Al Pitrelli is an American guitarist, best known for his work with the

Trans-Siberian Orchestra 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 (both members of Savatage) and keyboardist and co-producer Robert Kinkel to ...

Megadeth Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along wit ...

Alice Cooper Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...

Joe Lynn Turner Joe Lynn Turner (born Joseph Arthur Mark Linquito, August 2, 1951) is an American singer known for his work in the hard rock bands Rainbow, Yngwie J. Malmsteen and Deep Purple. During his career, Turner fronted and played guitar with pop ro ...

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

and

Savatage Savatage () was 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 thei ...

Career

Early career (1982–1995)

Pitrelli attended the

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

in the early 1980s (where keyboardist

Derek Sherinian Derek Sherinian (born August 25, 1966) is an American keyboardist who has toured and recorded for Alice Cooper, Billy Idol, and Joe Bonamassa, among others. He was also a member of Dream Theater from 1994 to 1999, is the founder of Planet X and ...

was his dorm roommate; they would later work together in the

band). While at Berklee, Pitrelli formed an original 1980s metal band with classmates that included

Venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...

guitarist Mike Hickey. After dropping out of Berklee, Pitrelli worked as a session musician and taught guitar lessons in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

and in Bellmore, Long Island. His first major label gig was performing with

Michael Bolton Michael Bolotin
, The Jewish Historical Society of New Haven, 1998. (born February 26, 1953), known professio ...

, 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 Samuel Roy Hagar (born October 13, 1947), also known as the Red Rocker, is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He rose to prominence in the early 1970s with the hard rock band Montrose and subsequently launched a successful solo car ...

and not Engelbert Humperdinck." In 1989, Pitrelli featured as second guitar on the song "Uptown" on bassist Randy Coven's first album "Funk Me Tender". He then joined forces with Coven and drummer John O'Reilly as a formal member of the Randy Coven Band to release "Sammy Says Ouch!". This lineup would also release an album under a different band name of Coven, Pitrelli, and Reilly (CPR). The album was simply titled "CPR" after the band. Pitrelli was

's guitarist and musical director from 1989 until 1991 on the '' Trashes The World'' tour. He then joined

Dee Snider Daniel "Dee" Snider (born March 15, 1955)Tayler, LettaTwisted Sister's Dee Snider remembers his challenging Long Island upbringing "Newsday", March 15, 2016Archived here/ref> is an American singer, songwriter, radio personality, and actor. He w ...

's band Widowmaker for two albums in the early/mid–1990s, and also briefly played with

Stephen Pearcy Stephen Eric Pearcy (born July 3, 1956) is an American musician. He is best known as the founder, singer, songwriter and sole remaining original member of the heavy metal band Ratt. He has also created the bands Firedome, Crystal Pystal, Arcade ...

(from the band

Ratt Ratt is an American glam metal band formed in San Diego, California, in the 1970s, that had significant commercial success in the 1980s, with their albums having been certified as gold, platinum, and multi-platinum by the RIAA. The group is bes ...

) in a band called

Vertex Vertex, vertices or vertexes may refer to: Science and technology Mathematics and computer science *Vertex (geometry), a point where two or more curves, lines, or edges meet *Vertex (computer graphics), a data structure that describes the position ...

. Pitrelli also joined

, appearing on their albums ''

Aqua Aqua is the Latin word for water. It is used in many words which relate to water, such as aquatic life. In English, it may also refer to: Arts * Aqua (color), a greenish-blue color Business * Aqua (skyscraper), an 82-story residential skysc ...

'' (1992) and ''

Aria In music, an aria (Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanime ...

'' (1994). He would go on to be featured on many New York sessions, including for

Kathy Troccoli Kathy is a feminine given name. It is a pet form of Katherine, Kathleen and their related forms. Kathy may refer to: In sports *Kathy Bald, Canadian freestyle swimmer *Kathy May, American tennis player *Kathy Radzuweit, German volleyball player ...

Taylor Dayne Taylor Dayne (born Leslie Wunderman; March 7, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She rose to fame in 1987 after her debut single " Tell It to My Heart". Dayne achieved six additional U.S. top-10 singles, including "Love Will ...

, Randy Coven and

Exposé Expose, exposé, or exposed may refer to: News sources * Exposé (journalism), a form of investigative journalism * '' The Exposé'', a British conspiracist website Film and TV Film * ''Exposé'' (film), a 1976 thriller film * ''Exposed'' (1932 ...

