THE CHRISTMAS ATTIC

This seems to me like a rerun of their previous album "Christmas Eve and Other Stories". There are 14 mild vocal tracks and 3 very good instrumentals (Midnight Christmas Eve, The March Of The Kings and Appalachian Snowfall). So simply what I will say is that if you like "Christmas Eve and Other Stories" then you'll like this one but if you didn't like their first album then this is not going to win you over to them either.

" In this room where shadows live and ghosts failed learn time forgives, welcome friends, please stay awhile, our story starts with one small child who spends this night in an attic dark where dreams are stored like sleeping hearts."

Hey, Christmas' coming.I had to find something new to listen to along these long and cold december's nights! Trans-Siberian Orchestra is a good choice, in my honest opinion! I'm not speaking about the nice cover of this good 1998 album, but of the concept of this second effort by the band.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra was formed in 1996 by Paul O'Neill who soon approached long time friends Robert Kinkel and Jon Oliva to form the core of the writing team. They started writing not just albums, but rock operas!

Tracks' theme is about the story of an Angel who was asked by Good Lord to return to Earth on the night of Christmas Eve and leave the one thing behind that would most benefit all of mankind. The quest's main point was that the Angel had to do that mission bringing nothing with him from the heavenly world!

Seven main vocalists, many choristers (even child-choristers), strong and melodic electric guitars, important part for keyboards with all its delightful colours. Rock operas, by their nature, often need the voices to change as the characters change whilst rock bands, normally, only have one or two great vocalists to work with.

I admit this is not a sure progressive-rock effort, being part of the "difficultly definable" so called ART ROCK. The unique story on which the album is based on, is a reassuring evidence for any good prog-rock lover! Paul O'Neill realized that putting the songs within the context of a story would give it a third dimension that would make an additional emotional impact possible. After many listenings I have to say this is definitively a good album! One you have to buy for the next Christmas holidays! What I like most are the songs "Boughs of Holly", "The World That He Sees", "The March of the Kings/ Hark the Herald Angel", the classic based tune "Christmas Canon" and "Appalchian Snowfall".

Merry Christmas to you all, dear prog-rock friends!

Trans-Siberian Orchestra - 'The Christmas Attic' 1.5 stars

More of the same.

This isn't different at all from the first effort of this band. I find the music to be even cheesier and horrendous. Although my two reviews of the band have been extremely negative so far, I think this band is incredible. Some of their adaptations and reworking of classic Christmas songs are jaw-dropping. It's just that this band can throw so many bad songs on an album to completely water it down to being just about nothing. The choice in the vocals could be one of the worst experiences I have had in being a listener to music.

'The March of the Kings' and 'The Three Kings and I' are really just about it on this album. The rest of the album might contain a children's choir here and there, or a group sounding like the eagles singing accompanied by an acoustic guitar ballad. I was once again very disappointed to how an incredible live act could put such horrid music on a disc. 1.5 stars for just two worthy songs.

If you heard Trans-Siberian Orchestra's first album, Christmas Eve and Other Stories, there isn't much point to listening to this album. It is the album I find the least enjoyable of their Christmas Trilogy.

The main problem with this album is that it doesn't have any of their best instrumentals, and that has always been were Trans-Siberian Orchestra shone the strongest (especially on their Christmas albums, where the stories were less interesting). Without these, the album lacks much else to make it truly amazing. Really, it follows the formula of their first album, but with less success.

There's not much to be said about this album. Nothing in it is particularly offensive or outright bad (if you like Christmas music and theatrical music), but nothing stands out. The only song I ever really listen to off of this one is The Three Kings And I (What Really Happened), because I find the whole concept quite amusing.

If you are a fan of their music, this album will still be enjoyable, but otherwise there's really not all that much here.

This is TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA's second album released in 1998 two years after their very successful debut. Yes this is more of the same in that it is of the same style. Again we get a concept album dealing with that young angel. This time the Lord has sent him down to earth on the night of Christmas eve, this time to leave the one thing behind that would most benefit all of mankind. The problem for the angel was that he couldn't bring anything with him from heaven to leave. All of this is detailed in the liner notes as we are told of the angels thoughts, concerns and quest.

It turns out the gift that was left behind was a gift of "belief" to this one particular child who with the angel's help (unknown to the child) realizes that the Earth is a magical place and as such this child could make this world a better place. Hey it's Christmas and like the debut this can be an emotional ride if you let it be. Like the first album it's the instrumentals that really standout for me. Again we get the same six members or former members of SAVATAGE helping out. Once a year i'd much rather play something from this band than any other Christmas music that i've heard. 3 stars.

Second part of TSO's Christmas trilogy!

After the success of the first entry, Paul O'Neill and the guys from Savatage decided to make a second effort while they recorded their fabulous The Wake of Magellan. So, in terms of production both albums sound very similar and they contain the trademarks of the band like the wonderful piano melodies, the typical guitar crescendos, great vocals and polyphonic chorus, being The Wake of Magellan the heavy side of the band and The Christmas Attic the mellower one, just like Dead Winter Dead and Christmas Eve and Other Stories were also very related in style and sound.

But despite a pair of truly good moments, The Christmas Attic it's maybe the less inspired of the Christmas Trilogy because a pair of truly cheesy songs like The Three Kings and I or The Music Box. For my taste most of the singed songs are not at the same level as the instrumental ones, which are normally the best songs of the TSO's Christmas albums anyway.

Best tracks: Boughs of Holly (a fine instrumental song with all the Savatage/TSO trademarks!), Christmas in the Air (a song singed by the great interpreter Jody Asworth which introduces the style of Beethoven's Last Night) and Appalachian Snowfall (another fine instrumental)

Conclusion: despite its weak moments The Christmas Attic is another good hard rock-prog-symphonic Christmas album by Savatage's side band Trans-Siberian Orchestra which contains another outstanding neo-classical work of the very talented guitarist Al Pitrelli and a pair of fine compositions of Jon Oliva and the very missed Paul O'Neill.

My rating: ***