CHRIS CAFFERY Believes Reformed SAVATAGE Will Eventually Play Some U.S. Shows: 'I Just Don't Know Exactly When Or How'

In a new interview with Matt Capitano of the Face The Music podcast, guitarist Chris Caffery of acclaimed progressive metal pioneers SAVATAGE was asked how the band's comeback performances in 2025 were received by the fans in South America and Europe. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's been amazing. And I think it's better than I could have hoped for, which I was just hoping for it to be really good, that people would be happy we were back and they would accept it and they would wanna see more. It's been over-the-top great, which is really cool. People have been so excited. And there's been so many new fans that never had a chance to see us before. And some of the old ones that are arriving to the shows with their children that [are] anywhere from 14 to for how long it's been since we played, in their twenties, where the kid never had a chance to see SAVATAGE. So, we're meeting their families as they bring 'em to the shows."

Caffery continued: "I think the fact that we really busted our butts to make sure that the band was very tight and the music was played very well and we were all in shape when we went up on stage and did the best we could do, the fans that used to go see us all the time that would brag to their friends that didn't know of SAVATAGE, how we were live, 'You gotta see this band live. You gotta see this band live,' I think we lived up to their memories to them, and they were very happy. So when they brought their friends out and their family and this and that, they were, like, 'See.' So we didn't let anybody down. And I think that includes ourselves. And I just wanted to do the best I possibly could do. I mean, I sat and really kind of nickel and dimed a little bit of the [late SAVATAGE guitarist] Criss [Oliva] solos more than I did in the past, because in the past I was just kind of playing 'em and into my head, making sure I remembered 'em as close as possible, but this last time I was going through and really picking apart specific licks and even some of the songs I'd never played before. I think it was just either the amount of time that it's been since I first played a SAVATAGE song till then. I would send tapes of me playing this stuff to [SAVATAGE singer] Zak [Stevens], and they were just, like, 'This sounds exactly the same.' And I'm, like, 'Yeah. I never played that song before.' So there'll be SAVATAGE songs I never played that I'll play for the first time, and I'm playing the lead or songs that I played 20 years ago, I'm playing the lead completely different. And the different happens to be really correct. [Laughs] So it's one of these things where I don't know if it's just me getting older and getting better or if there's a little bit of guidance that comes around every once in a while. I think it's a little of both."

Asked if he thinks the current lineup of SAVATAGE will ever perform in the States again, Caffery said: "Yeah, I think we will. I think right now everybody just needs to be happy that we're back. I try to tell it to the States fans. I'm, like, do you understand that it was the Europeans and South Americans that dug this out of the woodwork? Now that you've seen that we're playing all these other places, don't get upset when we're not playing with you. If you would've had the same demand out of the gate, or in the past, the first shows may have been the United States. They got that benefit. So it's, like, now we're just trying to make it be the right thing. We don't wanna come over here and do anything less as far as the production and how we're getting on that stage and the situations. We don't wanna get into a compromise situation where [fans will say], 'I saw 'em. It was okay.' It's, like, we wanna really make sure that we get something together that's gonna work. We've been going over, mulling through a few different ideas and things that happens, and I know some festivals have asked us to come and play and some of 'em headline. And we're working it all out. It's not like it's not going to happen. I just don't know exactly when or how. And I'm always the last to know. So somewhere there's gonna be somebody out there who will know before me. 'Hey, I hear you guys are playing…', and I'll be, like, 'We are?' It's always like that. It was like that last year when we were playing. 'Oh my God. It's great to know you guys are playing back at Rockwave [in Greece].' I'm, like, 'We are?' The people in Greece knew before me, and the people in the United States will know where we're playing in the USA before me. It's just gonna happen that way."

Chris added: "I wanna play everywhere we can. And like I said, hopefully none of our travel plans get messed up through the ways of the world. But I keep my finger crossed and hope for the best."

