JOHNNY LEE MIDDLETON On SAVATAGE's 2025 Comeback: 'We've Gotten To The Point Now Where It's Time To Do It'

In a brand new interview with Eonmusic conducted at Hellfest 2025 in Clisson, France, SAVATAGE bassist Johnny Lee Middleton stated about the decision to reactivate the band for tours of South America and Europe in 2025: "After [SAVATAGE played a one-off reunion show at Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany in 2015], we kind of made the decision we were going to put the band back out on the road. Then COVID hit, so we had another pushback, and then Jon [Oliva, SAVATAGE singer and mastermind] had some health issues, and that was another setback, and we've gotten to the point now where it's like, it's time to do it, so here we are."

Added SAVATAGE guitarist Chris Caffery: "It's special, and you realize that when you see these people that come to the shows and they'll single out how SAVATAGE has changed their lives or saved their lives, and they've come to see us from Syria or wherever, all over the world. Paul [O'Neill, SAVATAGE's late producer and songwriter] had said to us a long time ago, 'It's easy to write a song about a car and a girl, but it's not easy to write a song that can change someone's life.' And I never really understood exactly how powerful that was until these people would come up to us and say that."

On the struggles that SAVATAGE has had to overcome over the years, Johnny said: "Well, this band's been through all kinds of tragedies. Criss [Oliva, SAVATAGE's original guitarist, who died in 1993] was my best friend. I was the guy that got the knock on the door by the state trooper [letting me know about Criss's death], so we've been through a lot, man. But the music that was created with Jon, Criss and Paul and the rest of us is timeless."

On the relationship Johnny had with Criss, the bass player said; "Yeah, me and Criss were like brothers, man. He lived across the street from me. We were together all the time, and I still haven't got over that. That still hurts me, man. Like I said, this band's been through a lot of tragedy — drug abuse, fucking everything you name, we've been through it, and the music has got us through, and we've survived."

Read the entire interview at Eonmusic, where the guys discuss their comeback, their favorite SAVATAGE albums and more.

Joining Chris and Johnny in SAVATAGE's 2025 touring lineup are Al Pitrelli on guitar, Jeff Plate on drums and Zak Stevens on lead vocals.

SAVATAGE played four shows in South America in April and kicked off a 10-date European tour on June 13 at the Into The Grave festival in Leeuwarden, Netherlands.

SAVATAGE played its first non-festival headlining concert in more than 20 years on April 21 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 are 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, which marked the band's first appearance on stage since they went on hiatus back in 2002.

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 O'Neill. Oliva has reportedly remained involved in TSO's activities even after O'Neill's April 2017 death of an accidental drug overdose.

Jon's brother Criss, who was one of the founding members of SAVATAGE, was killed in October 1993 by a drunk driver when he and his wife Dawn were en route to the Livestock festival in Zephyrhills, Florida. The driver of the other car was found to have a drunk driving record of seven prior DUIs and having a blood alcohol content of .294 percent.