What's up, America.
We got ourselves another album to scrutinize this evening. . .
Album Title: A Twisted Christmas
Album Title: A Twisted Christmas
Album Artist: Twisted Sister
So my Christmas record collection, unbeknownst to me up until this point, was severely lacking in the harder rock niche of the genre. I've got plenty of classic crooner stuff in my Holiday Record Collectoin, and lots of children's music and movie soundtracks, classical pieces, gospel/religious music, jazz albums, country Christmas stuff, etc. Alas, nothing 'harder.' Not that that's necessarily my fault, mind you: honestly, there are very few Christmasy rock albums out there, aside, of course, from the early rock and roll classics - Holiday songs by Chuck Berry, the Beach Boys, Elvis, even the Sonics.
Within the last ten years, however, several rock bands have come forward with their own collection of Holiday offerings: bands like Weezer, Cheap Trick, Bad Religion, and this, Twisted Sister.
Now, in all fairness, I've never considered myself a fan of these guys. They had that one song in the '80s, which, if I found it on the radio on a commute to work, I wouldn't change the station, but I wouldn't necessarily go out of my way to listen to it. I certainly don't own any Twisted Sister albums on vinyl.
Well, now I do.
I had this in my iTunes library for a couple years before ultimately pulling the trigger and buying it off Discogs last month. This was a Record Store Day exclusive a few years back, and was released on festive green vinyl, and for $20, I said 'what the hell.'
This album delivers exactly what it promises: it's an '80s 'metal' band playing Christmas music, and it sounds just as one would imagine. They knock it out of the park with a few gems on this album, notably "O Come All Ye Faithful," "Silver Bells," "Deck the Halls," and "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," and even the weaker songs on the album (like the opener on Side A) aren't all-together terrible.
Honestly, I went out of my way to purchase this on vinyl because I find myself listening to it regularly (not all the way through, but about two-thirds of this album has made it into several of my Holiday playlists. These songs are a hell of a lot of fun, and if you fancy yourself a rock aficionado who doesn't mind a little cheese with their metal, you'd be downright stupid if you passed this one up.
As a life-long fan of rock music in general, and as someone who forgoes all his usual musical tendencies in favor of Christmas music during the Holiday season, I tend to start craving something 'harder' as we roll into December. I suffer from rock and roll, punk and metal withdrawals, I guess you could say. And since I'm a firm believer in the idea that one should only listen to Holiday music during the Holidays, this album right here helps take the edge off my cravings.
I really wish more bands out there would record Christmas albums (pay attention, Rancid.)
Within the last ten years, however, several rock bands have come forward with their own collection of Holiday offerings: bands like Weezer, Cheap Trick, Bad Religion, and this, Twisted Sister.Now, in all fairness, I've never considered myself a fan of these guys. They had that one song in the '80s, which, if I found it on the radio on a commute to work, I wouldn't change the station, but I wouldn't necessarily go out of my way to listen to it. I certainly don't own any Twisted Sister albums on vinyl.
Well, now I do.
I had this in my iTunes library for a couple years before ultimately pulling the trigger and buying it off Discogs last month. This was a Record Store Day exclusive a few years back, and was released on festive green vinyl, and for $20, I said 'what the hell.'This album delivers exactly what it promises: it's an '80s 'metal' band playing Christmas music, and it sounds just as one would imagine. They knock it out of the park with a few gems on this album, notably "O Come All Ye Faithful," "Silver Bells," "Deck the Halls," and "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," and even the weaker songs on the album (like the opener on Side A) aren't all-together terrible.
Honestly, I went out of my way to purchase this on vinyl because I find myself listening to it regularly (not all the way through, but about two-thirds of this album has made it into several of my Holiday playlists. These songs are a hell of a lot of fun, and if you fancy yourself a rock aficionado who doesn't mind a little cheese with their metal, you'd be downright stupid if you passed this one up.
As a life-long fan of rock music in general, and as someone who forgoes all his usual musical tendencies in favor of Christmas music during the Holiday season, I tend to start craving something 'harder' as we roll into December. I suffer from rock and roll, punk and metal withdrawals, I guess you could say. And since I'm a firm believer in the idea that one should only listen to Holiday music during the Holidays, this album right here helps take the edge off my cravings.I really wish more bands out there would record Christmas albums (pay attention, Rancid.)
VERDICT: 8/10 - Awesome (A ridiculously fun album to keep in Holiday Rotation, and one that fills the need for more 'rock' in one's Holiday listening. It loses a couple points for a few 'meh' tracks, as well as the fact that, honestly, it is Twisted Sister.)
- REMAINS IN ROTATION -
