Progressive metal pioneers SAVATAGE embarked on their latest tour, "Prelude To Madness", in Europe this weekend.
The tour marks the band's return to the festival circuit after a nearly two-decade hiatus from touring.
SAVATAGE played their second concert with drummer Blas Elias on Friday, June 5 at the Heavy Week-end festival in Nancy, France.
Elias, who has previously played with TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, SLAUGHTER and RATT's Stephen Pearcy, was filling in for SAVATAGE's longtime drummer Jeff Plate, who sat out the first two gigs of SAVATAGE's "Prelude To Madness" spring/summer 2026 European tour due to medical reasons.
Fan-filmed video of the Heavy Week-end show can be seen below.
In a social media post on Saturday, June 6, Plate shared the following message: "I cannot thank my friend and battery mate Blas Elias enough for sitting in for me for the first two shows of the European SAVATAGE 'Madness Reigns' Tour.
In front of great crowds at Sweden Rock and Heavy Weekend (Fr),the band was fantastic and Blas sounded great.
Blas had just a few weeks to learn the sets and prepare for this, and as we expected, he nailed it!,"I will be back with my bandmates when SAVATAGE returns to Europe in July."My situation has been solid for over a month now, and my doctors are sure I am ready to go.
I've been rehearsing every day, working out and getting back to my normal routine and I feel great.
And endless thanx for the concern and support!",The 2026 "Prelude To Madness" tour once again features 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 is being 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.