It just wouldn't feel like a proper Christmas without something new from
Mannheim Steamroller to ring in the yuletide cheer. American Gramaphone's
Christmas Symphony collects familiar
Steamroller holiday classics and expands them with the help of
the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. Listeners looking for something new from the popular new age-pop/classical crossover/electro-prog outfit may come away from the project a tad disappointed, as the 16 featured tracks are essentially just orchestral versions (with electronic and percussive flourishes) of previous Christmas offerings like “Deck the Halls,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “Stille Nacht,” and “Carol of the Birds,” but the increased presence of more organic textures does manage to liven up some of the more dated-sounding keyboard patches and unnecessary drum fills, resulting in a solid, if still a bit corny, collection of seasonal splendor that’s been updated for the 21st century. ~ James Christopher Monger