Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Presented as a heavy-metal spectacle of lasers, pyrotechnics, and Christmas music, Trans-Siberian Orchestra has been the biggest, most bombastic seasonal show going for nearly 15 years now. TSO’s pairing of symphonic prog-metal and Yuletide anthems has made it so popular that two separate groups are deployed to tour on each coast to satisfy the prog-hungry holiday hordes. With that kind of following, it’s no surprise that the group has delved into non-Christmas material, first with 2000’s Beethoven’s Last Night and again in 2009 with the double-CD Night Castle. The band’s carol-less songs haven’t gone over as well, but fans should still expect a fair amount of willfully excessive pomp and circumstance.

Updated 04/12/2010