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░ ██ ██ Artist: Trans-Siberian Orchestra ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Letters from the Labyrinth █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2015 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2016-04-02 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Symphonic Rock ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Lava / Republic Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Here in the USA, we are in the midst of our █
█ holiday season. For most people that means hot █
█ chocolate, ice skating, lit up houses, and a bunch █
█ of holiday traditions. For many musicians though, █
█ Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) has become a █
█ tradition. Each holiday season, they go on tour █
█ with two show troupes and awe audiences with their █
█ music, a riveting mix of rock and classical. Some █
█ would argue that their stage show, which features █
█ the best light show in the world, is the real █
█ attraction. █
█ Under the direction of producer/composer Paul █
█ O'Neill, Trans-Siberian Orchestra has released █
█ five albums of semi-original music since 1996. █
█ Most of the albums have achieved multi-platinum █
█ status in the United States. "Letters From the █
█ Labyrinth" is the band's first album not to follow █
█ the traditional rock opera format. Instead it is a █
█ collection of random songs, like most albums. █
█ Eight of the album's fourteen songs are fully █
█ original (not based off Bach, Beethoven, etc.) and █
█ five of them are instrumentals. The last song is █
█ actually a repeat of a previous song on the album. █
█ However, whereas the first version of the song is █
█ sung by a male vocalist, the second one is done by █
█ a special female vocalist, Lzzy Hale, who is the █
█ lead vocalist for the hard rock band Halestorm. █
█ My first impression of the album is that it stays █
█ consistent with TSO's other work. There are two █
█ guitars, one on each side, that play the same █
█ thing. The bass blends in with the songs at all █
█ times, never taking time to deviate and make a █
█ name for itself. The drums fill the space that █
█ they need to, but I don't think anyone would say █
█ that the drumming is a highlight of the album. The █
█ piano and strings trade center stage with the █
█ guitars when it is appropriate, usually during the █
█ more classical songs. For example, the piano seems █
█ to be the more important on "Prometheus," a song █
█ that borrows heavily from Beethoven, while the █
█ guitars are far more prominent on "The Night █
█ Conceives," a more traditional rock song. "The █
█ Night Conceives" is also unique in that it has a █
█ guitar solo, something I had hoped this album █
█ would have more of. █
█ So if this album is typical TSO fare, then that █
█ begs the question what is typical TSO fare and why █
█ is it so popular? █
█ To start with, TSO actually fits one genre █
█ perfectly: classical (not classic) rock. The band █
█ directly combines classical and rock with little █
█ room in between. Despite their use of guitar █
█ techniques common in metal like tapping, pinch █
█ harmonics, and whammy dive bombs, the actual music █
█ rarely if ever strays from classical or rock. This █
█ has made their music more amenable to a mainstream █
█ audience because rock is already mainstream and █
█ the classical works they choose are popular enough █
█ that most people know them already anyway. TSO █
█ excels at using rock to make classical █
█ compositions more accessible to people not raised █
█ with it. Yet for people who are fans of classical █
█ music, TSO's deviations are small enough that the █
█ feel of the original work is still very much █
█ intact. █
█ A second mainstay of TSO's work is precise █
█ musicianship. Whereas some musicians have become █
█ famous due to a unique playing style not found in █
█ textbooks, TSO's hired professionals follow the █
█ textbook exactly. It always feels with TSO like █
█ there is a composer writing music meant for █
█ others, that the musicians themselves are █
█ disconnected from the writing process. The █
█ downside to this approach is that the playing can █
█ sometimes sound cold, but on the other hand it is █
█ precise and well thought out. This stylistic motif █
█ fits the idea of classical music while at the same █
█ time it attracts mainstream listeners in how the █
█ parts all sound as they would expect to. █
█ It's nice to see TSO releasing a new album. Given █
█ their formula, it would be hard for them to mess █
█ up and they certainly didn't disappoint with this █
█ album. Oftentimes, one looks for growth from a █
█ band: something new in the songwriting or █
█ performance. TSO is one of those bands that aren't █
█ really expected to do that because what they've █
█ got going is pretty great. As always, I recommend █
█ checking out TSO's live tour if they come to your █
█ area. They run two shows per day; if you get █
█ tickets to the afternoon show, it's usually empty █
█ enough that you can get up to the front regardless █
█ of where your ticket is. █
█ The album itself is pretty good. Nothing special, █
█ but if you're a fan of TSO I definitely recommend █
█ checking it out. It's not the masterpiece that was █
█ "The Lost Christmas Eve" but it is certainly a █
█ good mix of old and new songs that will get you █
█ through the holiday season. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Time & Distance (The Dash) 3:44 ░
░ 2. Madness of Men 4:11 ░
░ 3. Prometheus 3:39 ░
░ 4. Mountain Labyrinth 3:15 ░
░ 5. King Rurik 3:11 ░
░ 6. Prince Igor 3:04 ░
░ 7. The Night Conceives 3:38 ░
░ 8. Forget About the Blame (Sun Version) 4:15 ░
░ 9. Not Dead Yet 3:28 ░
░ 10. Past Tomorrow 3:22 ░
░ 11. Stay 2:58 ░
░ 12. Not the Same 3:41 ░
░ 13. Who I Am 2:49 ░
░ 14. Lullaby Night 2:44 ░
░ 15. Forget About the Blame (Moon Version) 4:16 ░
░ 52:15 ░
░ ▒ ▒
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