On Thursday, August 13, we made our way to the Kunstrasen! Bonn for Savatage’s headline show, featuring special guest Nevermore. The weather was beautiful, the grounds looked great [though there wasn’t much grass left after all those weeks of heat], and tens of thousands of fans were ready for an evening of top-notch progressive/power metal.
reincarnation
At 6:40 p.m., Nevermore took the stage first. The Seattle-based band was founded in 1992 but went on hiatus in 2011. Following the death of singer Warrel Dane in 2017, it seemed as though the Nevermore chapter had closed for good—until guitarist Jeff Loomis hinted at a reunion in 2024. In 2025, they played at Wacken, and in 2026, they signed with Reigning Phoenix Music and announced their new lineup featuring vocalist Berzan Önen, guitarist Jack Cattoi, and bassist Semir Özerkan, alongside Loomis and Van Williams. The first show with this lineup took place on April 1 in Istanbul, and a summer tour was on the schedule.
The show in Bonn was the first one I got to see by the band, and I have to say they put on a pretty convincing performance. The well-mixed sound at Kunstrasen! certainly played a part in that, but singer Önen and the rest of the band played a super-energetic, awesome set of classic Nevermore songs. With no fewer than four songs, the 2000 album ‘Dead Heart In A Dead World’ was the one with the most tracks played. They also played two songs from the 2005 album ‘This Godless Endeavor’. Some people may have been a bit skeptical about this reincarnation of Nevermore, but live, the band absolutely delivered and had the audience spellbound. Let’s wait and see if the band will also come up with new songs in the near future that can match the high standard of their older material. In any case, the show in Bonn was one to go down in the history books as a huge success. A wonderful start to the evening.
keep things varied
After a brief changeover, it was finally time for the main event of the evening. Just under a week earlier, I’d already seen the band perform at Alcatraz during a festival set, but in Bonn, the program featured nothing but a headlining show. Thankfully, because an hour of Savatage is never enough. In addition, this year’s show has been rearranged in a few places, and different songs have found their way into the setlist. It’s always nice to keep things varied. Whereas last year ‘The Wake of Magellan’ was represented by six songs in the set, this time only one song remained from that album, and songs from other classic Savatage albums were added instead.
In Bonn, the show kicked off with “Morphine Child” [intro], “Dead Winter Dead,” “Jesus Saves,” and the surprising “Lights Out.” The show began with an incredible sound, the sun slowly setting, and a band firing on all cylinders. The guys were clearly excited, and singer Zachary Stevens did everything he could to get the audience hyped for the show.
It seems as though the Savatage formula is simply indestructible. We’ve known for a long time that the band has the songs down pat, but I hadn’t expected them to improve even further compared to last year’s shows. Of course, that could also be due to the changes made to the setlist, as it included a few gems you don’t hear on every one of the band’s tours—such as the phenomenal “Warriors,” sung by Chris Caffery. The blonde guitarist sang this song from the ‘Power Of The Night’ album with so much power and bite that you’d think Jon Oliva himself was on stage performing it. For me personally, this was probably one of the biggest highlights of the evening.
super heavy and intense tracks
That doesn’t take away from the fact that the rest of the band was also visibly enjoying the show. Big smiles were plastered on their faces, and that chemistry spread to the audience from start to finish.
Al Pitrelli, Jeff Plate, Zakk Stevens, Chris Caffery, and Johnny Lee Middleton—joined by two keyboardists to fill in for the Mountain King himself—delivered a solid 90+ minutes of everything you’d hope for from a Savatage show. From super heavy and intense tracks like “Handful of Rain” or “Sirens” to the goosebump-inducing and perfectly choreographed moment when Jon & Criss Oliva made their appearance on the big video screens during “Believe.” This remains a wonderful gesture and also a clear sign that, while it’s truly impossible for Oliva to tour with the rest of the band due to his physical ailments, if it were even remotely possible, he would certainly be there.
legacy
The current band members know who the founding fathers of this band are and will never forget that; they’ll carry the Savatage banner with pride. After “Believe,” the band makes a final push toward the end of the set with “Gutter Ballet,” “Edge Of Thorns,” and the encore “Hall Of The Mountain King.”
Yes, as far as I’m concerned, this show could have easily lasted three hours, because the band has so many great songs in their repertoire that they could easily fill that time—but this way, there’s always room to throw in a few surprises alongside the “must-play” songs.
In any case, both the audience and the band headed home with huge smiles on their faces. Savatage once again delivered top-notch quality. Hope to see you again soon.
Setlist:
Morphine Child [intro]
Dead Winter Dead
Jesus Saves
Lights Out
This Is The Time
Taunting Cobras
Unusual
Handful Of Rain
Chance
Temptation Revelation
Prelude To Madness
Warriors
Miles Away
Tonight He Grins Again
Power Of The Night
Sirens
Strange Wings
The Wake Of Magellan
Believe
Gutter Ballet
Edge Of Thorns
Encore:
Hall Of The Mountain King
Report & Images by Raymond Helebrand
