Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Eve/Sarajevo

Some things are just meant to be together. A warm fire on a cold winter evening. Chocolate and peanut butter (unless you’re a dog, I suppose). And, because it’s the season, duelling guitars and telling the incredible story of a cello player in a war-torn country. A match made in heaven for Trans-Siberian Orchestra, though it remains to be seen what they couldn’t make sound absolutely bombastic at this point. I’d be interested in a suite of songs about paint drying or empty rooms if they put their magic hands to them. 

But that’s just Trans-Siberian Orchestra for you. The American rockers and descendants of Savatage have made a career out of huge stage shows and arena tours, wowing crowds with big, meaty guitar, orchestral arrangements and a flair for the ol’ razzle-dazzle. Who else is going to take two pieces of classical music, jam them together and riff the living hell out of it, while setting off fireworks in stadiums and trying their best to knock you through the back of your seat? Well, a few prog acts, I’ll admit. But certainly none of the ones making killer Christmas tracks, that’s for sure. Point Trans-Siberian Orchestra. 

There’s a multitude of reasons that this is the perfect Rock Song of the Week pick, all of which I won’t drool my way through. But the first and most important is this: I really don’t see any more epic way to celebrate Christmas than this short of firing presents for your neighbours out of a ship's cannon directly through their living room windows. It’s the perfect culmination of the holidays and all the things we love about rock shows, and it is going to ramp up any excitement you had for the big day by a thousandfold. So, we will leave you with it and, as always, from all of us at Rock Song of the Week to all of you - be happy where you can, be warm where you can, and if you can’t be good, be careful. We will see you on the other side for a New Year treat.