Trans-Siberian Orchestra

photograph of guitarist Chris Caffery on stage playing guitar.
Interviews

CHRIS CAFFERY (SAVATAGE): “[PAUL O’NEILL] Tried To Get The SCORPIONS To Do [“Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)”]”

May 27, 2025 Bryce Van Patten

Guitar virtuoso Chris Caffery, known for his work with Savatage and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, is celebrating two decades of his solo career with a powerful new compilation titled 20 Years of the Music Man, dropping June 13th internationally via Metalville Records. This special release features 21 tracks handpicked by Chris himself, blending fan favorites, personal milestones, and never-before-heard gems that showcase the heart and soul behind his music. More than just a retrospective, the album is a heartfelt thank-you to fans, friends, collaborators, and mentors who’ve been part of his musical journey — including a touching tribute to the late Paul O’Neill and Chris’s own mother, both of whom were instrumental in shaping his path. To dive deeper into the stories behind the songs and reflect on two decades of solo success, Metal Express Radio Backstage brings you an interview with Chris Caffery, hosted by Bryce Van Patten. From behind-the-scenes insights to personal reflections and future plans, this conversation pulls back the curtain on the life and legacy of one of metal’s most passionate and prolific guitarists. Don’t miss this interview with Chris Caffery, with new news about the upcoming Savatage album and tour! Coming June 13th on Metalville Records!

TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA (Live at the Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC, USA, December 10, 2022)
Live Reviews

TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA (Live)

December 13, 2022 Scott Jeslis

Like A Fine Wine… Getting Better With Age Trans-Siberian Orchestra, a.k.a. TSO, has come a long way since their first-ever tour dates which started way back in December 1999. Having seen their career 8th show in Chicago, IL on December 18, 1999, it was a humble beginning as it was a time when many didn’t know who they were unless they were Savatage fans. Back then they played in a modest, 2,500-seat capacity theatre in Chicago called the Riveria Theatre. The lights and stage show were modest as well and satisfied the Christmas vibe offered by the show that essentially had only the first album, Christmas Eve and Other Stories, to draw from. Flash forward to this night, December 10, 2022, which is the exact 23rd anniversary of their very first show back on December 10, 1999, in Philadelphia, and the popularity of the band has grown exponentially in twenty-three years. Now the band only plays in major stadiums and fills them, and their audience contains multiple generations of concertgoers, from small children to elderly adults. TSO’s popularity has grown to such levels that they needed to split up into two touring groups years ago; one for the East Coast and one for the West. Very few bands or concerts have this lasting range of appeal. And that’s not even including discussion about the enormity of the current lights and stage show presentation compared to 23 years ago! All this excitement over a band with six full albums and one EP and the latest new material dating back to 2015! In The Hall Of The Mountain Kings! North Carolina is located on the East Coast of the United States so on this night Charolette was treated to TSO’s East Coast “division”. And Metalheads couldn’t have been happier as this touring …READ MORE

Al Pitrelli and Jeff Plate of TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA (Live at the Moda Center, Portland, Oregon, USA, November 23, 2019)
Audio Interviews

AL PITRELLI (TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA): “Stay Home, Stay In Your Pajamas, Get Your Fireplace Going… Everybody At Home… Will Have A Front Row Seat”

November 19, 2020 George Dionne

The Show Must Go On For the first time in 20 years, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra was forced to cancel their annual holiday concert tours. Rather than sit home and do nothing, the multi-platinum rock group decided to bring their holiday tradition right into your home. In a time where things are looking pretty bleak, we could all use a little holiday joy and Christmas spirit in our lives. On December 18, 2020 at 8pm EST, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra will present Christmas Eve and Other Stories Live in Concert. One $30 ticket admits the entire family into the magical and emotional world of a TSO live show. In addition to the full 90 minute concert, fans will be able to view a special pre-show that included behind the scenes footage and classic interviews. If you can’t make the live airing, the show will be available for 48 hours afterwards. To purchase a ticket visit trans-siberian.com I had the chance to speak with musical director and guitarist Al Pitrelli about this special event, how it’s being put together, what to expect, and how we all need a little Christmas. Check out live photos from December 1, 2019 by Bryce Van Patten Expected Performers for December 18, 2020: Brian Hicks – Narrator Al Pitrelli – Musical Director / Guitar Derek Wieland – Musical Director / Keyboards Chris Caffery – Guitar Mee Eun Kim – Keyboards Johnny Lee Middleton – Bass Asha Mevlana – Violin Jeff Plate – Drums Russell Allen – Vocals Nate Amor – Vocals John Brink – Vocals Erika Jerry – Vocals Chloe Lowery – Vocals Georgia Naplitano – Vocals Jeff Scott Soto – Vocals Band Links: Official Website Facebook Instagram

