Al Pitrelli

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Al Pitrelli
Savatage - Wacken Open Air 2015 11.jpg
Pitrelli with Savatage at Wacken Open Air 2015
Background information
Born (1962-09-26) September 26, 1962 (age 62)
Genres Hard rock, heavy metal, thrash metal, progressive metal, symphonic metal
OccupationGuitarist
Years active1982–present
Member of Savatage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Formerly of Danger Danger, Megadeth, Hotshot, Alice Cooper, Asia, Place Called Rage, O'2L, Widowmaker, Michael Bolton, Vertex

Al Pitrelli (born September 26, 1962) is an American guitarist, best known for his work with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Megadeth, Alice Cooper and Savatage. He has performed with various acts as a band member, session musician and touring member, including Michael Bolton, Celine Dion, Asia, Dee Snider, Kathy Troccoli, Taylor Dayne, Blue Öyster Cult, Exposé and Joe Lynn Turner. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Contents

Career

Early career (1982–1999)

Pitrelli attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston in the early 1980s, where future Alice Cooper bandmate and keyboardist Derek Sherinian was his dorm roommate. [7] While at Berklee, Pitrelli formed an original 1980s metal band with classmates that included future Venom guitarist Mike Hickey. After dropping out of Berklee, Pitrelli worked as a session musician and taught guitar lessons in Manhattan and in Bellmore, New York. His first major label gig was performing with Michael Bolton, helping him support his single "Fool's Game". Pitrelli said of the single, "This was when Michael Bolton was still trying to be Sammy Hagar and not Engelbert Humperdinck." [8]

In 1989, Pitrelli featured as second guitar on the song "Uptown" on bassist Randy Coven's first album "Funk Me Tender". He then joined Coven and drummer John O'Reilly as a formal member of the Randy Coven Band to release Sammy Says Ouch! [9] This lineup would also release an album titled CPR under the band name Coven, Pitrelli, Reilly. Pitrelli was Alice Cooper's guitarist and musical director from 1989 to 1991, having been recommended to the band by Steve Vai, and appeared on the Trashes The World video album, in addition to co-writing the song "Burning Our Bed" from the Hey Stoopid (1991) album. [10] [11] He later joined Dee Snider's band Widowmaker for two albums in the early/mid–1990s, and also briefly played with Stephen Pearcy of Ratt in a band called Vertex. Pitrelli also joined Asia, appearing on their albums Aqua (1992) and Aria (1994). He would go on to be featured on many New York sessions, including for Celine Dion, Kathy Troccoli, Taylor Dayne and Exposé. [12] [3] From February to March 1999, Pitrelli toured with Blue Öyster Cult as a substitute for Allen Lanier. [13] [6]

Savatage (1995–2000, 2002, 2015, 2023)

Pitrelli joined Savatage in 1995, around the same time as guitarist Chris Caffery returned to the band, who had previously been part of the band around the release of Gutter Ballet in 1989. Pitrelli played guitar on the albums Dead Winter Dead (1995) and The Wake of Magellan (1997), and performed some lead guitar work on Poets and Madmen (2001), despite being a member of Megadeth at the time. On the latter album, Pitrelli was played the outro of "Stay with Me a While", the main solos of "Morphine Child" and "The Rumor", the first part of the main solo in "Commissar" and its outro. [14] He left Savatage in 2000 join Megadeth and rejoined the band following Megadeth's disbandment in 2002. [15] Savatage split up later that year, but reunited for an appearance at Wacken Open Air in 2015 and the recording of a new album in 2023. [16]

Trans-Siberian Orchestra (1995–present)

In 1995, Pitrelli was asked by Savatage's producer Paul O'Neill to join his new project, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. [7] Pitrelli has been a core member of the band since their debut album, Christmas Eve and Other Stories , was released in 1996. In addition to being the band's main lead guitarist, he is also the live musical director. [17] TSO's 2007 tour program describes Pitrelli's "edgy playing and vast musical lexicon" as key components for contributing to the band's constant boundary-pushing progressive rock stylings. Pitrelli's leads are notable on "Tracers" and the instrumental "Toccata – Carpimus Noctem", the latter being a piece he co-wrote. [18] Both songs form part of the group's fifth rock opera, on their 2009 album Night Castle . [19] Following founder O'Neill's death in 2017, Pitrelli has continued performing with the band while O'Neill's role has been taken over by his family. [20]

Megadeth (2000–2002)

