Christmas Eve and Other Stories
Is the Trans-Siberian Orchestra'sChristmas Eve and Other Storiesa holiday rock opera? Or perhaps just a holiday prog-rock disc? Or maybe it's New Age? Whatever the case may be, this isn't your typical Christmas album. Filled with electric guitar solos, plenty of synthesized keyboards, a children's choir, and lively drumming,Christmas Evecan only be compared to one other record, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra'sotherholiday disc,The Christmas Attic. On this CD, angelic vocal solos (on numbers such as "The Prince of Peace") are interspersed with driving instrumentals. Sentimental, occasionally bombastic, but as high-concept as holiday albums can be.--Jason Verlinde