Savatage Drummer Jeff Plate Opens Up About Comeback Tour And Band’s Legacy

After more than two decades away from consistent touring, legendary progressive metal band Savatage has made its long-awaited return to the stage. Drummer Jeff Plate, a member since 1994, recently shared insights into the band’s comeback in an extensive interview with Blabbermouth, highlighting the deep significance of continuing the band’s storied history.

Savatage, apart from a single performance at Germany’s Wacken Open Air festival in 2015, had been inactive since completing their tour for 2001’s Poets And Madmen. The focus for many members shifted to the highly successful Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO). While a full return was often discussed, factors including the passing of producer/lyricist Paul O’Neill, the pandemic, and health challenges faced by frontman Jon Oliva delayed plans.

Now, the Dead Winter Dead-era lineup – featuring Plate, vocalist Zak Stevens, bassist Johnny Lee Middleton, and guitarists Chris Caffery and Al Pitrelli – is back on the road, having kicked off dates in South America in April 2025 before heading to Europe. Though Jon Oliva is currently unable to perform on stage due to health issues, Plate emphasized his crucial role and blessing for the tour.

Speaking directly to Blabbermouth, Plate stated: “We cannot replace Jon — we can’t replace his voice; we can’t replace his playing; we can’t replace his personality, his energy, his overall persona. He’s the Mountain King… I give a lot of credit to Jon for saying, ‘Guys, go ahead and do this. I can’t get on stage with you, but I want you to go out and play this music. This needs to happen.’ Not only is Jon going through some physical stuff and his health issues, but to let his baby go out without him? That’s a tough call, and I give him a lot of credit for giving us his blessing and letting us do this.“

Plate further elaborated on Oliva‘s continued hands-on involvement: “Musically, Jon is there… Jon is there — he’s at every rehearsal. If he hears something funny with a keyboard part, a keyboard sound or even the feel, he’s right there on the microphone, calling it out. We work through it and correct it… He’s helping conduct a lot of the vocals; he’s going through the music with us; he’s setting up the set list. He’s hands-on involved with this… He’s got all the faith in the world in us, and that means a lot. He trusts us to go out there and do this, and that speaks for itself.“

The preparation for this return has been intense, influenced by the members’ experiences with TSO. Plate explained the meticulous approach: “…going into this, we all just looked at each other like, ‘Everybody, go home and relearn the records.’ …We’re deconstructing every song, relearning everything from scratch… this is all coming together, and it really, really makes a difference once the stuff is note-for-note relearned… everything is just being approached a lot differently than it has been before, and it will be noticeable. It’s going to sound fantastic.“

This deep dive back into the catalogue has given Plate a renewed appreciation for the band’s unique musical identity. “Doing things the way we’re doing, there is a lot of fantastic music here that sometimes I think over the years, you kind of take for granted,” he told. “Now that we’re revisiting all of this with a different mindset, it’s become apparent just how good a lot of this music is. This music really is something different… there really isn’t anything else that sounds like it… I wouldn’t be here, and we wouldn’t be having this conversation, if the music wasn’t that good. People still want to hear it.”

He attributed the music’s enduring appeal and ability to connect across borders to its unique qualities and sincerity: “I think there’s a real sincerity to the music… they’re all unique and original, and they don’t sound contrived… Criss Oliva, one of the most unique rock/metal guitarists ever… Then Jon Oliva… There is not a more sincere-sounding singer… there’s a sense of desperation and emotion in Jon’s voice that you cannot deny… His heart is bleeding, and it sounds like that in the vocal. It doesn’t sound fake, and I think that’s why this music has endured, and why people just won’t give up on it.“

Getting back together as Savatage felt natural, according to Plate: “When we came down here in February to audition keyboard players, just getting in the room and playing together, it’s kind of that indescribable thing that just happens with a certain group of people… once we started playing together, it was like, ‘There it is’…“

Plate also expressed excitement about reuniting on stage with vocalist Zak Stevens: “Absolutely… his voice sounds fantastic. This is probably the best I’ve ever heard him… having Zak back up there in front of me, doing this as we’re going to be doing this, it’s really exciting.“

Ultimately, Plate views this return as a vital opportunity to honor the band’s history and the contributions of everyone involved, past and present. “We’re presented with an interesting opportunity — we’re this legacy band that hasn’t played properly in 23 years, so it’s like we’re brand new all over again,” he explained. “…It all goes back to the music — great music, great lyrics, great stories… we’ve got something that everybody else doesn’t have, and that’s this music. Thanks to the Oliva brothers and Paul and everybody involved over the years for keeping this thing alive, and to the fans… just being able to carry on the legacy for everybody is important to all of us.“

He acknowledged the pressure of performing in today’s hyper-connected world: “This is a different age [from] when we ended touring in 2002… Every note that we play on stage is going to be viral within seconds, and it’s going to be critiqued. We’re going to do everything possible to make sure that we’re right-on and give the doubters no reason to doubt us anymore.“