Savatage is a progressive American heavy metal band from Florida. The group is formed in 1978 by brothers Jon and Criss Oliva. After a first album, Sirens (1983), the group signs at Atlantic Records and records two albums, Power of the Night 1985 and Fight for the Rock (1986) have mixed success. It is with the meeting of the producer Paul O'Neil that the style of the group evolves towards a more progressive music and that Savatage meets the success. Hall of the Mountain King (1987) is followed by a long American tour with Ronnie James Dio and Megadeth.
In 1993, when the band just released the album "Edge of Thorns" , the guitarist Criss Oliva dies in a traffic accident. His brother decides to continue the adventure with Alex Skolnick and Al Pitrelli on guitar. At the same time, Jon Oliva and Paul O'Neill create the Trans-Siberian Orchestra with which they have great success in the United States. Savatage's latest album was released in 2001 and band members all participate in the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. On August 2, 2014, Savatage announces its meeting at Wacken Open Air in 2015>.
Before the creation of Savatage, Criss and Jon Oliva play with Tony Ciulla in a group called Tower with which they mainly take back pieces of Black Sabbath, Van Halen and Rush. They then formed Avatar and recorded their first album, Sirens (1983). Just before the release of the album, the group changes its name and becomes Savatage>; Tony Ciulla then became the manager of Marilyn Manson.
Spotted by Jason Flom, the group signs at Atlantic Records and records the albums "Power of the Night" (1985) and Fight for the Rock (1986). Neither album is really successful and the collaboration with Atlantic Records is likely to end when the group meets producer Paul O'Neill, who participates with the Oliva brothers in the writing of the album Hall of the Mountain King (1987). The release of the album is followed by a long American tour with Ronnie James Dio and Megadeth>.
