CHRIS CAFFERY Reveals Plans For SAVATAGE DVD

Chris Caffery, guitarist for SAVATAGE/TRANS SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA and solo artist, recently spoke to Metal Asylum just before rehearsals started for the TSO tour about his latest CD, "Pins and Needles", and the future of SAVATAGE, among other topics. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Metal Asylum: What is the album called and how would you compare it to "Faces"?

Chris: It's called "Pins and Needles", like when your foot falls asleep, and I don't think you can compare the two. It's like when your sitting there and your foot gets numb. It's kinda like sometimes in life you keep taking the same crap and dealing with the same things so much that after a while you become numb to it, ya know?!

There's a focus and maturity with this record. When I recorded "Faces", I had so much material I wrote over the years to go through, I had no idea what people were going to like, I never sang before and basically I was like a kid in a candy shop as far as what I wanted people to hear. Now with "Pins and Needles" there is a set direction and its definitely not what people are expecting. I am very looking forward to people hearing it.

Metal Asylum: Recently some pro shot video footage of SAVATAGE when Criss Oliva was in the band during the "Streets" era, along with footage from your time with the band during the "Wake of Magellan" tour have surfaced online. When it is time to compile footage for a SAVATAGE DVD, will footage of this nature be included?

Chris: Yeah that's the plan. The idea is to make a special compilation DVD with all the videos, classic live footage from when Criss Oliva was still alive and Jon Oliva was still the lead singer, some candid stuff, plus a new live concert with everyone involved who has recorded with SAVATAGE. I know there is one concert from the Dynamo festival with the "Mountain King" lineup that had a pro shoot, actually that week they asked me to re join the band for "Gutter Ballet" was when they were flying over for the show two days later and if I had a chance to rehearse with the band at all in time I would have been part of it too. I have a copy of that show and its about an hour or so and it's the only real pro shot footage that includes Criss Oliva at all.

Metal Asylum: Can you predict the possible future of SAVATAGE and who will be involved in the band?

Chris: Well, I really could not tell you exactly. I know we are going to do something for the anniversary. Maybe we will do one big huge concert, record an album including all the past and present members of the band, maybe a big European festival tour. If we do a special concert tour it will include SAVATAGE's original drummer Wacholz playing the older music and probably include Alex Skolnick doing some stuff. It's just a matter of everyone getting on the same page, ya know. I'm up for anything. I think the fans want to see more than one show, I know I do.

Read the entire interview at www.metalasylum.net.