AC/DC, Green Day, And Metallica Christmas Tunes Rock The Halls

It could’ve gone so, so wrong—the reimaginings of songs from rock’s elite as ringing instrumental holiday chestnuts, writes Nicole Keiper of Gibson.com. There isn’t much, really, in the dark grind of Metallica’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls” that hints at the titular bell being the holiday kind.

The odd thing about Christmas Rock Records’ new Wreck the Halls series of holiday tributes, though, is that its orchestral renditions of hits from Metallica, AC/DC, and Green Day don’t just manage to add a dash of holiday cheer to the bands’ otherwise smashing rock songs. At their best turns, they put a red-and-green spotlight on the songcraft that—and this isn’t the egg nog talking—actually elevates the melodic structures the original artists created.

The approach is exactly what you’d expect—Angus Young and James Hetfield’s guitar slashes are transposed onto chiming electric piano, and Hetfield and AC/DC singer Brian Johnson’s shredded-throat vocal melodies are delivered via bells, strings, or glockenspiel. But the group of players here—dubbed Santa Claws and the Naughty But Nice Orchestra—pull off some bizarrely spot-on arrangements, keeping the original songs’ core fully apparent, but getting the tree-trimming mood through just as cleanly.

Some songs work better than others. Metallica’s dark and winding melodies are appallingly well threaded into the Christmas-music ouvre on …And Christmas for All: The Holiday Tribute to Metallica. But maybe that shouldn’t be that surprising—The Nutcracker Suite, plenty dark and winding itself, offers some of Christmas music’s most compelling sounds. On The Green Days of Christmas: The Holiday Tribute to Green Day, Green Day’s “Holiday,” a riot of shuffles and string swells, almost sounds better this way, save the cornball synth horns.

But to be fair, Claws and Co. have to stretch at points to pull AC/DC’s taut rhythmic attack into snowy, soothing melodies. Still, even that stuff lands right some of the time; the Hell’s Bells of Christmas: The Holiday Tribute to AC/DC version of “Moneytalks” sounds nicely suited for the mall PA system.

It’s not a new concept, exactly—Trans-Siberian Orchestra has been pooling holiday tidings and prog-metal tones into a tidy profit for some time now. But the difference here is that the Wreck the Halls folks haven’t tried to approximate loud-rock tones in new holiday tunes—they’ve pulled long-absorbed metal and punk melodies wholly into the holiday-music sound, and against all logic, somehow made it far more fun than horrifying.

You might not find yourself drawn to listen to the stuff in July, so much, but for folks weaned on those bands’ original distorted-chord attacks, the Wreck the Halls discs make a less tedious soundtrack for present-wrapping, nog-imbibing, family freak-outs, and other holiday traditions.

Credits for the info to Gibson.com.

Comments

[Spay]

Some people have just to much time to do these things

But, can't wait to see how they turned out.

Jingle Hells Bells

Cheers

[Comeback Kiddd]

What has this world come to.

[Bazilisck311]

I love egg nogg... I'll take one!

[mfkr]

I would rather be shot than listen to that.

[nikkifm]

it would be better than the other crappy christmas music

[Breakfast_Rock]

AC/DC already has a Christmas song: "Mistress for Christmas" on the Razor's Edge album. =P

I love this kind of stuff, I'll have a look for this

[WeR138]

I was sent a copy of the Metallica cd to review and it's actually really cool. There is also the Rockabye baby cd's and the metallica one is pretty cool as well. You just gotta be open minded music wise.

[pdq13]

WARNNG LABEL ON THIS ALBUM IS AS FOLLOWS-DANGER-EMETIC!Musicians bitch about people downloading their material off the internet while concocting painful auditory attacks like this?!Keep doing this kind of shit an your troubles may be over!

[Stampede]

this seems like a pretty cool idea

[South-of-Heaven]

"For Whom The Bell Tolls" is in no way dark or grinding. It's a shitty waste of space that has gained popularity by the moral majority for being mid-tempo, easy to memorise and headbang to.

