TSO - Letters from the Labyrinth

[DaHun72]

New non-xmas album out next week!

 

From Loudwire.com...

Trans-Siberian Orchestra have set the wheels in motion for their sixth studio album, Letters From the Labyrinth, which is now due out Nov. 13 on Universal Music. The album will extend the concept they began in 2009 with Night Castle with the bands two creative visionaries, Savatages Jon Oliva and producer Paul ONeill, spearheading everything once again.

 

Letters From the Labyrinth boasts 14 new tracks, the fewest of any TSO release to date, but does offer an intriguing bonus track called Forget About the Blame that features Lzzy Hale of Halestorm. You can check out the full track listing for the disc below.

 

Trans-Siberian Orchestra are most celebrated for their fusion of heavy metal and an orchestra to create a unique Christmas-time experience, but the band have branched out from the holiday theme, starting with their previous album. This time, the inspiration comes from history. A collector of historical artifacts, ONeill offered this insight, Over the years I have been able to read and hold in my hands letters from people that have inspired me and left a mark on civilization. People like Mark Twain, Ben Franklin, Thomas Edison, Orville Wright when I actually held a letter in my hand that President Lincoln wrote, it brought me into his world in a way I could never have imagined.

 

The theme will be topical with lessons from the past being intertwined with hopes for the future. Expanding on this facet, ONeill added, I love making music and I love making it relevant. I always believed the arts have a way of inspiring and uniting people. We try to maintain that tradition on the albums and all the other projects we do. I think that when everything else is falling apart, people look to the arts to help make sense of things and put the events they are experiencing into some kind of context. Pre-orders for Letters From the Labyrinth are currently underway at Amazon.

 

Trans-Siberian Orchestra will be hitting the road in late November to begin a lengthy trek across the United States, performing twice a day in most cities. To see a full listing of dates, check the bands official website.

 

Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Letters From the Labyrinth Track Listing

 

01. Time and Distance

02. Madness of Men

03. Prometheus

04. Mountain Labyrinth

05. King Rurik

06. Prince Igor

07. The Night Conceives

08. Forget About the Blame

09. Not Dead Yet

10. Past Tomorrow

11. Stay

12. Not the Same

13. Who I Am

14. Lullaby Night

15. Forget About the Blame (bonus track featuring Lzzy Hale

 

Listen to Lzzy singing TSO here:

http://m.billboard.com/entry/view/id/145670

[KarpetRydOFunk]

Yup. I'll be getting this.

[Glen]

Nope, i wont

[Glen]

The Hale track might be interesting tho

[Dead Planet]

I can't see this one ending up in my collection since symphonic/orchestral stuff is not my thing but I'll check out any samples that come along.....and no I do not own a TSO release...

[martinsane]

Farkus I thought it said TSOL release.

 

Oh well the Trans Siberian stuff Is neat to a degree. My favorite observation is to the crowds and sales they rack up, far superior to the Savatage numbers I'm sure and I would suspect the current fan base is oblivious to the connection outside a few select metal heads.

[Fat Freddy]

I dunno, as much as I loved Savatage, I can take or leave TSO. I liked their first couple of Xmas records but their non-holiday stuff, nah. Too over the top/Meat Loaf/Broadway for me.

[KarpetRydOFunk]

Farkus I thought it said TSOL release.

 

Oh well the Trans Siberian stuff Is neat to a degree. My favorite observation is to the crowds and sales they rack up, far superior to the Savatage numbers I'm sure and I would suspect the current fan base is oblivious to the connection outside a few select metal heads.

Which TSOL were you thinking of?

[martinsane]

 

Farkus I thought it said TSOL release.

 

Oh well the Trans Siberian stuff Is neat to a degree. My favorite observation is to the crowds and sales they rack up, far superior to the Savatage numbers I'm sure and I would suspect the current fan base is oblivious to the connection outside a few select metal heads.

Which TSOL were you thinking of?

 

I'm only familiar with one, True Sounds of Liberty.

 

Punkish band and then hard rockish in the later 80's...

[KarpetRydOFunk]

 

 

Farkus I thought it said TSOL release.

 

Oh well the Trans Siberian stuff Is neat to a degree. My favorite observation is to the crowds and sales they rack up, far superior to the Savatage numbers I'm sure and I would suspect the current fan base is oblivious to the connection outside a few select metal heads.

Which TSOL were you thinking of?

 

I'm only familiar with one, True Sounds of Liberty.

 

Punkish band and then hard rockish in the later 80's...

 

 

Oh. I thought perhaps I might have been out of the loop on something, but, no, that's the same TSOL I was thinking.

[DaHun72]

Wow, I seem to be shitting on most of my fave bands this day. This quick 'preview' is after one listen so take from that what you will.

 

1. Time & Distance - Gang/Chorus vocal track, sort of OK but I tire of these tracks that have a whole choral group.

2. Madness of Men - Could have been a good track if it had vocals. Instrumental.

3. Prometheus - You get vocals for the last minute of the track, not for the other 2:30.

4. Mountain Labyrinth - Instrumental.

5. King Rurik - Another Instrumental.

6. Prince Igor - Yet Another Instrumental.

....not a good opening 21 or so minutes zzzzzzzz...

7. The Night Conceives - female mid tempo rocker. Not that great.

8. Forget About the Blame (Sun Version) - Very nice ballad, male vocal.

9. Not Dead Yet - Cool bass groove and obvious 'evil' song for a theatrical Jon Oliva (who doesn't sing). However, it doesn't work except for the opening bass line.

10. Past Tomorrow - Female piano ballad. OK but boring!

11. Stay - Dark moody female ballad. If you have the Savatage acoustic bonus tracks it's pretty much identical as the Jon Oliva version which happens to be much better. Good song though!

12. Not The Same - Female ballad. Quite a good song.

13. Who I Am - Instrumental that turns in a choral group track. Meh.

14. Lullaby Night - Boooooring instrumental.

15. Forget About the Blame (Moon Version) - Lzzy Hale version of track 8 above. Easily the best track on the album!

 

So for a Savatage and TSO fan like me there will be 2 tracks I'll be adding to my streaming library (Not The Same and Lzzy's version of Forget About the Blame). I have to say I'm more bummed out about this than I was the Lost Xmas Eve which had lots of music but hardly any songs and the best ones were rehashes. I can only hope they releases the stuff like The Romanovs asap to get my good will back, and to enjoy their songwriting before they just started padding albums out with instrumental nonsense!

 

Two big fucking thumbs down!

 

Would love to hear other peoples thoughts.

[kourosofsteel3]

Actually I really don't like the piano ballady. One of the worst tracks here.

 

I distinguished a couple of instrumentals, trying to figure, though, if they 'll have substance for the future.

 

I love the bonjovish last one and I'm still trying to figure from where they took the melody of Lullaby Night.