The legendary Savatage is officially back, marking their first headlining shows in over two decades. The band’s 2025 lineup — Johnny Lee Middleton on bass, Chris Caffery and Al Pitrelli on guitars, Jeff Plate on drums, and Zak Stevens on vocals — has fans buzzing with excitement. In a recent interview with “The Eddie Trunk Podcast”, guitarist Chris Caffery shared the story behind this monumental comeback and the emotional journey that brought Savatage back to the stage.
“It was funny,” Caffery said about the band’s return. “I got a phone call from Adam Lind, our manager with Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and he’d worked with us with Savatage since back at “Dead Winter Dead” and before that. And we always talked about it. I just kind of looked at Savatage, like, I mean, we never broke up. I remember the movie 48 Hours with the guy Reggie who went to pick up the car, the car that nobody used for all those years. And the guy’s, like, ‘Where have you been?’ He’s, like, ‘I’ve been busy.’ It’s, like, that’s kind of the way it is with Savatage.”
According to Caffery, the timing was finally right for the band’s return: “Adam had called us up and he said, ‘I wanna get on a call about Savatage with everybody.’ And I had no idea what he was gonna say. And he had us all on the line and said, ‘Look, I’ve got some really solid offers for you guys to go do some festivals.’ And me, I just basically started crying, to be honest with you. I couldn’t believe it. I was so happy to hear that news.”
“The first ones had come at it. There were offers from South America and Europe, and that’s what we’re doing now. We’re going down to Brazil first in April, we’re doing the Monsters Of Rock there, we’re doing Masters Of Rock in Chile and Argentina. And then we head over to Europe in June and we’re doing Hellfest and Rockwave and Graspop, and there’s a few other ones over there and some headline shows.”
“It’s just really exciting. The headline shows in Germany have been selling out, and we haven’t even played on tour there in 20 years. So when you have 2,500-3,500-seat places selling out, it makes you really excited.”
The news of Savatage’s return was a moment of reflection for Caffery, who explained how the band’s music has remained central to his life, even during the years of inactivity: “Everybody asks me what’s coming next. And I’m taking it one day at a time right now because I had no idea this was gonna be happening. So I have all the answers you have. And when I get the news, everybody else will.”
“So, I mean, we’ve talked. We wanna play everywhere. Everybody is really excited about it. So hopefully this is the beginning of a new run for Savatage. So I can’t really answer exactly what’s happening next, but I’m just gonna tell you, we’re going day by day on it, and we’re just really excited about it. I’m looking at this poster and it says Scorpions and Judas Priest and Savatage, and I’m, like, ‘This is awesome,’ ‘cause it’s what I’d seen for decades before in the past with that, and now that part is back in my life. And like I said, that puts me full circle.”
“I never really joined another band. I worked with Doro Pesch, and when people needed help, I did some stuff with Metal Church. But I mostly just did my own solo records and kind of laid it to the side, because I never wanted to place myself into another band that I couldn’t commit to. And with TSO and my scheduling, and I do a lot to take care of my mom, I just didn’t have the time to give to something else.”
“Now it’s like Savatage is such an important part of my life and my career, and it’s back. And like I said, it just feels like I’ve gone full circle. And I was so happy every day of my life since I heard that announcement.”
While the band hasn’t rehearsed together yet, Caffery emphasized that the lineup will mirror their “Dead Winter Dead” era. He also noted that Jon Oliva—the band’s mastermind—is still deeply involved, contributing to arrangements and setlists: “It was actually him who said to us, ‘Go.’”
“I talked to some people who are, like, ‘Well, Savatage doesn’t have Jon going out with them.’ But when I was talking to Jon before we left on the TSO tour… he just looked at me and he said, ‘Would you go effin’ play this music?’ And it’s what he wants us to do. And like the song says, this is the time. It’s the time for us to do it. And we’re all really excited, and the reaction has been great. And I think that people are gonna be really happy to see what comes onto that stage starting in April.”
As for the possibility of new music, Caffery said the band has discussed it, but their focus is on the current tour: “Right now Savatage is playing, and from there, whatever’s gonna happen is gonna happen. And I’m excited about the future. That’s all I can say. I’m just really glad that Savatage is back as part of my life and it’s gonna be a part of everybody else’s life again.”