Review: Savatage & Induction

Shepherd’s Bush Empire (June 16^th, 2025)

Reviewer / Photographer – Dan Mann

When this gig was first announced I couldn’t get a ticket fast enough! I last saw Savatage back in 1990 at the Marquee (Charing X Rd), and I’ve been a fan of the band for many years.

The added bonus was having a photo pass, so it really was turning into a bit of a bucket list event for me.

I’ll be honest and say I knew very little about the support act Induction, only knowing that the guitarist Tim Hanson, is the son of a certain Kai Hanson (Gamma Ray / Helloween).

From the start of their set I realised that this was a band I needed to investigate, as they delivered a polished and powerful performance of European Power Metal. I could certainly hear hints of the Gamma Ray influence, which let’s face it, ain’t a bad thing at all! 

Vocalist Gabriele Gozzi certainly has the perfect voice for this genre, with both he and the rest of the band clearly enjoying themselves. I’ll certainly make sure I’ll catch them again the next time they come to Blighty.

(click to enlarge photos)

Setlist:

1. Born From Fire
2. Fallen Angel
3. I Am Alive
4. The Final Countdown (Europe cover)
5. Set You Free
6. Medusa
7. Beyond Horizons
8. Go to Hell
9. Queen of Light

With the opening notes of ‘The Ocean‘ playing through the PA, it was time for Savatage to take to the stage, with a huge roar from the capacity crowd. Having seen the setlist consisting of 20 songs, I knew that this was going to be one hell of a night.

The whole production was top notch, excelelnt sound, decent lighting and with the whole backdrop being made up of LED panels, we were treated to a mixture of graphics and animations, which all added to what was everything I’d hoped for, and more!

Any band with such a catalogue of music, spread over nearly 20 years, picking a setlist to please as many fans as possible is going to be one hell of a task. Personally I think they got the balance just right.

Highlights? There is one that stands head and shoulders above the others. Vocalist Zak Stevens informed us that the band had put together something special. The band left the stage, the LED screens illuminated to display original vocalist Jon Oliva sitting at a grand piano. 

Jon proceeded to play ‘Believe‘, his voice so recognisable, with the rest of the band re-joining the stage after the first verse, to play along. I actually found it quite emotional, it was such a pleasure for us fans to see Jon, whose health issues sadly stopped him from being with the band in person.  Absolutely fabulous, and I would think it was everyone’s highlight.

The two hours of their set went by in a flash, I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who’d of happily watched them for another hour, with Savatage finishing the night with ‘Hall Of The Mountain King‘, a fitting end to one hell of a gig.

Please don’t leave it too long until you return, oh and some new music would be rather nice!

Setlist:

1. The Ocean (with ‘City Beneath the Surface’ excerpt)
2. Welcome
3. Jesus Saves
4. Power of the Night
5. Another Way
6. The Wake of Magellan
7. This Is the Time (1990)
8. Strange Wings
9. The Storm
10. Turns to Me
11. Handful of Rain
12. Chance
13. Starlight / I Am / Mozart and Madness
14. Dead Winter Dead
15. The Hourglass
16. Believe (Jon Oliva (piano & vocals) on screen)
17. Gutter Ballet
18. Edge of Thorns
19. Encore:
20. Nothing’s Going On
21. Hall of the Mountain King

© All photographs are copyright of Dan Mann/RPR Photography. They may not be altered or used without express permission.