From power metal to math rock, bands of all parts of the rock and metal spectrum at this time of year occasionally like to produce a festive number or two. So, we thought here at Rock Sins we would give a quick overview of a selection of some Christmas and holiday themed songs we’ve encountered this year so far.
Lawnmower Deth – Kids In America
Not a Christmas song as such, but through a somewhat fortuitous turn of events that involved them getting airplay and interviewed on BBC Radio Two, British thrashers Lawnmower Deth are attempting to take the coveted Christmas Number One slot this year with a cover of Kim Wilde’s Kids In America. All proceeds are going to the Sophie Lancaster Foundation so it would be rude (and tight fisted) of us all not to support them in their cause.
Buy Lawnmower Deth’s Kids In America cover and raise money for the SOPHIE foundation on iTunes – or Google Play – either location will cost you less than a quid.
Delta Sleep – Drivin’ Home For Christmas
A band who’ve been heralded by everyone from Q Magazine to Radio One this year, Brighton math rockers Delta Sleep got some of their friends onboard to record this unique cover of an old Christmas favourite. Check out their take on Drivin’ Home for Christmas:
Miss Vincent – Lonely This Christmas
Another south coast homegrown band who’ve done rather well for themselves this year, Hampshire punk rockers Miss Vincent have also turned their hands to a song that always ends up on the Christmas compilation CD’s. Check out their impressive take on Lonely This Christmas (originally by Mud), which was premiered by none other than the folks at Kerrang. Another cover supporting a good cause, with Miss Vincent donating all proceeds to the Phyllis Tuckell Hospice who help provide care to people with terminal illnesses and their families.
Buy Miss Vincent’s Lonely This Christmas cover and raise money for Phyllis Tuckwell from the band’s bandcamp store.
The Dollyrots – Run Run Rudolph
California pop punks The Dollyrots are more familiar with Christmas songs than most of the others on this list. It’s something of a Dollyrot tradition for the band to release a Christmas song every year, and this year they’ve chosen to do a cover of Chuck Berry’s Run Run Rudolph. It seems to work rather well.
Sonata Arctica – Christmas Spirits
Sadly the only song we don’t have an embed for on this list, Finnish power metal maestros Sonata Arctica have created a brand new song for the yuletide celebrations this year, entitled Christmas Spirits. The song is available both as an individual download, and as a special EP directly from their record label Nuclear Blast with three different versions of the song on it. Pick it up either from iTunes or from Nuclear Blast direct, it’s well worth the effort.
The Trans Siberian Orchestra ft Lzzy Hale – Forget About The Blame
Last and by no means least, the band who for many are the metal fans act of choice when it comes to the holiday season, The Trans Siberian Orchestra. The TSO have recently released a brand new album Letters From The Labyrinth, and Forget About The Blame, which features the considerable vocal talent of one Lzzy Hale from Halestorm, is a most welcome addition to their repertoire. All that’s missing is a TSO Christmas tour in the UK like those that happen in the US on an almost annual basis.
And there we have it, half a dozen songs related to jolly old St Nick and the festive season. If we’ve missed any others that our readers would recommend please let us know in the comments and we’ll be sure to check them out! Merry Christmas 2015 from Team Rock Sins!