. His songs have been covered by Y&T,

Lita Ford Lita Rossana Ford (born 19 September 1958) is an English-born American guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. She was the lead guitarist for the all-female rock band the Runaways in the late 1970s, before embarking on a successful glam metal solo ...

and Derek Sherinian. For a month he substituted in

Blue Öyster Cult Blue Öyster Cult ( ; sometimes abbreviated BÖC or BOC) is an American Rock music, rock band formed on Long Island in Stony Brook, New York, in 1967, and best known for the singles "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", "Burnin' for You", and "Godzilla ( ...

Savatage (1995–2000)

Al joined

in 1995, joining at the same time as

Chris Caffery Christopher Caffery (born September 9, 1967) is an American musician, best known for his work as a member of Savatage and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Recently, Chris has been pursuing a solo career, releasing four albums since 2004. Biography ...

returned to the band; Caffery had previously been part of the band around the release of ''

Gutter Ballet ''Gutter Ballet'' is the fifth full-length album produced by the American progressive metal band Savatage. This was the second album created under the direction of producer Paul O'Neill and was initially released in December 1, 1989. Overview ...

'' in 1989. Pitrelli played guitar on the albums ''

Dead Winter Dead ''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 ...

'' (1995) and '' The Wake of Magellan'' (1997), and performed some lead guitar work on ''

Poets and Madmen ''Poets and Madmen'' is the eleventh 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 ...

'' (2001), despite being a member of Megadeth at the time. On that album, Pitrelli was responsible for 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. During his time with Savatage, he was asked by their producer Paul O'Neill if he was interested in joining his side project, the

. Pitrelli agreed and has played a role in all of their albums to date.

Trans Siberian Orchestra (1995–present)

Pitrelli has been a core member of the group since their first album. As well as being the main lead guitarist, he is also the live musical director. TSO's 2007 tour program credits his "edgy playing and vast musical lexicon" with making him a perfect fit for the band's constant boundary-pushing

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...

stylings. Pitrelli's leads are notable on "Tracers" and the instrumental "Toccata – Carpimus Noctem", the latter being a piece he co-wrote. Both songs form part of the group's fifth rock opera, on their 2009 album ''

Night Castle ''Night Castle'' is the fifth rock opera 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 r ...

''.

Megadeth (2000–2002)

Pitrelli was a member of

from 2000 to 2002, replacing

Marty Friedman Marty Friedman (born December 8, 1962) is an American guitarist, best known for his tenure as the lead guitarist for thrash metal band Megadeth from 1990 to 2000. He is also known for playing alongside Jason Becker in Cacophony from 1986 until ...

. Megadeth bandleader

Dave Mustaine David Scott Mustaine (born September 13, 1961) is an American musician. He is the co-founder, lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and primary songwriter of the thrash metal band Megadeth, as well as their sole consistent member. Mustaine has releas ...

asked him to join after hearing good reviews from their then-current drummer

Jimmy DeGrasso Jimmy DeGrasso (born March 16, 1963) is an American heavy metal drummer. DeGrasso played with Mama's Boys and Lita Ford before eventually working with Y&T and Megadeth and as a session or touring musician for Ozzy Osbourne (1986), White Lion ...

, with whom Pitrelli played during his days with Alice Cooper in the early 1990s. Pitrelli joined the band after an impromptu "audition" in front of a live crowd in Vancouver on January 16, 2000. Two nights after Friedman played his last show with Megadeth, Pitrelli was asked to play fifteen minutes before the show and was shocked by the prospect as they never rehearsed. He was present during the recording of '' Rude Awakening'', a live CD/DVD that was released in 2002. Pitrelli performed on their 2001 album ''

The World Needs a Hero ''The World Needs a Hero'' is the ninth studio album by American thrash metal band Megadeth, released on May 15, 2001 by Sanctuary Records. After the critical and commercial failure of the previous album ''Risk'' (1999), ''The World Needs a Hero ...

'', which has the song "Promises" which was co-written by Pitrelli and he played most of the guitar solos. When Megadeth entered hiatus after Mustaine injured his arm, Pitrelli rejoined Savatage on April 9, 2002, but did not tour with the band. He also continued his work with TSO, which he's still a member of today.

Recent work (2002–present)

In 1998, Pitrelli was featured on the video game album ''

Sonic Adventure is a 1998 platform game for Sega's Dreamcast and the first main '' Sonic the Hedgehog'' game to feature 3D gameplay. It follows Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, Knuckles the Echidna, Amy Rose, Big the Cat, and E-102 Gamma in their ...

