Twisted Christmas vs. Heavy Metal Christmas

So in faily recent years, both Twisted Sister and Helix released full Christmas albums.

And I think they're both fun. Not that it's necessary, but I was just wondering which one people tend to like better?

Twisted Sister's has that Twisted humor to it and you can't beat their version of 12 Days of Christmas. Add in a Lita Ford appearance and the fact that at least one, but maybe more(?), of the songs is basically just "We're Not Gonna Take It" with festive lyrics..and well, you've got a fun Yuletide album.

Helix's holiday offering is fun too...and I kinda of like their overall song choices better, as they include some of the more rockin' Christmas jams, plus the Lennon and McCartney tunes. However, I feel like HMC just sounds like any ol' rock n' roll Christmas album. It's lacks the band's stamp, which is what makes Twisted stand out so much.

So while both fun, at the end of the day, I'm going with Twisted Christmas. But just by a little.

How about Halford's Winter Songs?

ultmetal wrote:

How about Halford's Winter Songs?

That is a good one too, and first I considered including it, but TC and HMC to me seem more similar in spirit/sound than Halford's.

His might be better than both though. I quite enjoed that Winter Songs.

Never heard the Helix disc. Twisted Christmas gets a couple of spins every holiday season, but Halford's Winter Songs gets the most holiday play from me.

I prefer Halford's and also the Merry Axemas albums. TS's album is fun but I don't listen much.

I am not aware of a Helix Christmas album. As a matter of fact, I'm barely aware of any Helix albums, Christmas or otherwise.

So Twisted Sister wins by default.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

I am not aware of a Helix Christmas album. As a matter of fact, I'm barely aware of any Helix albums, Christmas or otherwise.

So Twisted Sister wins by default.

Helix is pretty fun, in general. If you like Twisted Sister and other of the more, you know, early "glam metal", when it was just metal in make-up and not as much a thing yet...ok, like LA metal(?), you would probably like like Helix. Like most of the other early bands, they got more commercial as the 80s went on, but it's all fun stuff.

But I'm sure you've heard "Rock You" before, right?

ZombieHavoc wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

I am not aware of a Helix Christmas album. As a matter of fact, I'm barely aware of any Helix albums, Christmas or otherwise.

So Twisted Sister wins by default.

Helix is pretty fun, in general. If you like Twisted Sister and other of the more, you know, early "glam metal", when it was just metal in make-up and not as much a thing yet...ok, like LA metal(?), you would probably like like Helix. Like most of the other early bands, they got more commercial as the 80s went on, but it's all fun stuff.

But I'm sure you've heard "Rock You" before, right?

I've heard of the band and I'm sure over the years probably heard a tune or 2, but I've never owned any Helix or actively sought them out.

I had no idea Helix released a Christmas album..... but TS does get a good bit of play from me during the Christmas season....as does Halford's and TSO.

Quote :

But I'm sure you've heard "Rock You" before, right?

"GIMME AN R!"
"R!"
"O!"
"C!"
"K!"
"WHATCHA GOT?"
"ROCK!"
"AND WHATCHA GONNA DO?"
"ROCK YOU!"

We Wish you a Hairy Xmas!!

1 - Warrant "Father Christmas"
2 - Danger Danger "Naughty Naughty Xmas"
3 - Enuff Z'Nuff "Happy Holiday"
4 - L.A. Guns "Run Run Rudolph"
5 - Bullet Boys "Everyday Should Be Like Christmas"
6 - Stevie Rachelle "Jingle Bell Rock"
7 - Every Mother's Nightmare "Won't Be Home For Xmas"
8 - Gilby Clarke "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"
9 - Pretty Boy Floyd "Happy Family"
10 - Roxx Gang "Santa's BAck In Town"
11 - Taime Downe "Silent Night"

Fat Freddy wrote:

Quote :

But I'm sure you've heard "Rock You" before, right?

"GIMME AN R!"
"R!"
"O!"
"C!"
"K!"
"WHATCHA GOT?"
"ROCK!"
"AND WHATCHA GONNA DO?"
"ROCK YOU!"

That song needs to join the other cheerleader anthem "Mickey" in HELL! That song guaranteed I would never listen to Helix.  

exact33 wrote:

We Wish you a Hairy Xmas!!