Pitrelli was a member of Megadeth from 2000 to 2002, replacing guitarist Marty Friedman. [10] He joined the band in the middle of their Risk tour and played his first show with Megadeth on 11 January 2000, two days after Friedman's final show. [21] Pitrelli performed on their 2001 album The World Needs a Hero , co-writing the song "Promises" and playing most of the album's guitar solos. He later appeared in an episode of VH1's Behind the Music focusing on Megadeth. [22] Pitrelli also performed with the band for the recording of the Rude Awakening live album that was released in 2002. Following Megadeth's disbandment in April 2002 due to an arm injury sustained by frontman Dave Mustaine, Pitrelli rejoined Savatage and continued his work with Trans-Siberian Orchestra. [23] [15] [2]

Pitrelli performing live with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra in 2012 Al Pitrelli Guitar.jpg
Pitrelli performing live with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra in 2012

Selected discography

Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Megadeth

Alice Cooper

Savatage

Danger Danger

Hotshot

Asia

Place Called Rage

Randy Coven

Coven, Pitrelli, O'Reilly

Morning Wood

O'2L

Widowmaker

Vertex

Guitar Battle

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trans-Siberian Orchestra</span> American rock band

Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) is an American rock band founded in 1996 by producer, composer, and lyricist Paul O'Neill, who brought together Jon Oliva and Al Pitrelli and keyboardist and co-producer Robert Kinkel to form the core of the creative team. The band gained in popularity when they began touring in 1999 after completing their second album, The Christmas Attic, the year previous. In 2007, The Washington Post referred to them as "an arena-rock juggernaut" and described their music as "Pink Floyd meets Yes and the Who at Radio City Music Hall." TSO has sold more than ten million concert tickets and over ten million albums. The band has released a series of rock operas: Christmas Eve and Other Stories, The Christmas Attic, Beethoven's Last Night, The Lost Christmas Eve, their two-disc Night Castle and Letters From the Labyrinth. Trans-Siberian Orchestra is also known for their extensive charity work and elaborate concerts, which include a string section, a light show, lasers, moving trusses, video screens, and effects synchronized to music.

<i>Dead Winter Dead</i> 1995 studio album by Savatage

Dead Winter Dead is the ninth studio album by the American heavy metal band Savatage, released in 1995. It is a concept album, that tells a story from the perspectives of a Serb boy, a Bosniak girl and an old man. The story of the album is set during the Bosnian War, which was ongoing at the time.

<i>Streets: A Rock Opera</i> 1991 studio album by Savatage

Streets: A Rock Opera is the sixth studio album by the American heavy metal band Savatage and is a rock opera dealing with the rise and fall of the fictional musician DT Jesus. It was originally released in October 1991 on Atlantic Records. The album took almost a year to record, with pre-production beginning in October 1990. It was also Jon Oliva's last album as lead vocalist until 1995's Dead Winter Dead and 1997's The Wake of Magellan, where he shared lead vocal duties with Zak Stevens. He resumed lead vocal duties exclusively on 2001's Poets and Madmen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Savatage</span> American heavy metal band

Savatage is an American heavy metal band founded by brothers Jon and Criss Oliva in 1979 in Tarpon Springs, Florida. The band was first called Avatar, but, shortly before the release of their debut album Sirens (1983), they changed their name to Savatage, as Avatar was already taken by at least one other band. Savatage is considered to be an integral part of the American heavy metal movement of the early-to-mid-1980s and has been cited as a key influence on numerous subgenres of metal.

<i>Poets and Madmen</i> 2001 studio album by Savatage

Poets and Madmen is the 11th studio album by American heavy metal band Savatage, released in 2001. It was their last album before their 12-year hiatus, which lasted from 2002 to 2014. The album has a loose concept inspired by the career and death of journalist Kevin Carter, but has much less narrative in the lyrics than the previous two rock operas penned by Paul O'Neill. Everything said in the album is fiction, except with regards to what is sung about Carter. The album is also noted as it is the only Savatage album to not feature a title song from the album, although the title was taken from lyrics to the track "Symmetry" from the band's 1994 album, Handful of Rain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glen Drover</span> Canadian guitarist

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Vertex was a band formed in 1995 featuring singer Stephen Pearcy, guitarist Al Pitrelli, and drummer Hiro Kuretani.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Plate</span> American drummer

Jeff Plate is an American heavy metal drummer who has been a member of Savatage since 1994. He is also a member of Trans-Siberian Orchestra and a former member of Metal Church from 2006 to their break up in 2009 and again from their reunion in 2012 to 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Oliva</span> American heavy metal singer (born 1960)