Remix'', where he played guitar on a remix of the game's theme song " Open Your Heart".

Personal life

Al Pitrelli is currently married to Nicole Pitrelli, with whom he has two children: Olivia and Layla. Al also has three sons Jesse, Jamie and Zak.

Discography

;Danger Danger * '' Rare Cuts'' (2003) ;Hotshot * ''The Bomb'' (2005) ;Alice Cooper * '' Alice Cooper Trashes The World'' (DVD, 1990) * ''

Classicks ''Classicks'' is a compilation album by Alice Cooper, released by Epic Records in September, 1995. This release was to mark the end of Cooper's record contract with Epic Records, which had spanned three studio albums. Alice suggested its title. A ...

'' (1995) ;Asia * ''

'' (1992) * ''

'' (1994) ;Place Called Rage * ''Place Called Rage'' (1995) ;Randy Coven * ''Funk Me Tender'' (1989) * ''Sammy Says Ouch!'' (1990) ;Coven, Pitrelli, O'Reilly (CPR) * ''CPR'' (1992) ;Megadeth * '' Capitol Punishment: The Megadeth Years'' (2000) * ''

'' (2001) * ''

Behind the Music ''Behind the Music'' is a documentary television series on VH1. Each episode profiles and interviews a popular musical artist or group. The program examines the beginning of their career, their road to success, and the hardships they may have ...

'' (DVD, 2001) * '' Rude Awakening'' (2002) * '' Still Alive... and Well?'' (2002) * '' Greatest Hits: Back to the Start'' (2005) * '' Anthology: Set the World Afire'' (2008) ;Morning Wood * '' Morning Wood'' (1994) ;O'2L * ''O'2L'' * ''Doyle's Brunch'' * ''Eat a Pickle'' ;Savatage * ''

'' (1995) * '' The Wake of Magellan'' (1998) * ''

'' (2001) ;Trans-Siberian Orchestra * ''

Christmas Eve and Other Stories Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...

'' (1996) * ''

The Christmas Attic ''The Christmas Attic'' is the second album by the American rock band Trans-Siberian Orchestra, released in 1998. The cover art is by Edgar Jerins. On September 5, 2019, ''The Christmas Attic'' was certified 2× platinum by the Recording Indus ...

'' (1998) * ''

The Ghosts of Christmas Eve ''The Ghosts of Christmas Eve'' is a 1999 made-for-television film showcasing a Christmas music performance by Trans-Siberian Orchestra, starring Ossie Davis and Allie Sheridan. Guest performers included Michael Crawford and Jewel. Other perf ...

'' (DVD, 2000) * ''

Beethoven's Last Night ''Beethoven's Last Night'' is a rock opera by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, released in 2000. The album tells the fictional story of Ludwig van Beethoven on the last night of his life, as the devil, Mephistopheles, comes to collect his soul. Wit ...

'' (2000) * ''

The Lost Christmas Eve ''The Lost Christmas Eve'' is the fourth album by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. It was released on October 12, 2004, and is the last album in their "Christmas trilogy", with '' Christmas Eve and Other Stories'' (1996) and '' The Christmas Attic' ...

'' (2004) * Different Wings (2004)Released by RHINO Records, Warner Music Group * ''

'' (2009) * Letters From The Labyrinth (2015) ;Widowmaker * ''

Blood and Bullets ''Blood and Bullets'' ( it, Sangue di sbirro, also known as ''Knell, Bloody Avenger'') is a 1976 Italian poliziottesco film written and directed by Alfonso Brescia and starring Jack Palance, George Eastman and Jenny Tamburi. Plot Cast *Jack ...

'' (1992) * ''Stand by for Pain'' (1994) ;Vertex * ''Vertex'' (1996) ;Guitar Battle * ''

Guitar Battle A guitar battle (or ''guitar duel'') is where two or more guitar players take turns soloing, either with or without a rhythm section. The purpose of the guitar battle is to determine who among each of the guitar players present is the most pr ...

'' (1998)

References

External links

Interview with Al Pitrelli on metal4bremen.de
(German / English)
Interview with TSO's Music Director Al Pitrelli on melodic.net November 2020
(English) {{DEFAULTSORT:Pitrelli, Al Berklee College of Music alumni Danger Danger members American heavy metal guitarists Living people Savatage members Megadeth members American people of Italian descent Trans-Siberian Orchestra members Alice Cooper (band) members Asia (band) members American male guitarists Place of birth missing (living people) 20th-century American guitarists Year of birth missing (living people)