Hello everyone,

As you all know that it is December and you know what that means, CHRISTMAS SONGS!!!! There are the regular songs like Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You," or the Backstreet Boys "Christmas Time." But what if I told you there are covers of Christmas songs by bands in the pop-punk and metal scene. This is true. back sometime ago, Fearless Record's Punk Goes collection released Punk Goes Christmas. Last year, Fearless Records re-released the album with a deluxe bundle from new memorable songs. The bands that are on the album are New Found Glory, Crown the Empire, All Time Low, Real Friends, Jarrod Alonge, Man Overboard, Issues, Set It Off, Yellowcard, and August Burns Red. The songs on the album include the Home Alone theme, "Merry Christmas," "Happy Holidays," "Sleigh Ride," and many more. Some songs were made up for the album or renamed, and this includes Jarrod Alonge's version of the "12 Days Of Christmas," which is rightfully named "12 Days of Pop-Punk Christmas." The other song was the Set It Off's song, "This Christmas (I'll Burn It to the Ground)." The song talks about the story from How the Grinch Stole Christmas. But other songs were already named from the original performers, but added in a pop-punk feeling like Issues doing the cover for NSYNC's "Merry Christmas," Happy Holidays with Tyler singing all of the high pitch notes while Michael came in with screaming and Tyler just hitting the last note of the bridge before the song ends. This gives you chills as he holds that note for awhile. Another song that had the original name was the Home Alone theme. August Burns Red did the cover and it is one of the greatest instrumental songs in my opinion because the guitar, bass, and drums gives the holiday feeling with some heavy metal mixed into it as well. The original version of the album is on ITunes for $9.99 while the deluxe edition is $12.99. I will include the purchase links if you want to buy it or stream it with Apple Music or Spotify.

ITunes Standard Edition: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/punk-goes-christ...

ITunes Deluxe Edition: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/punk-goes-christ...

When some people think of Christmas songs, they do not expect metal artists to be in the holiday spirit. But this is true as heavy metal bands like August Burns Red, Sirens & Sailors, Spinal Tap, Twisted Sister, and many more metal legends that includes Judas Priest lead singer Rob Halford's Christmas album. In the past, August Burns Red has done Christmas song covers like the Home Alone theme, "Sleigh Ride," and
"Carol's Bells," (used in the Christmas episode of American Dad). August Burns Red has done a good amount of covers which did not surprise me, but what surprised me that Rob Halford has an entire Christmas album. Sirens & Sailors are a heavy metal band from upstate NY, which is about two and half hours away from my college, and they produce heavy songs, like really heavy. Two weeks ago Sirens & Sailors released a cover song for "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch." I will also link the video for Sirens & Sailors. Some old heavy metal bands also did Christmas songs with Spinal Tap doing" Christmas With The Devil" and Twisted Sister doing "I'll Be Home For Christmas."

Sirens & Sailors, "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch"

To end this article, even bands today have done Christmas songs that are great to listen to for the holidays if you don't like the traditional music. One band is from Los Angeles, California, named Hollywood Undead, back in the day they did a Christmas song called "Christmas In Hollywood." The song composed of all 6 members singing verses as they would transfer off one another's verses. Some of lyrics are vulgar like saying

He said Christmas ain't a gang but a way of life.
"if you guide my sleigh, I'll let you fuck my wife."

Back then, Hollywood Undead were not the nicest from a lyrical stand point, but the song has a catchy beat. People liked the song every time they play it and get used to the vulgar language in the lyrics. I will never hate Hollywood Undead because I like all of their songs and that is why they are my favorite band ever. In the pop-punk scene the guys from Ocala, Florida, A Day to Remember which did a Christmas song called "Right Where You Want Me To Be." The song talked about the past year and about other New Years/Christmas stuff like not wanting to see the family and worrying about yourself during the holidays.

So have a happy holiday everyone, enjoy being with family and friends, listen to these amazing songs for fun or when you are bored. Hope to continue doing this in 2017 and if you live in the tri-state area and come to a concert, all that you may know you will find me at the shows and hanging with the bands.