1 - Warrant "Father Christmas"
2 - Danger Danger "Naughty Naughty Xmas"
3 - Enuff Z'Nuff "Happy Holiday"
4 - L.A. Guns "Run Run Rudolph"
5 - Bullet Boys "Everyday Should Be Like Christmas"
6 - Stevie Rachelle "Jingle Bell Rock"
7 - Every Mother's Nightmare "Won't Be Home For Xmas"
8 - Gilby Clarke "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"
9 - Pretty Boy Floyd "Happy Family"
10 - Roxx Gang "Santa's BAck In Town"
11 - Taime Downe "Silent Night"

Spinal Tap - Christmas With the Devil should be there too - a glaring omission

exact33 wrote:

We Wish you a Hairy Xmas!!

1 - Warrant "Father Christmas"
2 - Danger Danger "Naughty Naughty Xmas"
3 - Enuff Z'Nuff "Happy Holiday"
4 - L.A. Guns "Run Run Rudolph"
5 - Bullet Boys "Everyday Should Be Like Christmas"
6 - Stevie Rachelle "Jingle Bell Rock"
7 - Every Mother's Nightmare "Won't Be Home For Xmas"
8 - Gilby Clarke "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"
9 - Pretty Boy Floyd "Happy Family"
10 - Roxx Gang "Santa's BAck In Town"
11 - Taime Downe "Silent Night"

This was actually the first Christmas album I ever bought and it turned me onto the idea of actually enjoying holiday music.

Although I only like about half of the album. That Taime Downe....god awful. I really wish he and FP would join the rest of their Hollywood brethren and get back to doing straight up sleaze...Faster P*ssycat were easily at the top of the heap.

And PBF's cover of We're a Happy Family, while fun of course (one of my favorite bands ever covering one of my other favorite bands ever!), it's a stretch to include. Sure they add a bit about "It's Christmas time everybody!" at the start, and there's the mention of Christmas cards...but yeah. Not really a holiday tune.

But the Warrant, Danger Danger, La Guns, Gilby Clarke and Roxx Gang tunes...love 'em.

When I worked in a supermarket years ago, they would start pumping out Christmas music right around Thanksgiving. After a week, I was soooo burned out on the traditional stuff, I didn't want to hear Christmas music ever again.

The first Merry Axemas album came out and it was like a breath of fresh air. It re-ignited my love of Christmas music, but in a more non-traditional way. That and the first time I heard TSO. Not working in that supermarket for 15+ years now helps too

^^ Same here, MG. When I worked for KMart in the early 90s they'd start pumping out Xmas music over the P.A. in early October.

Plus, I worked in the seasonal department with all the Christmas merch, which meant dealing with all of the noisy/musical ornaments and decorations, stuffed animals and other novelty items that played Xmas songs, what have you... and of course kids would push every "TRY ME!" button on EVERY damn item in the department all day long, so it was a constant barrage of forced holiday festivity!!! By the time the actual holiday finally came along, I was already so burned out on Christmas that I couldn't even enjoy myself. I'd get up, open presents with my family, go "yeah, OK, thanks," then I'd have a sandwich and go back to bed.

I am not much of a fan of new Christmas music. Old, traditional still does the trick on Christmas morning.

For seasonal listening, I prefer the 80s pop Christmas music. Billy Squier, Bryan Adams, The Waitresses, Paul McCartney, Elton John, The Ramones, The Kinks, John Lennon...you know what songs I am talking about.

I'm even kinda sick of TSO.

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

For seasonal listening, I prefer the 80s pop Christmas music. Billy Squier, Bryan Adams, The Waitresses, Paul McCartney, Elton John, The Ramones, The Kinks, John Lennon...you know what songs I am talking about.

I dig all those too....excepting Elton John.

Quote :

Old, traditional still does the trick on Christmas morning.

Dunno if this is exactly considered "traditional" (then again, it *is* celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, does that make it old enough to be a "tradition?") but this is still my fave Christmas album, and has been since I was a kid.

Fat Freddy wrote:

Quote :

Old, traditional still does the trick on Christmas morning.

Dunno if this is exactly considered "traditional" (then again, it *is* celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, does that make it old enough to be a "tradition?") but this is still my fave Christmas album, and has been since I was a kid.

Love this record too! It's a fave, along with this:

That Phil Spector album brings on flashbacks.

I have always like the "Monster Ballads Christmas" and "We Wish You a Metal Christmas and a Headbanging New year" personally. Alice Cooper's version of Santa Claws is coming to town is hilarious and Monster Ballads contains Stryper's live version of Winter Wonderland.





I had to add the second one just for Shawn.

I love the Alice tune to be sure. I feel Alice would do a great holiday album.

Also, though a lot of people bemoan the record, I gotta throw in Bob Dylan's Christmas record. Enjoy that one for sure.