Big Metallica fan all the same. That song is the weak link on "Ride the Lightning", it really is.

[M.B.MetalTabber]

This sounds wierd

[KillerZombie]

Like the cover....

[goddamncanadian]

South-of-Heaven wrote:

"For Whom The Bell Tolls" is in no way dark or grinding. It's a shitty waste of space that has gained popularity by the moral majority for being mid-tempo, easy to memorise and headbang to.

Big Metallica fan all the same. That song is the weak link on "Ride the Lightning", it really is.

and this is coming from an even bigger slayer fan, who expects 1,000,000 notes per bar

[tlohrmann13]

wow...that was pretty bad. i mean i guess it was ok..in a weird way

[KillerZombie]

I think it would better if it had less...jingle and rings of bells. I mean, every song has jingle bells

[SSDDPunkRocker]

I was hoping maybe some better twists for Green Day, instead of "Holiday." Maybe:

"All I Want For Christmas Is Maria"
"Santa Claus Is [Home]Coming To Town"
"I Saw Mommy Kissing Jesus Of Suburbia"
"Rudolph the American Idiot"

[pouyannassiri]

hahahaha these people need to get a life i mean come on how can u turn for whom the bell tolls into a christmas song? how are u gonna say the part "Take a look at the sky just before u die, its the last time you will" in a christmasy way?

[mchugh92]

goddamncanadian wrote:

South-of-Heaven wrote:

"For Whom The Bell Tolls" is in no way dark or grinding. It's a shitty waste of space that has gained popularity by the moral majority for being mid-tempo, easy to memorise and headbang to.

Big Metallica fan all the same. That song is the weak link on "Ride the Lightning", it really is.


and this is coming from an even bigger slayer fan, who expects 1,000,000 notes per bar

there are a few slayer songs that are midtempo, and south of heaven the album is full of them, so yous are both wrong lol

[Bpags868]

I've heard stuff like this before. I heard the Christmas edition of Master of Puppets and almost died from laughter. It's hilarious, they have sleigh bells and violins and it sounds so light and you would never guess it's a metal song.

[Hellvitica]

goddamncanadian wrote:

South-of-Heaven wrote:

"For Whom The Bell Tolls" is in no way dark or grinding. It's a shitty waste of space that has gained popularity by the moral majority for being mid-tempo, easy to memorise and headbang to.

Big Metallica fan all the same. That song is the weak link on "Ride the Lightning", it really is.


and this is coming from an even bigger slayer fan, who expects 1,000,000 notes per bar

i sense a war coming on. lol

these albums are made by people who have nothing better to do with their time. theyve got nothing to do, so they wreck classics. its gay and it should be stopped.

and to add fuel to the fire, for whom the bell tolls is probably the worst metallica song, yes even worse than st. anger lol.

the song goes nowhere. absolutely nowhere

[blindfatkid23]

SSDDPunkRocker wrote:

I was hoping maybe some better twists for Green Day, instead of "Holiday." Maybe:

"All I Want For Christmas Is Maria"
"Santa Claus Is [Home]Coming To Town"
"I Saw Mommy Kissing Jesus Of Suburbia"
"Rudolph the American Idiot"

working claus hero

[tbarrettl]

Hellvitica wrote:

goddamncanadian wrote:

South-of-Heaven wrote:

"For Whom The Bell Tolls" is in no way dark or grinding. It's a shitty waste of space that has gained popularity by the moral majority for being mid-tempo, easy to memorise and headbang to.

Big Metallica fan all the same. That song is the weak link on "Ride the Lightning", it really is.


and this is coming from an even bigger slayer fan, who expects 1,000,000 notes per bar

i sense a war coming on. lol

these albums are made by people who have nothing better to do with their time. theyve got nothing to do, so they wreck classics. its gay and it should be stopped.

and to add fuel to the fire, for whom the bell tolls is probably the worst metallica song, yes even worse than st. anger lol.

the song goes nowhere. absolutely nowhere

Oh please both Metallica and Slayer are great, I can't think of any 2 bands in the current metal scene that can directly compare.

