Steele guitarist Jack Starr and enjoyed limited success in the USA during the explosion of hair metal in the second half of the 80s...
) and former Tokyo Blade
Tokyo Blade
Tokyo Blade is an English heavy metal band, active since 1982. Tokyo Blade is one of the many acts considered part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement from the late 1970s / early 1980s. Tokyo Blade went through many changes of formation and disbanded twice, often changing their musical...
members guitarist Bryan Holland and bassist Frank Saparti. An album from this lineup is expected in Fall 2011.
Possible reunion
In an interview to Aardschok, a Dutch Magazine, in June 2006, Jon Oliva announced that he wants to record one more Savatage album, with a live CD and DVD to follow it, before ending the band. He did not specify a release date to a new album, however. Chris CafferyChris Caffery
Chris Caffery is a heavy metal guitarist who is best known for his work as a member of Savatage and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra...
then said in an interview in October 2006 that if a new Savatage album was to be recorded, then it's likely that Alex Skolnick would be involved, as well as original drummer Steve "Doc" Wacholz.
In a November 2006 interview to Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
website, MetalTemple.com, Jon Oliva himself shot down all rumours of the return of Savatage, claiming that it never made him any money, but instead it cost him one million US dollars to keep the band going over the years
. Jon also said that his new band, Jon Oliva's Pain, is basically Savatage reincarnated, so it could co-exist with the more successful Trans-Siberian Orchestra. He did however state that a one-off anniversary tour featuring Skolnick, Wacholz and other past Savatage members is being planned with Paul O'Neill as a final send off to the band. Zachary Stevens has made it clear that he will participate in a 25th anniversary festivities with the band. Jon Oliva then said about the band "Well, it's over but it's not over, you know what I mean? It's over right now because no one's doing anything. We haven't disbanded or anything. We have plans to do something in the future." Jon also announced that he is doing "some video compilation stuff, and editing old things for a bonus DVD to go with it, that has a ton of live Criss stuff in concert, a lot of backstage frolicking about, and going to castles in Europe".
In 2007, Oliva denied any rumours of a Savatage reunion and tour, as the Trans-Siberian Orchestra has become a year round commitment, adding that Jon Oliva's Pain is "as close to Savatage as you can get". Despite Oliva's earlier denials, in October 2008 the band launched an official MySpace page, hinting that 2009 would see some activity under the Savatage banner. The line-up listed on official MySpace is: Jon Oliva
Jon Oliva
John Nicholas Oliva is best known simply as Jon Oliva and as founder of and lead vocalist for Savatage. He is the third of four children...
, Zak Stevens
Zachary Stevens
Zachary "Zak" Stevens , is best known as the former lead vocalist of the band Savatage. He is also a drummer and has a degree in psychology but is not, as is often reported, a licensed, practicing psychologist....
, Chris Caffery
Chris Caffery
Chris Caffery is a heavy metal guitarist who is best known for his work as a member of Savatage and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra...
, Al Pitrelli
Al Pitrelli
Al Pitrelli is a guitarist, best known for his work with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Megadeth, Alice Cooper, Joe Lynn Turner, Asia and Savatage.-Early career :...
, Johnny Lee Middleton
Johnny Lee Middleton
Johnny Lee Middleton is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the bass guitar player for Savatage and Trans-Siberian Orchestra.-Musical beginnings:...
and Jeff Plate
Jeff Plate
Jeff Plate is a professional drummer and percussionist. He currently plays with the progressive rock group Trans-Siberian Orchestra and with thrash metal band Metal Church until their 2009 disbanding, although he is most remembered for his drumming for the band, Savatage on their albums since...
; signalling that Stevens would return as lead vocalist in a reunion. In December of the same year, a brand new Savatage web site was unveiled. However, Jon Oliva has since denied these reunion rumors saying
"There has been some news floating around about a Savatage website update and other things Sava related. I just wanted to clarify that this news is strictly limited to the re-release of the entire Savatage catalog as well as merchandise from prior tours that will be made available soon. But just to be 100% clear there are no plans in the future for any Savatage recordings or shows! JOP is currently hard at work in pre-production for the 4th release, as well as preparing for the Euro-Festivals and South American tours in 2009."
"I just wanted to get something out there to kind of cap things off because I've moved on. Those reunion rumours... some people have been saying things they probably shouldn't have. There was talk about doing a show to kind of give Savatage a send-off but the logistics of doing so just made it impossible. The guys have the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, I have my JOP stuff, there's a lot of other things keeping us busy. It's pretty aggravating, though, with people always asking about when it's going to happen and pushing to have one. I mean, Savatage hasn't done anything in almost 10 years! It's just a small group of people, but they just won't let it go and I can't figure out why. You have the Savatage guys in the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, which was spawned from the Dead Winter Dead and Wake Of Magellan era of the band, you have Jon Oliva's Pain doing a lot of the old Savatage material, what more do you want?"
