As another holiday season approaches, the folks at EagleRock Entertainment/Armoury Records have released this hard rock/metal all-star gathering called We Wish You a Metal Xmas...And a Happy New Year, a fun-filled collection of Christmas staples organized by Wendy Dio, Bob Kulick, and Brett Chassen, featuring a host of rockers from many facets of the heavy rock world. Highlights here include Ronnie James Dio & Tony Iommi giving a doomy feel to "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", Motorhead's Lemmy teaming with ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons for a heavy blues rock take on "Run Rudolph Run" (play it Billy, play it!), Tim "Ripper" Owens tearing up "Santa Claus Is Back In Town" alongside Dixie Dregs/Deep Purple legend Steve Morse, and a real hooter of a spin on the already hilarious "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer" with Ratt's Stephen Pearcy and Tracii Gunn. The list of musicians & singers here is stellar, including George Lynch, Billy Sheehan, Jeff Scott Soto, Alice Cooper, John 5, Vinnie Appice, Scott Ian, Dug Pinnick, Geoff Tate, Carlos Cavazo, Joe Lynn Turner, Steve Lukather, Tommy Shaw, the Kulick brothers, and many more. Probably my least favorite piece here, though I give them an 'A' for trying something different, is "Silent Night" done up somewhat in a death metal style by Testament's Chuck Billy. As cool as Chuck's menacing growls are here, it just doesn't sound right hearing this holiday 'heart-tugger' so evil...or does it?
End result here is a fun set of headbanging holiday tunes that will have you singing along and playing your air-guitar as you sip your spiked egg nog and chomp down some of them tasty sugar cookies that you left out by the chimney for Santa.
Track Listing
1 We Wish You A Merry Xmas (Jeff Scott Soto/ Bruce & Bob Kulick/ Chris Wyse / Ray Luzier)
2. Run Rudolph Run (Lemmy / Billy F. Gibbons / Dave Grohl)
3. Santa Claws is Coming to Town (Alice Cooper / John 5 / Billy Sheehan / Vinny Appice)
4. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Ronnie James Dio / Tony Iommi / Rudy Sarzo / Simon Wright)
5. Silver Bells (Geoff Tate/ Carlos Cavazo / James Lomenzo / Ray Luzier)
6. Little Drummer Boy (Dug Pinnick / George Lynch / Billy Sheehan / Simon Phillips
7. Santa Claus Is Back In Town (Tim "Ripper" Owens / Steve Morse / Juan Garcia / Marco Mendoza / Vinny Appice)
8. Silent Night (Chuck Billy / Scott Ian / Jon Donais / Chris Wyse / John Tempesta )
9. Deck the Halls (Oni Logan / Craig Goldy / Tony Franklin / John Tempesta)
10. Grandma Got Ran Over By A Reindeer (Stephen Pearcy / Billy Sheehan / Greg Bissonette)
11. Rocking Round the Xmas Tree (Joe Lynn Turner / Bruce Kulick / Rudy Sarzo / Simon Wright)
12. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (Tommy Shaw / Steve Lukather / Marco Mendoza / Kenny Aronoff)
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