[Decembero]

South-of-Heaven wrote:

"For Whom The Bell Tolls" is in no way dark or grinding. It's a shitty waste of space that has gained popularity by the moral majority for being mid-tempo, easy to memorise and headbang to.

Big Metallica fan all the same. That song is the weak link on "Ride the Lightning", it really is.

they wrote it from cliff's little bass solo intro thing he invented... I wouldnt bash it too much because it is a well liked tune, and its a break from the early thrash sound from a lot of other songs on the album. Who cares if they wanted to mix the tones and tempos up in the album? why the f*ck not?

[TehShiz]

tbarrettl wrote:


Hellvitica wrote:

goddamncanadian wrote:

South-of-Heaven wrote:

"For Whom The Bell Tolls" is in no way dark or grinding. It's a shitty waste of space that has gained popularity by the moral majority for being mid-tempo, easy to memorise and headbang to.

Big Metallica fan all the same. That song is the weak link on "Ride the Lightning", it really is.


and this is coming from an even bigger slayer fan, who expects 1,000,000 notes per bar

i sense a war coming on. lol

these albums are made by people who have nothing better to do with their time. theyve got nothing to do, so they wreck classics. its gay and it should be stopped.

and to add fuel to the fire, for whom the bell tolls is probably the worst metallica song, yes even worse than st. anger lol.

the song goes nowhere. absolutely nowhere


Oh please both Metallica and Slayer are great, I can't think of any 2 bands in the current metal scene that can directly compare.

I'm just going to add to this mindless arguement. Yea the I agree with tbarretl, and whats wrong with "For Whom The Bell Tolls"? It's not really a bad song i guess. What do you mean by "the song goes nowhere"?

[blink182plus44]

working claus hero

You do know thats not by them, its just a cover of John Lennon, right?

[zoastev]

lol the ablum is called "...And Christmas For All"

[ihaterap69]

blindfatkid23 wrote:

SSDDPunkRocker wrote:

I was hoping maybe some better twists for Green Day, instead of "Holiday." Maybe:

"All I Want For Christmas Is Maria"
"Santa Claus Is [Home]Coming To Town"
"I Saw Mommy Kissing Jesus Of Suburbia"
"Rudolph the American Idiot"

working claus hero

hahaha

nice.

a green day xmas album? wtf?

[gunnabefamous69]

Hellvitica wrote:

goddamncanadian wrote:

South-of-Heaven wrote:

"For Whom The Bell Tolls" is in no way dark or grinding. It's a shitty waste of space that has gained popularity by the moral majority for being mid-tempo, easy to memorise and headbang to.

Big Metallica fan all the same. That song is the weak link on "Ride the Lightning", it really is.


and this is coming from an even bigger slayer fan, who expects 1,000,000 notes per bar


i sense a war coming on. lol

these albums are made by people who have nothing better to do with their time. theyve got nothing to do, so they wreck classics. its gay and it should be stopped.

and to add fuel to the fire, for whom the bell tolls is probably the worst metallica song, yes even worse than st. anger lol.

the song goes nowhere. absolutely nowhere

i like how u guys rag on eachother about there music and how u expect more when the truth is these guys are famous and making music, doesnt matter what kind, and u guys are just the ones that sit at home and listen to there music and maybe make a few of ur own and go nowhere in life

[gunnabefamous69]

and i also agree with this TehShiz guy above in saying that theres nothing really bad with for whom the bell tolls because honestly if i went to a metallica show i would want them to play that song becasue its not a bad song and its good for rocking out to

[OzzyTheDevil]

Now Maybe The Song Jingle Bell Rock Will Be A Rock Song For Once I Heard What Twisted Sister Did And There X-Mas Album Is Bad Ass Christmas Rocks Now


God Rock Us Every One!!!!!