"Don't get me wrong. I love Savatage and it'll always be dear to my heart because that was my start, man. I still play the songs, I love playing those songs, but I've got a whole new career now. I'm on my fourth record with JOP for crying out loud! It's like, to the people that keep pushing for a Savatage reunion, just let it go. I've got the rights back for the Sirens and Dungeons albums, so I might do something with those in a few years, but JOP is my focus now and I'm hoping people will finally catch on that I have a new band (laughs)."
Former singer Zak Stevens
Zachary Stevens
Zachary "Zak" Stevens , is best known as the former lead vocalist of the band Savatage. He is also a drummer and has a degree in psychology but is not, as is often reported, a licensed, practicing psychologist....
will reunite with Chris Caffery
Chris Caffery
Chris Caffery is a heavy metal guitarist who is best known for his work as a member of Savatage and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra...
for a special performance at the 2012 edition of Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air is a summer open air heavy metal music festival. It takes place annually in the small town of Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany...
festival, where Stevens' band Circle II Circle will perform The Wake of Magellan
The Wake of Magellan
-Personnel:*Zachary Stevens - lead vocals*Jon Oliva – lead vocals , keyboards*Chris Caffery – guitars, backing vocals*Al Pitrelli - guitars, backing vocals*Johnny Lee Middleton – bass guitar, backing vocals...
album in its entirety.
Current line–up
- Jon OlivaJon OlivaJohn Nicholas Oliva is best known simply as Jon Oliva and as founder of and lead vocalist for Savatage. He is the third of four children...
– vocals, guitar, keyboards (drums on Handful of RainHandful of Rain-Personnel:Due to the shake-up in the band following Criss's death, the line-ups were somewhat unclear at the time. Drummer Steve Wacholz left the band and did not play on the album, but he is pictured in the album to maintain a more "classic" Savatage line-up. Bassist Middleton was apparently...
) (1978–1992, 1994–) - Zachary StevensZachary StevensZachary "Zak" Stevens , is best known as the former lead vocalist of the band Savatage. He is also a drummer and has a degree in psychology but is not, as is often reported, a licensed, practicing psychologist....
– lead vocals (1993–2000, 2008–) - Chris CafferyChris CafferyChris Caffery is a heavy metal guitarist who is best known for his work as a member of Savatage and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra...
– guitar, backing vocals (1987, 1989, 1995–) - Al PitrelliAl PitrelliAl Pitrelli is a guitarist, best known for his work with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Megadeth, Alice Cooper, Joe Lynn Turner, Asia and Savatage.-Early career :...
– guitar, backing vocals (1995–2000, 2002–) - Johnny Lee MiddletonJohnny Lee MiddletonJohnny Lee Middleton is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the bass guitar player for Savatage and Trans-Siberian Orchestra.-Musical beginnings:...
– bass guitar, backing vocals (1985–) - Jeff PlateJeff PlateJeff Plate is a professional drummer and percussionist. He currently plays with the progressive rock group Trans-Siberian Orchestra and with thrash metal band Metal Church until their 2009 disbanding, although he is most remembered for his drumming for the band, Savatage on their albums since...
– drums (1994–)
Previous members
- Criss OlivaCriss OlivaChristopher "Criss" Michael Oliva was born in Pompton Plains, NJ. He was the lead guitarist in, and co-founder of, the band Savatage...
– guitar (1978–1993) - Steve Wacholz – drums (1980–1993)
- Keith Collins – bass guitar (1981–1985)
- Alex SkolnickAlex SkolnickAlexander Nathan Skolnick is an American jazz and metal guitarist. He was a member of the San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal band Testament from 1983 until his departure in 1993...
– guitar (1994)
Guest musicians and touring members
- Robert KinkelRobert KinkelBob Kinkel is a professional session keyboardist and music engineer most known for his role as a co-creater/co-producer/co-composer and touring keyboardist with Trans-Siberian Orchestra along with extensive studio work with the prog-metal band Savatage...
– keyboards (Hall of the Mountain KingHall of the Mountain King-Personnel:At this point, Savatage remained essentially intact from their original group. Interesting to note is that in the liner notes for the album, they gave themselves roles instead of listing their instruments.*Jon Oliva – "The Grit"...
, Gutter BalletGutter Ballet-Song information:On the original cassette and CD releases, "Thorazine Shuffle" was a bonus track.Had the band originally stuck with the story set-out in Paul O'Neill's original 1979 story, the song "When the Crowds are Gone" would have followed Streets track "A Little Too Far".Two videos from the...
, Streets: A Rock OperaStreets: A Rock Opera-Production:The album was originally due to be a double CD record, but record label Atlantic Records lost reels of the sessions in their vaults. These "lost tracks" were re-written over the years and eventually formed parts of songs on Edge of Thorns and later works...
, Dead Winter DeadDead Winter Dead- Story :In the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, there is a town square surroundedby buildings that were constructed during the Middle Ages. Thesquare has a beautiful stone fountain at its center and at one...
, The Wake of MagellanThe Wake of Magellan-Personnel:*Zachary Stevens - lead vocals*Jon Oliva – lead vocals , keyboards*Chris Caffery – guitars, backing vocals*Al Pitrelli - guitars, backing vocals*Johnny Lee Middleton – bass guitar, backing vocals...
