ALBUM:BEETHOVEN'S LAST NIGHT
ARTIST:TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA
YEAR OF RELEASE:2000
RATING:*****

This disc is one of the discs I will unequivocally call a masterpiece. I was familiar with TSO before this disc thanks to their Christmas stuff(which to this day is some of the only Christmas music I actually care about), so when I heard they were doing a non-Christmas album, I knew I had to have it. As expected, it didn't dissappoint. As with the other TSO discs, this album is a concept album, detailing Beethoven's last night on Earth, and his having to choose between damnation or having his music forever removed from existence. As with all TSO disc, the story contains many twists and turns, and is awesomely written by Paul O'Neil(who also has done the stories for the last few Savatage discs, not-surprisingly, since TSO is a Savatage side project). Musically, the disc contains all the TSO elements, the massive classical influence(esp. on this disc, which not only has stuff from Beethoven, but Mozart as well), multiple vocalists(male and female, including Jon Oliva as Mephistopheles) portraying different characters(all of whom fit their characters excellently), and excellent lyrics to boot. For anyone who likes lots of classical elements in their metal(without the cheese or power metal style of Rhapsody), likes the TSO Christmas discs but wants to hear something non-seasonal from them, or likes the last few Savatage discs, get this disc ASAP. It's not brutal, speedy, thrashy, or anything like that, but it as an amazingly executed CD, a true work of art. Highlights are really hard to choose, as the whole disc is utterly amazing. If forced to choose, I would probably pick "Mephistopheles' Return", "Midnight/Fate/What Good This Deafness"(which all sort of go together as one song), and "Misery". Return to the music page.

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