[Bobbito315]

gunnabefamous69 wrote:

and i also agree with this TehShiz guy above in saying that theres nothing really bad with for whom the bell tolls because honestly if i went to a metallica show i would want them to play that song becasue its not a bad song and its good for rocking out to

I agree with both of your posts. On topic I kinda like checkin out wierd remixes and such so I'll prolly check it out if I come across it. I have the rockabye baby metallica album and I was kind of dissappointed in it. It's cool but they only play like one section of each song over and over.

Checked.

[deNJi_RoCks]

whats wrong with christmas tunes?
it aint crappy. it would be cool to sign rock covers of christmas songs.
oh yeah, neither of the bands suck. you know it.

[Metallicachris]

Oh, nice idea actually! Would be cool to lesten to Metallica in christmas version! For Whom The Christmasbells Tolls.

[Raizer Sabre]

for some reason, i'm getting images of like enter santaman and the santa of suburbia and stuff like that XD if anything, it should be a good laugh lol

[Scorge]

if you want REAL christmas music for mature(or immature) people, then pick up a copy of herniated jingle balls by john valby. its a must have for those holiday seasons with annoying family members.

[MonsterOfRock]

South-of-Heaven :
"For Whom The Bell Tolls" is in no way dark or grinding. It's a shitty waste of space that has gained popularity by the moral majority for being mid-tempo, easy to memorise and headbang to.

Big Metallica fan all the same. That song is the weak link on "Ride the Lightning", it really is.

Out of everyone in UG who ever started a band, do you have any idea how many people used 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' as one of the starting cover songs? I think that deserves some freakin' respect around this website.

[gavz_verdikt]

Like the sound of an Armageddon Rain
Comin down like the pain and misery

Sure hell of a g8 version of Deck D HallZ!!

[Huntingtoner]

MonsterOfRock wrote:

South-of-Heaven :
"For Whom The Bell Tolls" is in no way dark or grinding. It's a shitty waste of space that has gained popularity by the moral majority for being mid-tempo, easy to memorise and headbang to.

Big Metallica fan all the same. That song is the weak link on "Ride the Lightning", it really is.


Out of everyone in UG who ever started a band, do you have any idea how many people used 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' as one of the starting cover songs? I think that deserves some freakin' respect around this website.

yea, my band used it for a cover cuz it is easy and freakin awesome!

i have always wanted to make thrashy chistmas carols but i guess the other way around works too

[F-ing Hostile]

God I hate Christmas Music

[mattb91]

what crap. sounds like it makes the original songs crappier than they already were by making them sound like christmas songs.

[Cloud147]

that really captures the holiday spirit

[dethskar0]

This article is poorly written. I barely understood it because of the way it was written... but from what I did understand, it sounds stupid.

[pyritmann]

haha wanna know what is soooo funny, how defensive people get when metallica gets dissed. oh man, and all of you people who get defensive with your precious metallica are the same people who will diss any kind of music that isn't metal. you just spit it all out. I'm not saying that metallica wasn't amazing cause they were, but seriously, they are dead, it's over with them. time to move on. or something. or at least dont diss other peoples music. cause we all know you can't handle it when someone disses yours

[riteso]

South-of-Heaven :
"For Whom The Bell Tolls" is in no way dark or grinding. It's a shitty waste of space that has gained popularity by the moral majority for being mid-tempo, easy to memorise and headbang to.

Big Metallica fan all the same. That song is the weak link on "Ride the Lightning", it really is.

In saying that you have confirmed that you know absolutely NOTHING about heavy metal or music for that matter. For Whom The Bell Tolls is regarded a heavy metal classic by most and definitely one of metallica's best songs. You repulse me

checked.

