r/Savatage

For everyone acting like questioning this incarnation of Savatage is somehow ridiculous, rock history says otherwise.
Van Halen replaced David Lee Roth with Sammy Hagar and fans literally created the name “Van Hagar” because the identity and sound changed — and Eddie and Alex Van Halen were STILL in the band.
Black Sabbath replaced Ozzy with Dio. The sound and identity changed dramatically — but Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler were still there carrying the foundation of Sabbath.
Lynyrd Skynyrd now tours with no original members. Foreigner has also toured with no original members. People have been debating whether bands in that position are still truly the same band for years.
Now look at Savatage.
Criss Oliva — gone.
Jon Oliva — not onstage.
Number of founding members performing — ZERO.
Johnny, Zak, Chris, Jeff and Al are all legitimate Savatage members with real history in this band. Nobody is taking that away from them.
But here’s the difference: Jon and Criss Oliva CREATED Savatage.
So if Van Halen fans could distinguish “Van Hagar” while Eddie Van Halen was still standing onstage, why the hell is it outrageous for a Savatage fan to question an incarnation where neither Oliva brother is standing onstage?
Call it Savatage. Enjoy the hell out of it. Buy the ticket.
But don’t tell longtime fans they’re crazy for recognizing that this is a different incarnation of Savatage.
Rock bands have changed members forever.
And rock fans have been arguing about when a band stops being the band forever. Savatage isn’t magically exempt from that conversation.

At what point do we start calling this the Chris Caffery Savatage reboot?
Serious question from a longtime fan.
Look at the press surrounding Savatage’s return. Chris has repeatedly done interviews on his own specifically discussing Savatage — Guitar World, MetalTalk, MetalAsylum, PoisonedRock, the David Ellefson Show and others. Yes, there have also been interviews with Johnny Lee Middleton and other members. That isn’t the point.
The point is how often Chris alone has become the guy speaking for Savatage.
And before someone says Jon is almost 70 or has health issues: Jon is still involved enough to write new Savatage music. Nobody is asking him to get on a plane and tour Europe. Interviews are routinely done remotely by video or phone. If Jon can participate creatively from home, why are we hearing so little directly from the man who actually founded Savatage?
Criss is gone. Jon isn’t onstage. There isn’t a founding member performing. Yet Chris who came into Savatage years after its creation — increasingly seems to be the face, spokesman and one of the voices of “Savatage is back.”
Chris is a great guitarist and an important part of Savatage history. But Savatage was built around Jon and Criss Oliva.
So I’ll ask again: what exactly came back?
Savatage?
Or are we slowly watching this become Chris Caffery’s version of Savatage?

Is anyone else getting tired of the Chris Caffery show?
I’m going to say what apparently nobody wants to say.
I was excited about Savatage coming back because I wanted Savatage back! lately this doesn’t feel like a Savatage return. It feels like Chris Caffery’s version of Savatage.
Chris is everywhere. Interviews, videos, fan coverage, photos, stage banter, vocals — everything seems to circle back to him. Even when other members are sitting right there in interviews, somehow Chris seems to dominate the conversation.
At some point, enough is enough.
Johnny Lee Middleton was in Savatage before Chris. Jeff Plate has been part of this band for decades. Al Pitrelli is a phenomenal guitarist. Zak Stevens is the lead singer. Yet somehow we’re constantly being served another helping of Chris.
And can we please talk about Jon Oliva?
Jon Oliva isn’t dead.
Yes, he has had health problems and isn’t able to be out there doing what the other guys are doing onstage. But his fans still love him. His absence from the stage doesn’t mean he should disappear from the identity of the band he helped create.
If Chris can make videos from home, why can’t we hear from Jon more often? Give Jon a camera. Let him talk about the songs, the history, the shows and what Savatage means to him. Put Jon Oliva back in front of Savatage where he belongs, even if he can’t physically be standing on that stage.
Savatage existed before Chris Caffery joined it. Its history didn’t suddenly begin with him, and its identity shouldn’t revolve around him now.
You can love a band and still believe one member is taking up way too much oxygen. Chris is a talented guitarist. Nobody has to deny that to say the current presentation has become exhausting.
I want Johnny. I want Jeff. I want Zak. I want Al.
And for God’s sake, I want Jon Oliva represented as the heart and history of this band while he’s still here to be part of it.
We don’t constantly need Mr. It’s All About Me front and center.
This was supposed to feel like Savatage is back.
Instead, too often it feels like Chris is back — and Savatage happens to be standing behind him.