Halford III - Winter Songs

I always forget to pull this one out this time of year, but today I remembered. This is a great Christmas record! The opening track would find a nice home on any of Halford’s other albums. But it’s the metal/rock versions of classics like We Three Kings, O Come, O Come Emanuel, What Child Is This, and Oh Holy Night where this album shines. I wish more bands would do albums like this, especially Christian bands who have even more reason to sing about the newborn Savior. Some of these songs (and others Rob didn’t do here) translate so well into metal songs.

They translate pretty well as punk songs too:




What I really like about this album is that they don't change the words and they sing the obscure verses as well as the ones everyone knows.

I love halford's winter songs. Always play it in the car during this time of the year.

Spun it the other night. Good stuff indeed.

Funny thing is that, once Chrismas season is over, the cd is back on the shelves.

Quote :

Funny thing is that, once Chrismas season is over, the cd is back on the shelves.

Yes, I think if the melodies to most of these songs weren't already ingrained in me, I would probably think that they sounded very out of place in the songs. I would be more inclined to listen to songs like "I Don't Care" which sound more like classic Halford to me. This is an album that is very contingent on the season.

Yea, this album has no replay value outside of the holiday season, but I dig it anyway.
"O Come Emmanuel" was my late father's favorite Christmas hymn. I often wonder what he would have thought of Halford's version, haha

Quote :

I wish more bands would do albums like this, especially Christian bands who have even more reason to sing about the newborn Savior.

Sorry, but... (rolls eyes)

He does a good job on these, enjoy this one better then most Christmas albums.

i like Winter songs. Good stuff but then again i am a sucker for a metal christmas album.

I wonder. Is rob a Christian?

Love this album. Sure, it doesn't get much love in the middle of a hot August day, but during the Christmas season, it's a regular spinner for me.

Gilbert wrote:

I wonder. Is rob a Christian?

There are some folks out there that say because of his lifestyle choices, he cannot be. And by that, I mean a singer of heavy metal. It's the devil's music

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Love this album. Sure, it doesn't get much love in the middle of a hot August day, but during the Christmas season, it's a regular spinner for me.

Gilbert wrote:

I wonder. Is rob a Christian?

There are some folks out there that say because of his lifestyle choices, he cannot be. And by that, I mean a singer of heavy metal. It's the devil's music

I think Rob has stated in the past that he "believes in God"...but that's pretty broad and the most I've ever seen him say on the subject.

If anyone’s interested - there’s a video on YouTube -
Title is “ Rob Halford Kicks Phone out of fans hand “
The comments are great too !

Glower wrote:

If anyone’s interested - there’s a video on YouTube -
Title is “ Rob Halford Kicks Phone out of fans hand “
The comments are great too !

Old news. Welcome to a week ago.

I hated this album. Generic backing tracks.

Quote :

If anyone’s interested - there’s a video on YouTube -
Title is “ Rob Halford Kicks Phone out of fans hand “
The comments are great too !

I was actually at that show! I didn't even see it when it happened (must have been looking off another direction) and only heard about it the next day online.

I wonder what 1989/1990 Sebastian Bach would do if he were suddenly transplanted into a 2019 show with a thousand cell phone cameras in his face.

The shock of sudden timejump transplantation aside, his brain would melt on the spot and his legs would go into autopilot turbo kick mode.

Good news for fans of this one: he has a new Christmas album called Celestial coming out in October.

The cool things is that it will also feature four original compositions. There's a video out for "Donner and Blitzen." I already like this one better than the recognizable Christmas melodies.

I'll check it out, we need some new Christmas songs.

I was just going to start a thread about this, haha. Rob must reeeaaaallly like Christmas, haha.

I'm sure I'll check it out but the new song was kinda "meh" for me. Sounds like he just mashed up "Judas Rising" from Angel of Retribution and "Lightning Strikes" off Firepower, and put some holiday lyrics on it.

I can’t blame Halford for trying to make a buck from the Christmas metal thing... cuz everyone knows how successful TSO has been. I have his other Winter Songs album, but I barely ever listen to it. If I want a metal-ized Christmas, I’ll just listen to Deliverance’s rendition of Silent Night a few times and be done with it.

To be fair, the new song actually sounds pretty good. I thinks it’s better than anything from Winter Songs. And if you aren’t paying attention to the lyrics, it sound just like a regular Priest song from the last couple albums.

The Donner party ate Blitzen.

Quote :

Sounds like he just mashed up "Judas Rising" from Angel of Retribution and "Lightning Strikes" off Firepower, and put some holiday lyrics on it.

Interesting formula, nonetheless!

Cool i am in!