[Shredder Guitar]

would you guys quit arguing, the damn article isnt about how good of a song For Whom the Bell Tolls is. It's about the fact that orchestral covers have been of classic songs. QUIT ARGUING.

[Fireballz 1077]

Shredder Guitar has a point ya know. this is so freakin stupid AND pointless to be fighting over. Not everybody has to like the same type of music; so grow up or go back to preschool.

[Fireballz 1077]

P.S.----MetallicA RULEZ!!!!!

[Fireballz 1077]

would you guys quit arguing, the damn article isnt about how good of a song For Whom the Bell Tolls is. It's about the fact that orchestral covers have been of classic songs. QUIT ARGUING.

What he said. shutup or go back to preschool.
P.S.--MetallicA RULEZ!!!

[Fireballz 1077]

OOPS..... I didn't realize i posted 3 comments. Oh well, here's a 4th for ya LOL

[AdamWest123]

Yay for Capitalism!!!

[Ali-b912]

zoastev wrote:

lol the ablum is called "...And Christmas For All"

+100

acdc and metallica yay! now i cna get rid of my sisters Hi5 Christmas cd

[lewymcgee]

CHILDREN OF BODOM KICKS ASS

[LikeLightToThe]

pyritmann wrote:

haha wanna know what is soooo funny, how defensive people get when metallica gets dissed. oh man, and all of you people who get defensive with your precious metallica are the same people who will diss any kind of music that isn't metal. you just spit it all out. I'm not saying that metallica wasn't amazing cause they were, but seriously, they are dead, it's over with them. time to move on. or something. or at least dont diss other peoples music. cause we all know you can't handle it when someone disses yours

I think you should atleast wait for there new album before you decide they're dead.

[WolfenGuitarist]

This is a ****ing outrage.

[isaacjnowland]

i tell ya what would of been good on there = shadow of deth - megadeth, i can just imagine that song with jingle bells...lol wudnt sound too bad

[di4gram]

i love it

so many people are going to be like "WHAT THE FUCK"

[..NEM..]

pouyannassiri wrote:

hahahaha these people need to get a life i mean come on how can u turn for whom the bell tolls into a christmas song? how are u gonna say the part "Take a look at the sky just before u die, its the last time you will" in a christmasy way?

They will not have vocals, they will have like violins or something instead.

And I really want to hear, sounds fun.

[Fireballz 1077]

I can kind of see where pouyannassiri comes from, saying that it would be hard to take "for whom the bell tolls" and turn it into a christmas song, but when Metallica has been writing songs for over 20 years, they could be able to do it.

[Marlux102]

South-of-Heaven wrote:

"For Whom The Bell Tolls" is in no way dark or grinding. It's a shitty waste of space that has gained popularity by the moral majority for being mid-tempo, easy to memorise and headbang to.

Big Metallica fan all the same. That song is the weak link on "Ride the Lightning", it really is.

this is probably one of their most amazing songs, cuz it shows that they didnt just play the exact music all the time back in the day....not to mention the bass intro is amazing.

so what, cuz it doesnt have the same message as every other song on the album means it's weak? go back to your slayer worshipping ( i love slayer alot, but Metallica is my all time fav)

[blindfatkid23]

blink182plus44 wrote:


working claus hero


You do know thats not by them, its just a cover of John Lennon, right?

Of course I do lol

[IainDavies_2]

Some Metallica songs should be:
-Enter Santaman
-Master Of Presents
-Holyer Than Thou
-Christmas Eve

No disrespect, Metallica are pretty much my favourtite band

[ibikinz]

metallica rules.

[01gunsnroses]

http://get.freecondoms.com/?aBv7Jw3
go to this site please, its great

[Lauri]

IainDavies_2 wrote:

Some Metallica songs should be:
-Enter Santaman
-Master Of Presents
-Holyer Than Thou
-Christmas Eve

No disrespect, Metallica are pretty much my favourtite band

You made my day! ...And CHRISTMAS for All? What the **** were they thinking?

