Christmas Songs
This is exactly what is says it is: *Christmas Songs* performed by the punk group Bad Religion. Anyone expecting some sort of subversion of the holiday classics will be disappointed. However, for those who enjoy Greg Graffin\'s clean and concise vocals, note-perfect harmonies, and the band\'s usual crunchy guitar tone—and who also like these familiar and tuneful seasonal songs—this is a rockin’ Xmas offering. The band doesn’t shirk from the songs\' religious connotations, nor does it stop from adding a hard rock guitar solo to “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” Only “American Jesus” (here in its mix by Andy Wallace, whose name is synonymous with mixing Slayer and Nirvana) breaks with tradition. Elsewhere, “Little Drummer Boy” works with the rhythmic possibilities. “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” ramps up the velocity. “What Child Is This?” further breaks past the speed limit, running neck and neck with the equally speedy “Angels We Have Heard on High.” What becomes most evident by album’s end is just how strong these songs are, and how their melodies are truly timeless and gorgeous no matter how they’re presented.
Bad Religion have previously thrashed their way through ‘The First Noel’, ‘Silent Night’ and a little something they called ‘God Rest Ye Jerry Mentlemen’, but ‘Christmas Songs’ is the first time they’ve pulled together an entire album of festive tunes.
Discover Christmas Songs by Bad Religion released in 2013. Find album reviews, track lists, credits, awards and more at AllMusic.
But if you were carrying that flame lingering in your leather-covered heart, the sincerity of the Bad Religion choir standing around it in red touques singing “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” will quickly snuff it out.