John Nicholas "Jon" Oliva is an American singer and musician. He is best known as the co-founder, keyboardist and lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Savatage, which he co-founded with his younger brother Criss Oliva. Since 1996 he has also been a songwriter, musician and vocalist in Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Producer Paul O'Neill referred to Oliva in numerous interviews as the single greatest vocalist/musician he has ever worked with.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Kinkel</span> Musical artist

Robert Kinkel is an American professional session keyboardist and music engineer most known for his role as a co-creator/co-producer/co-composer and touring keyboardist with Trans-Siberian Orchestra along with extensive studio work with the progressive metal band Savatage. He attended Hamilton College and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in music with a minor in physics.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24</span> 1996 single by Savatage / Trans-Siberian Orchestra

"Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24" is an instrumental medley of "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" and "Shchedryk", first released on the Savatage album Dead Winter Dead in 1995 as "Christmas Eve ." It was re-released by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, a side project of several Savatage members, on their 1996 debut album Christmas Eve and Other Stories. The piece describes a lone cello player playing a forgotten Christmas carol in war-torn Sarajevo.

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Night Castle is the fifth studio album by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. It was released on October 28, 2009 as a double CD with a 60-page booklet illustrated by Greg Hildebrandt, and debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard charts and No. 1 on the rock music charts. It was certified gold in eight weeks and is currently a platinum album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Hudson (guitarist)</span> Brazilian-American heavy metal guitarist (born 1983)

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References

  1. ↑ Armstrong, Chuck (November 10, 2023). "Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Al Pitrelli Admits He's Living His Dream - 'Every Day Is a Pinch Me Moment". Loudwire. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  2. 1 2 BraveWords. "Ex-MEGADETH Guitarist Al Pitrelli On Dave Mustaine - "He Pulled Me Out Of A Pretty Troubled Personal Life"". bravewords.com. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Al Pitrelli". Radio Memphis. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  4. ↑ Blabbermouth (April 3, 2003). "JOE LYNN TURNER Goes Back To His Roots!". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  5. ↑ BraveWords. "SAVATAGE / TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA Guitarist AL PITRELLI Guests On The Double Stop With Brian Sword; Audio". bravewords.com. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  6. 1 2 "Al Pitrelli Recalls Offering David Ellefson a Gig He Turned Down, Says 90% of His Guitars Are Gibson". www.ultimate-guitar.com. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  7. 1 2 Armstrong, Chuck (November 10, 2023). "Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Al Pitrelli Admits He's Living His Dream - 'Every Day Is a Pinch Me Moment". Loudwire. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Al Pitrelli – Career". Archived from the original on January 18, 2007. Retrieved January 16, 2007. Al Pitrelli career history & bio.
  9. ↑ "A Conversation with John O.Reilly". April 28, 2019. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  10. 1 2 Blabbermouth (April 4, 2010). "Former MEGADETH/SAVATAGE Guitarist AL PITRELLI Interviewed On 'Iron City Rocks' Podcast". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  11. ↑ Forsythe, Tom (February 1990). "The Recurring Nightmare". Guitar. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  12. ↑ Marshall, Clay (November 13, 2019). "Trans-Siberian Orchestra are the biggest live rock draw in the US - here's how they did it". guitarworld. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Al Pitrelli". www.blueoystercult.com. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  14. ↑ Archived October 29, 2013, at the Wayback Machine ) Savatage Band FAQ, taken from www.savatage.com
  15. 1 2 "Former MEGADETH Guitarist Rejoins SAVATAGE". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. April 6, 2002. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  16. ↑ Blabbermouth (April 20, 2023). "JON OLIVA Says Upcoming SAVATAGE Album And Tour Will Be His 'Way Of Saying Goodbye To Everybody'". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Playlist: Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Al Pitrelli shares his favorite classics". USA TODAY. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  18. ↑ Sea of Tranquility, October 27, 2009
  19. ↑ Night Castle album credits.
  20. ↑ Blabbermouth (October 2, 2019). "AL PITRELLI Says Late TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA Mastermind PAUL O'NEILL Wanted To 'Outdo Himself Every Year'". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Megadeth Guitarist Marty Friedman Leaves Band". MTV. Archived from the original on September 25, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Metal Returns: Megadeth, Halford, Slayer". Billboard . February 20, 2001. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  23. ↑ "Megadeth to split up". BBC News . April 4, 2002. Retrieved January 21, 2014.
Preceded by
    		 Danger Danger guitarist
    1987–1988    		Succeeded by
    Preceded by Megadeth lead guitarist
    2000–2002     		Succeeded by
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