[Cafas]

In saying that you have confirmed that you know absolutely NOTHING about heavy metal or music for that matter. For Whom The Bell Tolls is regarded a heavy metal classic by most and definitely one of metallica's best songs. You repulse me

You repulse me for not being able to hand another person's opinion.

The majority of you repulse me for thinking Metallica are the be all and end all of metal.

[roksta101]

i heard like a chamber edition to the unforgiven (1)...violins only and it was quite nice...not sure if glockenspiel and elec piano will work though...

[silentdob]

So this is the new Metallica album that weve been waiting for... Stil better than St. Anger...

[Y00p]

dethskar0 wrote:

This article is poorly written. I barely understood it because of the way it was written... but from what I did understand, it sounds stupid.

Oh, the irony...

[Y00p]

^
+ I really like the idea of this, should be pretty fun.

[Metallicam]

roksta101 wrote:

i heard like a chamber edition to the unforgiven (1)...violins only and it was quite nice...not sure if glockenspiel and elec piano will work though...

That would probably Apocolyptica you heard.
I am ashamed to say I will probably buy this. Hey, it'll be way better than hearing Frank Sinatra all season at the mall!

PS: Try to imagine Holier Than Thou done with bells... hahaha

[ironwolg]

pyritmann wrote:

haha wanna know what is soooo funny, how defensive people get when metallica gets dissed. oh man, and all of you people who get defensive with your precious metallica are the same people who will diss any kind of music that isn't metal. you just spit it all out. I'm not saying that metallica wasn't amazing cause they were, but seriously, they are dead, it's over with them. time to move on. or something. or at least dont diss other peoples music. cause we all know you can't handle it when someone disses yours

first off, i defend MetallicA all the time, and second, MetallicA is far from dead, and thrid, i listen to other music so maybe YOU should open your mind a bit and stop criticizing everyone. listen to what you like and shut up about other people's bands

[ianc44]

yea pyritmann grow the f**k up! Metallica is clearly one of the best bands of all time. look at the record sales. I'm not saying they're they only good band. In fact they are pretty much the only metal that i like. way better than that pitiful excuse of a band slayer. god what a joke they are. why dont you slow it down a bit and try putting some actual music in it! Metallica will forever live on, like the beatles or led zeppelin. oh yea the christmas cd is pretty good too.

while I'm at it, for whom the bell tolls is pretty awesome too. every song is a good song up until the black album. IM OUT!

[RedX12]

It's okay.

[Fireballz 1077]

Another MetallicA Christmas Jingle:

Ronnie the Snowman
The House Santa Built
Nothing Elf Matters
My Reindeer of Misery
Up On The House Jack Built
The 2X4 Days of Christmas
Don't Elf On Me
Santa Anger
Santa But True
The Santa Within
Santa Said
The Shortest Santa
Harvester of Santa
The Frayed Ends of Santa-ty
For Whom the Jingle Bells Tolls
Eye of the Reindeer
Good King Wencsaslaus Nothing
Hero of the Sleigh
The Santa Torn

[Fireballz 1077]

Oh, and "The Elf-forgiven"

[Silver Winter]

This is sick! Why not Halloween?!!

[Silver Winter]

25th December lasts just one day, why do people have to listen to christmas songs a month long before that day comes?!

[wildchild6660]

Fireballz 1077 wrote:

Another MetallicA Christmas Jingle:

Ronnie the Snowman
The House Santa Built
Nothing Elf Matters
My Reindeer of Misery
Up On The House Jack Built
The 2X4 Days of Christmas
Don't Elf On Me
Santa Anger
Santa But True
The Santa Within
Santa Said
The Shortest Santa
Harvester of Santa
The Frayed Ends of Santa-ty
For Whom the Jingle Bells Tolls
Eye of the Reindeer
Good King Wencsaslaus Nothing
Hero of the Sleigh
The Santa Torn

He He. Don't forget reindeerbreath