Paul O’Neill, songwriter and producer for Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Savatage, has died. And even through I have bitched a bit here and there about TSO swallowing up my first-ever favorite band, this blows. O’Neill helped make Savatage what they were (theatrical, symphonical, over-the-top-rock-opera-metal awesomeness), he co-wrote all music and wrote most of the words, and he introduced me to the glorious counterpart vocal madness in a few of my favorite songs. At 61, he definitely had more music in him. Hopefully TSO can and will carry on.
I’ve also compiled a Spotify playlist with my favorite Savatage/TSO tunes.