SONS OF APOLLO (Live at Gramercy Theatre, New York City, NY, USA, February 6, 2020)
Audio Interviews

JEFF SCOTT SOTO (SONS OF APOLLO, W.E.T.): “I Care More About Quantity Of People Sharing Or Discussing My Music… It’s Going To Open More Doors For Me Later”

October 30, 2020 George Dionne

On November 6, 2020 Jeff Scott Soto is set to release his 7th official solo album Wide Awake (In My Dreamland) through Frontiers Music. Soto, who has more than 85 albums under his belt, has incorporated his past ventures into one succinct album with the help of Alessandro Del Vecchio. As Troy McClure of The Simpsons might say; You might remember [Jeff] by such projects as Yngwie Malmsteen, Axel Rudi Pell, Talisman, Takara, Soul SirkUS, Human Clay, Trans Siberian Orchestra, W.E.T., SOTO, and Sons of Apollo. Whether Jeff is laying down the funk, singing heartfelt ballads, or cracking out some Heavy Metal fury, fans know they are going to get a quality performance. I first discovered Jeff Scott Soto with the release of his 2004 Lost in the Translation and I’ve been a fan ever since. I had the chance to chat with Jeff recently. We discussed Wide Awake (In My Dreamland) [review], how the lockdowns have been good for his voice, what other projects he’s been working on, his past projects, the re-release of his first solo album, how he doesn’t see streaming music as necessarily a bad thing, and much, much more. Jeff’s Backing Band: Alessandro Del Vecchio – Bass, Keys, Guitar, Backing Vocals Fabrizio Sgattoni – Guitar Edu Cominato – Drums August Zadra – Backing Vocals, Lead Guitar on “Between The Lines” Artist Links: Official Website Facebook Instagram

TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA (Live at the Moda Center, Portland, OR, USA, November 23, 2019)
Live Reviews

TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA (Live)

December 1, 2019 Bryce Van Patten

TSO delivers an early Christmas present from ‘Handful of Rain’ The holiday season is once again upon us, so is another tradition: Trans-Siberian Orchestra! Once again we are graced with what must be the largest touring metal band in the world, and the most spectacular stage and lighting show one could hope for. Band leader Al Pitrelli and friends continue sharing the music of the late Paul O’Neil with the world on what must be a grueling tour at 2 sold out shows a day. Formed in 1996 by Paul O’Neil,  Al Pitrelli and Jon Oliva; Trans-Siberian Orchestra has sold over 10 million concert tickets and 10 million albums since their inception. Few bands can even come close to the impact they have had not only on holiday music, but on arena metal as well. The original foundation of Trans-Siberian Orchestra is made up of members of Savatage, and the band still includes 4 members: Al Pitrelli, Jonny Lee Middleton, Chris Caffery and Jeff Plate. The full list of band members in TSO is long and changing with so many supporting players, but the core members remain. The concert begins with a the complete performance of Christmas Eve and other Stories narrated by Phillip Brandon. As always, the lighting and stage is incredible with an abundance of smoke, flames, laser lights and video screens creating an unreal experience. There are many vocalists that perform throughout the show, but the power and emotion of Chloe Lowery is second to none. From her breathy soft notes to her soaring highs, Chloe can bring tears to your eyes with her stirring performance. The second half of the concert featured several different songs from the bands career, and even included a gem I never thought I would hear live. As a burning sailing vessel …READ MORE

TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA - Beethoven's Last Night
Album Reviews

TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA – Beethoven’s Last Night (Remastered)

