Trans-Siberian Orchestra guitar mastermind Al Pitrelli breaks down three decades of symphonic shred and arena-sized storytelling – from the first time Paul O’Neill pushed up the faders on “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo” to the massive two-band touring machine TSO has become. Al shares the emotional origins of the music, the early days grinding it out with one fog machine and a single box truck, what it’s like stepping onstage in front of 60,000 screaming fans, and revisiting the songs he helped build with Paul and Jon Oliva every year. He also shares stories from his time with Megadeth like learning rhythm guitar at the school of Dave Mustaine, sitting with Marty Friedman practicing night after night to perfect the parts, surviving Dave’s legendary scrutiny, and recording The World Needs a Hero album. Plus, he dives into his years as Alice Cooper’s musical director, where he learned the stagecraft, theatrics, and precision that still guide his work today.

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