JEFF PLATE To Miss First Two Shows Of SAVATAGE's 'Prelude To Madness' 2026 Tour; TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA's BLAS ELIAS To Step In

Drummer Jeff Plate of progressive metal pioneers SAVATAGE will miss the first two shows of the band's "Prelude To Madness" spring/summer 2026 European tour. He will be temporarily replaced by Blas Elias, who has previously played with TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, SLAUGHTER and RATT's Stephen Pearcy.

Earlier today (Thursday, May 21),Plate released the following message via social media: "Hey SAVATAGE fans, hey friends. Jeff Plate here. I hope everyone is doing well, getting ready for summer and getting ready to enjoy some live music wherever you might be. Speaking of, SAVATAGE has two amazing shows coming up in the first week of June. For the very first time, the band will be performing at Sweden Rock on June 4, followed by Heavy Weekend in France on June 5. Sharing the stage with IRON MAIDEN and SABATON respectively, these are going to be fantastic shows.

"Unfortunately, I will not be able to be there with the band for these two shows. Three years ago I experienced very intense, chronic nosebleeds which resulted in some dangerous blood loss and serious health concerns. This issue was taken care of surgically and all has been good — until a few weeks ago, when the bleeds started again. Having gone through this before, my management and I decided it was best that I not travel, especially by air, until this issue is again addressed and resolved.

"In my place will be Blas Elias, who has been part of the SAVATAGE/TSO family for a decade and is the perfect man for the job. Blas is a huge fan of the music and has already played some of these songs live with TSO. His years working with Al Pitrelli and Johnny Middleton will make this a seamless transition — the band will be tight and flawless and sound fantastic.

"It goes without saying how disappointed I am, but things happen and health is the obvious priority. Having said that, I am confident my doctors will take care of this problem and I will be back with the band in July for the next run in Europe.

"Thank you in advance for your concern, support, and well wishes. If you are lucky enough to see SAVATAGE at these festivals, raise your fists, sing along, and enjoy some of the best progressive metal music ever written!

Plate added: "[This is] an unfortunate announcement, but in the end everything will be fine. In a best case/ worst case scenario, this is definitely best case. The situation came up with plenty of time for the band, and myself, to address the problem and move forward. SAVATAGE will rock these shows, and I will be ready for our run starting in July. Thank you from the band and myself for the support!"

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 (except for the first two shows, where he will be replaced by Blas Elias).

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.