If there’s any band who’s living proof of the old adage, “No rest for the wicked.”, it’s Savage Master. It’s barely been three months since the release of their magnum opus, Dark & Dangerous, and they’ve truly been giving the devil his due, touring virtually nonstop. A coheadline jaunt of Europe with fellow female-fronted metallers Sanhedrin quickly gave way to this ongoing U.S. trek alongside Nite, which made a pitstop last night at beloved Chicago metal haunt, Reggies. At this point, I’ve seen Savage Master as an opening act, co-headliner, and mid-afternoon festival slot, and no matter how much time is allotted, they always deliver the goods. Last night, however, might just have taken the gold, as the band unleashed a 60 minute headline set of pure devil rockin’ domination!
At about 10:30, the Joint (the smaller of Reggies’ two rooms, three if you include the Comedy Shack) became enveloped in a cloud of dry ice as the sound of eerie droning played through the speakers. The ritual was about to commence. A few minutes later, head hellion Stacey Savage and her band of masked maniacs took the stage, wasting no time whatsoever getting down to business with the title track of their LAST studio album, “Those Who Hunt at Night”. “But Joe, how about the new stuff you’ve been raving about? Did they play any of that?!” Yes, they did, and I’m getting to that momentarily.
As a band with now five studio albums and two EPs to their name, Savage Master face the age-old dilemma of crafting a setlist that touches all bases: One that highlights the new album, while simultaneously leaving enough room for those crowd-pleasers. Last night’s set did exactly that. “Warriors Call”, “Black Rider”, “Never Ending Fire”, and “Devil Rock” gave fans a taste of the new wares, while now familiar anthems like “With Whips and Chains”, “Ready to Sin”, and “The Ripper in Black” had maniacs headbanging and shouting along in unison, the energy in the room making the occasion feel less like a Wednesday and more like a wild Saturday.
When it comes to putting on a show, Savage Master are second to none. Indeed, this is a band where the visual presentation is as crucial as the music itself, and even on the humble quarters of the Joint stage, Savage Master manage to put on an old school arena-esque production. I’ve long described their stage show as “Alice Cooper meets Mercyful Fate”. This assessment still stands, as there’s just enough camp to give audience members a chuckle (the arrival of a rockin’ goat during “Devil Rock”, Savage whipping her bandmates during “With Whips and Chains”), amidst moments of true cult metal terror, when Savage wields instruments ranging from a chalice of blood to a lit candelabra. She may be short, but don’t mess with her. She’s anything but sweet!
Put the music and the visuals together, and you’ve got one of the best underground metal spectacles currently on the road in 2025. As I stated earlier in this review, I’ve never seen a bad Savage Master show, or even an OK one, come to think of it. Yet as they stand in 2025, Savage Master are a well-oiled, high-octane old school metal machine with no end in sight. Could Beelzebub himself be the secret force behind Savage Master, the unspoken sixth member guiding their every triumph? Or do these five just happen to be some of the finest musicians and thespians in metal today? As the old saying goes, the truth likely lies somewhere in between!
Setlist
- “Those Who Hunt at Night”
- “With Whips and Chains”
- “Child of the Witch”
- “The Hangman’s Tree”
- “Warriors Call”
- “Myth, Magic and Steel”
- “Never Ending Fire”
- “Crystal Gazer”
- “Devil Rock”
- “Spirit of Death”
- “The Ripper in Black”
- “Black Rider”
- “Ready to Sin”
