The Twelve Days of Reviewmas: Day 7: We Wish You a Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year

Welcome to Day 7 of The Twelve Days of Reviewmas, in today's post i will be reviewing a album called We Wish You a Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year which is a album that consist of many Rock/Metal musicians covering Christmas songs and Each track puts together a unique supergroup playing a traditional Christmas selection. It was released on October 14th, 2008.

So now since i was able to kill two birds with one stone let's get on to the tracks shall we in which i will put the musicians name next to the song and notable bands/Artists they are from or preformed with i'm also including 4 Bonus Tracks

Track 1: We Wish You a Merry Xmas preformed by Jeff Scott Soto (Yngwie Malmsteen, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) Bruce Kulick (KISS, Grand Funk Railroad,) Chris Wyse (The Cult, Ozzy Osborune, Jerry Cantrell, Ace Frehley) Ray Luzier (Korn, David Lee Roth, Steel Panther, Stone Temple Pilots)

So this track is a good cover of this classic Xmas carol everyone here preforms it well especially Jeff Scott Soto is a very underrated and very good vocalist he once sang The Show Must Go On by Queen which is a very hard song to sing and he was able to do it the others do well here too.
Rating 10/10

Track 2: Run Rudolph Run preformed by Lemmy Kilmister (Motorhead) Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top) and Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters)

This might be the most well known song from this album and i can understand why it's a very great cover of a great Chuck Berry song and it's sung by Lemmy who in my opinion is a god of Rock N Roll and also Billy Gibbions and Dave Grohl doing a great job at the guitar and drums overall one of the best songs from this album and the ending line is Merry Christmas MotherF[censored]
Rating 10/10

Track 3: Santa Claws is Coming to Town preformed by Alice Cooper, John 5 (Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie) Billy Sheehan, Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath, Dio)

Here's my favorite version of Santa Claus (spelled Claws) because Alice Cooper manages to turn the song into his style which you wouldn't think would work but it does and it does very well. and everyone else does a good job too the solo is also really good
Rating 10/10

Track 4:. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen preformed by Ronnie James Dio (Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio) Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath) Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot,) and Simon Wright (AC/DC, Dio)

Here is my favorite song from this album because Ronnie James Dio does excellent vocals like he pretty much always does and Iommi does great doomy guitar work and everyone else does a good job here to into turning a christmas carol into a Doomy Dio era Black Sabbath song.
Rating10/10

Track 5: Silver Bells preformed by Geoff Tate (Queensryche, Operation: Mindcrime) Carlos Cavazo (Quiet Riot) James LoMenzo (Black Label Society, Megadeth) and Ray Luzier

Heres another great version of Silver Bells i thought Twisted Sister's version was good but this one is better because Geoff Tate does a good job here and so does everyone else here i also like it more than Twisted Sisters one because it's faster and more metal like and the solos are better.
Rating 10/10

Track 6: Little Drummer Boy preformed by Doug Pinnick, George Lynch (Dokken) Billy Sheehan, and Simon Phillips (Judas Priest)

I have never been a big fan of this Christmas Carol and i'm not a big fan of this cover either it's not bad but i prefer the other songs to this one.
Rating 8/10

Track 7: Santa Claus Is Back in Town preformed by Tim "Ripper" Owens (Judas Priest, Iced Earth, Yngwie Malmsteen) Steve Morse (Deep Purple) Juan Garcia, Marco Mendoza (Thin Lizzy) and Vinny Appice

This cover is really good because Tim Owens does a very good job here i honestly don't get why he gets so much hate he may not be Rob Halford but he still very good singer he was good in Iced Earth too and everone else does a good job here too especially Steve Morse.
Rating 10/10

Track 8: Silent Night preformed by Chuck Billy (Testament) Scott Ian (Anthrax, S.O.D.) Jon Donais (Shadows Fall) Christ Wyse and John Tempesta (Exodus, Testament, White Zombie, Rob Zombie)

Here's the Thrash song on the album and it features Thrash Musicians and it's done very well Chuck Billy does a good job with the vocals and uses his growls and normal vocals which surprisingly work here, Scott Ian does the guitar work fine especially the solos and everyone else did a good job too.
Rating 10/10

Track 9: Deck the Halls preformed by Oni Logan, Craig Goldy (Dio) Tony Franklin and John Tempesta

This is a great version of Deck the Halls everyone here did great and not much else to say.
Rating 10/10

Track 10: Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer preformed by Stephan Pearcy (Ratt) Tracii Guns, Bob Kulick, Billy Sheehan and Gregg Bissonette

This is a good cover i don't hate the original song i find it kinda funny i don't have much else to say moving on.
Rating 10/10

Track 11: Rockin' Around the Xmas Tree preformed by Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow, Deep Purple, Yngwie Malmsteen) Bruce Kulick, Bob Kulick, Rudy Sarzo, Simon Wright

Now this is an amazing cover everything here is done very well it's a fast paced song and it works to it's advantage and Joe's vocals are done very well here he's pretty underrated too This is my 2nd favorite cover from this album.
Rating 10/10

Track 12: Happy Xmas (War Is Over) preformed by Tommy Shaw (Styx) Steve Lukather (Toto) Marco Mendoza and Kenny Aronoff

This is the final track for the album without bonus tracks its a good cover of the John Lennon song i would have preferred if The last song was final song but this song is fine end to the album.
Rating 10/10

Bonus Track 1: O Christmas Tree preformed by Doro Pesch, Frankie Banali, (Quiet Riot) Michael Schenker (Scorpions, U.F.O.) and Tony Franklin

This is a good cover not much else to say.
Rating 10/10

Bonus Track 2: Auld Lang Syne preformed by Girlschool

Rating 10/10

Bonus Track 3: Frosty the Snowman preformed by Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, Chris Chaney, Kenny Aronoff, Steve Kudlow (Anvil)

My favorite version of this song.

Rating 10/10
Bonus Track 4: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer preformed by Dez Fafara (DevilDriver, Coal Chamber)Blasko AKA Rob Nicholson (Rob Zombie, Ozzy Osbourne) Doug Aldrich( Whitesnake, Dio,) and John Tempesta

My favorite version of this song. My favorite of the 4 bonus track.

Rating 10/10

This album has so many talented musicans and almost all the songs are good and i won't add up the scores because i only have to deduct 2 from 100 to get the score which is anyway i recomend this album for any Hard Rock/Metal Fan whow ants to hear Hard Rock/Metal versions of Xmas songs.

Album Rating 98/100

Album Ranked best to worst so far.

1. Christmas Eve and Other Stories - TSO
2. Wintersun - Wintersun
3. Beethoven's Last Night - TSO
4. We Wish You A Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year - Various Artists
5. Twisted Christmas - Bob Rivers
6. I Am Santa Claus - Bob Rivers
7. A Twisted Christmas - Twisted Sister
8. The Christmas Attic - TSO

Next Post The Lost Christmas Eve - Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Comments

Oh yes, another favorite Xmas album of mine. Gives me a metal feel AND a Xmas feel. Can't get any better.
My favorite cover versions:
Rocking Round the Christmas Tree
Santa Claus Is Back In Town
Run Rudolph Run
We Wish You a Merry Xmas (Jeff Scott Soto actually says "We Wish You a Metal Xmas" and I love it) - Metal_Treasure

This would be partially off topic but I wanna add that the best metal cover of Little Drummer Boy is the version by Theocracy. I loved this Xmas carol thanks to their cover. - Metal_Treasure