, Poets and MadmenPoets and Madmen-Personnel:*Jon Oliva – lead vocals, keyboards*Chris Caffery - lead & rhythm guitars, backing vocals*Johnny Lee Middleton – bass guitar, backing vocals*Jeff Plate – drums, backing vocals-Additional musicians:*Bob Kinkel - additional keyboards & backing vocals...
) - Ray GillenRay GillenRaymond A. "Ray" Gillen was an American rock singer, best known for his work with Badlands, in addition to his stint with Black Sabbath in the mid-1980s and recording most of the vocals on Phenomena's classic Dreamrunner album....
– guest vocalist ("Strange Wings", Hall of the Mountain KingHall of the Mountain King-Personnel:At this point, Savatage remained essentially intact from their original group. Interesting to note is that in the liner notes for the album, they gave themselves roles instead of listing their instruments.*Jon Oliva – "The Grit"...
) - Michael Reynolds – drums (1988)
- John Zahner – keyboards (touring member, 1991)
- Wes GarrenWes StylesWes Styles is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer, earned his stage name by playing several different "styles" of music...
– rhythm guitar, keyboards (touring member, 1993) - Andy James – drums (touring member, 1993)
- Jack FrostJack Frost (musician)Jack Frost is the guitarist/founder of the heavy metal band Seven Witches and also a part of The Bronx Casket Company. Frost is also known for playing guitar on Savatage's tour in support of Poets and Madmen in 2001 and 2002 before being dismissed from the band for unspecified reasons...
– guitar (touring member, 2001–2002) - Damond Jiniya – lead vocals (touring member, 2001–2002)
- Jeff WatersJeff WatersJeff Waters , is the guitarist and mastermind of the metal band Annihilator. He was born in and resides in Ottawa, Canada. As the main member and songwriter for Annihilator, Jeff is considered among the most influential guitarists in the world and as a top songwriter. He is also a well-known mix...
– guitars (touring member, 2002)
Discography
- Sirens (1983)
- The Dungeons Are CallingThe Dungeons Are Calling-Personnel:Interesting to note is that in the liner notes for the album, they gave themselves roles instead of listing their instruments.*Jon Oliva - Shrieks of Terror *Criss Oliva - Metalaxe...
(1984) - Power of the NightPower of the Night-Personnel:*Jon Oliva – lead vocals & keyboards*Criss Oliva – guitars*Steve Wacholz – drums*Keith Collins – bass guitar...
(1985) - Fight for the RockFight for the RockFight for the Rock is the fourth album released by the band Savatage, their first with new bass player Johnny Lee Middleton, who has since become the only ever-present member on each Savatage record released since....
(1986) - Hall of the Mountain KingHall of the Mountain King-Personnel:At this point, Savatage remained essentially intact from their original group. Interesting to note is that in the liner notes for the album, they gave themselves roles instead of listing their instruments.*Jon Oliva – "The Grit"...
(1987) - Gutter BalletGutter Ballet-Song information:On the original cassette and CD releases, "Thorazine Shuffle" was a bonus track.Had the band originally stuck with the story set-out in Paul O'Neill's original 1979 story, the song "When the Crowds are Gone" would have followed Streets track "A Little Too Far".Two videos from the...
(1989) - Streets: A Rock OperaStreets: A Rock Opera-Production:The album was originally due to be a double CD record, but record label Atlantic Records lost reels of the sessions in their vaults. These "lost tracks" were re-written over the years and eventually formed parts of songs on Edge of Thorns and later works...
(1991) - Edge of ThornsEdge of Thorns-Band members:*Zachary Stevens – lead vocals*Criss Oliva – guitars*Johnny Lee Middleton – bass guitar*Steve Wacholz – drums -Additional musicians:...
(1993) - Handful of RainHandful of Rain-Personnel:Due to the shake-up in the band following Criss's death, the line-ups were somewhat unclear at the time. Drummer Steve Wacholz left the band and did not play on the album, but he is pictured in the album to maintain a more "classic" Savatage line-up. Bassist Middleton was apparently...
(1994) - Dead Winter DeadDead Winter Dead- Story :In the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, there is a town square surroundedby buildings that were constructed during the Middle Ages. Thesquare has a beautiful stone fountain at its center and at one...
(1995) - The Wake of MagellanThe Wake of Magellan-Personnel:*Zachary Stevens - lead vocals*Jon Oliva – lead vocals , keyboards*Chris Caffery – guitars, backing vocals*Al Pitrelli - guitars, backing vocals*Johnny Lee Middleton – bass guitar, backing vocals...
(1998) - Poets and MadmenPoets and Madmen-Personnel:*Jon Oliva – lead vocals, keyboards*Chris Caffery - lead & rhythm guitars, backing vocals*Johnny Lee Middleton – bass guitar, backing vocals*Jeff Plate – drums, backing vocals-Additional musicians:*Bob Kinkel - additional keyboards & backing vocals...
(2001)