October 15, 2010 Lior Stein

Near the year 2000, co-founder / director of Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO), Paul O’Neil, created stimulating fiction, which was driven by Hard Rock / Metal variables, about one of the greatest composers of all time:  Ludwig Von Beethoven. Within Beethoven’s character, O’Neil enrolled TSO and the listeners into a sort of hallucination world of the famous composer. This world involved the completed manuscript of the Tenth Symphony and the trading of Beethoven’s soul to the clutches of Hell. This year, under BMG & Tonpool, TSO’s third album, Beethoven’s Last Night, was resurfaced as a reminder of a great classic musical piece in the vein of several theater acts as The Who’s Tommy, Queen’s Mama Mia and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom Of The Opera. However, in contrast to those other prominent theatrical monuments mentioned, you are talking here about a rather Metalized release, which involves some figures from the Metal world, including ex-members of the late Savatage. That is why the re-releasing this album was so important — it should have received a lot more attention the first go-around. Throughout the theatrics, it is hard not to experience suspense, even though most of the stories regarding the bargaining of the soul with the Devil ends up in the hero’s favor. This tale is filled with interactions and intrigues between the main characters: Beethoven (young & old), the evil Mephistopheles, Twist, Fate, The Muses, and Theresa. Every single interaction or solo act of thoughts and emotions were performed by the singers as if they are actors, and all were followed by well-suited musical passages. The result was astounding. Although the music itself, especially the guitar riffs, are pretty simple, you can’t ignore the amount of energy devoted to the keyboards and orchestra. In the end both electric and classical instruments fulfilled some of Beethoven’s greatest works. It is …READ MORE

Live Reviews

TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA (Live)

December 23, 2008 Dan Skiba

There’s nothing like kicking off the holiday season early, especially when it comes via 150 minutes of a highly energetic stage-show extravaganza in the form of a Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) Christmas Concert! As many should know, due to ever-increasing popularity, TSO has actually been segmented into 2 separate bands to ensure that the greatest number of tour stops can be squeezed into the November/December Christmas Season. On this night at the remarkable Conseco Fieldhouse facility in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, approximately 4000 fans were thoroughly entertained by the TSO East faction that included: Chris Caffery & Alex Skolnick – Guitars Dave Z – Bass Jeff Plate – Drums Bob Kinkel & Mee Eun Kim – Keys Mark Wood – Strings, and A Local 8-piece Orchestra Ensemble along with a host of male and female Vocalists The first thing that strikes you is the fact that the TSO stage production just seems to grow like a Chia Pet every year. Extra semi-trucks were again added this year to haul one of the most impressive visual stage shows in the history of music. Lights of all sorts, colors, and intensity levels, snow and smoke machines, a starlit backdrop, pyrotechnics, torches (that threw out an immense amount of heat when fired up, by the way), a hydraulic riser next to the sound boards in the middle of the audience … you name it, this TSO set-up probably has it incorporated into their set-up! But, all of the visuals still pale in comparison to the superb musicianship and sound generated by the TSO band members … after all, in the end that IS what a concert is all about, and TSO performs at an extraordinarily high level across the board. The Show was essentially divided into 2 segments: Full performance of Christmas Eve & Other …READ MORE

TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA (Live in Indianapolis, IN, USA, December 17, 2007)
Live Reviews

TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA (Live)

December 18, 2007 Dan Skiba

Rapidly becoming as much of a holiday tradition as mistletoe and eggnog, Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) made its annual stop at the luxurious confines of Indianapolis, Indiana’s Conseco Fieldhouse on a seasonally frigid Monday evening. In order to canvass all of the USA during the ever-expanding holiday season, TSO actually has 2 manifestations of itself: TSO West and TSO East, and TSO West was the flavor of choice for Indianapolis in 2007, featuring Al Pitrelli and Angus Clark on guitars, Johnny Lee Middleton on bass, John O. Reilly on drums, and a host of others. For any Grinches or those few out there still who aren’t familiar with TSO, they’re a band comprised predominantly of musicians with Metal backgrounds (often with ties into the band Savatage) who entwine Metal, Classical, and Symphonic elements into a unique holiday-spirited sound. Via combining original compositions and moving story lines with Traditional Holiday Classics, TSO has overwhelmingly succeeded in developing “Christmas With Attitude” … yet are collectively mindful to keep the sanctity of the holiday messages intact and “sacred,” if you will. The true focal point of the band year in and year out, however, is their stage show, and brainchild Paul O’Neill and cohorts certainly have never bought into the trendy “less is more” concept! Nope, not a chance … a TSO stage show simultaneously warms the soul, pummels the eardrums, and causes the rods and cones to fire in unison at full force for 150 continuous, wonderful minutes. Well, for those who have had the benefit of witnessing last year’s performance, believe it or not, the 2007 stage show was indeed “bigger and better” and more over the top than anything ever seen in the past, and the Indianapolis faithful have certainly taken notice as TSO played on this night before their largest …READ MORE