After Capitano noted that it seems like European hard rock and heavy metal fans tend to appreciate the music "on a different wavelength than American does," Chris concurred. "I love playing in America, but I think a lot of times we have so many things going on in this country that for some people the music becomes just a part of everything else," he said. "With a lot of these European and South American fans, I know that especially some of the countries that are less busy economically, I think the music is such a bigger percentage of a part of these fans' lives that when you go to see them live, you're filling maybe 10 holes that music would fill in America, that are filled around us by nine other things. The music is just one of 10 in the things that people do on the weekend. These kids are doing just that. It's their one release. And I think when you play for these audiences, you feel that live. And I think it's undeniable. Not that there's not great audiences in the United States — there are, and there always has been — but you'll see, even with that, some of the places you get to, some of the more rural places where the kids will crawl out of the woodwork, 'cause they're not in a big city and there's not a big sports team and there's not a big arena around it. When we used to play some of the club venues with SAVATAGE or some of the theaters, you would get out there into some of these places and these crowds were just, like, bananas. They were great. And you feel that. But the European festival scene is definitely something that has to be seen to be able to describe exactly. It's kind of like a TSO [TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA] show. You could talk about 'em, unless you see it, you don't really know. But I mean, there's lots of great stuff, like I said, in South America too. And I know there's a lot of great festivals coming around in America too."

On June 26, 2026, earMUSIC will issue "Madness Reigns From The Gutter (1990)", a previously unreleased official live recording capturing SAVATAGE at the height of their legendary "Rulin' Gutter" tour.

This spring and summer, SAVATAGE will embark on the 2026 "Prelude To Madness" European tour consisting of nearly 20 shows, including appearances at such festivals as Germany's Wacken Open Air, Spain's Leyendas Del Rock, Belgium's Alcatraz and Sweden's Sweden Rock.

The 2026 "Prelude To Madness" tour will once again feature SAVATAGE's current lineup: vocalist Zak Stevens, guitarists Al Pitrelli and Chris Caffery, bassist Johnny Lee Middleton and drummer Jeff Plate.

SAVATAGE's journey began in Tampa, Florida, founded by brothers Jon and Criss Oliva. Their story is one of both triumph and tragedy, marked by groundbreaking albums including the seminal 1987 release "Hall Of The Mountain King" and the critically acclaimed 1991 rock opera "Streets", both of which continue to resonate with fans worldwide. Following the untimely death of guitarist Criss Oliva after the success of 1993's "Edge Of Thorns", the band persevered with renewed purpose, culminating in their transformative 1995 album "Dead Winter Dead".

Throughout their four-decade career, SAVATAGE have cultivated one of metal's most passionate cult followings. During their nearly 20-year hiatus from touring, devoted fans continuously campaigned for the band's return. Their electrifying reunion performance at Germany's Wacken Open Air festival in 2015 captivated 80,000 fans and reaffirmed both SAVATAGE's legendary status and their audience's unwavering devotion.

Building on the momentum from their 2015 Wacken triumph, SAVATAGE made international headlines in 2025 with their first headline shows since 2002. The European dates successfully reunited multiple generations of "The Legion" — longtime devotees experiencing long-awaited performances alongside newcomers discovering the band's power for the first time.

SAVATAGE played four shows in South America in April 2025 and 10 dates in Europe in June 2025, including at France's Hellfest and Belgium's Graspop Metal Meeting festivals.

SAVATAGE played its first non-festival headlining concert in more than 20 years on April 21, 2025 at the Espaço Unimed in São Paulo, Brazil. The show took place two days after SAVATAGE performed at the Monsters Of Rock festival at Allianz Parque in São Paulo.

Appearing with Middleton, Caffery, Pitrelli, Plate and Stevens were SAVATAGE's two new touring keyboardists, Paulo Cuevas and Shawn McNair.

Zak joined SAVATAGE in 1992 as the replacement for Jon Oliva. Zak sang on four albums with the band — "Edge Of Thorns" (1993),"Handful Of Rain" (1994),"Dead Winter Dead" (1995) and "The Wake Of Magellan" (1997) — before departing in 2000, allowing Jon to return. Both Jon and Zak took part in SAVATAGE's 2015 performance at Wacken Open Air.

SAVATAGE's last album release, "Poets And Madmen", in 2001 was highlighted by Jon's return as lead vocalist, replacing Zak, who left the band citing family reasons, and the departure of guitarist 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 U.S. 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). Damond performed Zak's parts on tour, with Jon having an increased vocal role in proceedings.

In addition to his work with SAVATAGE, Jon Oliva is well known for co-creating the classical music-meets-prog rock and pyro act TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA alongside the project's founder Paul O'Neill. Oliva has reportedly remained involved in TSO's activities even after O'Neill's April 2017 death of an accidental drug overdose.