What we have here is a Christmas compilation from Solid State Records. An array of artists who play well known, or less known classical Christmas songs in their own unique way.
What strikes me first is that not every band on this compilation is signed to Solid State, so we have a unique collaboration of bands. There are ten songs on this record from bands which common factor is that they are all ‘core’ bands.
How do you review such a various album? Well I guess a short description song by song: It all starts with good old August Burns Red, who need no further introduction, and they play ‘Joy To The World’. It begins with soft acoustic guitar, but then suddenly we are overwhelmed by ABR’s own sound fast and with breakdowns only ABR can execute. Jake screams from the top of his lungs, Joy to the world!!!
Followed by ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’ by Fit For A King. This is FFAK like you have never heard them before, a mellow acoustic song with almost all clean vocals, only at the end of the song when the song gets more heavy we hear Ryan’s voice screaming. Somehow that is where the goosebumbs come in.
Then For Today with ‘O Come O Come Emmanuel’. Typical For Today sound with a familiar melody because who doesn’t know this song? Brutal, fast, breakdown filled Christmas song interspersed with clean vocals but the main vocals are done by Mattie. It is not a one on one copy of this classic song, it is supplemented with their own lyrics and melodies.
Wolves At The Gate play another classical song ‘Come Thou Long Expected Jesus’. Again there is no doubt that we are dealing with WATG here. We hear their typical unique rocksound with all their metalcore influences.
Memphis May Fire performs the only song on this album that has totaly no metal in it. ‘He Came With Love’ is a pure ballad, sensitive and describing why Jesus came to this world. Because He loves us and came to save us. Maybe not to everyone’s taste but as a fan of MMF myself I have to admit that the song grows on me and it touches something inside of me.
Then for something completely else. The Ongoing Concept play ‘Jingle Bell Rock’. A cheerfull sound and as with all songs from TOC, expect chaos! As I said in the review of their album ‘Saloon’ you just can’t put them in a box it is metalcore filled with a rocksound like AC/DC. If this doesn’t make you smile then I don’t know what will….
‘Silent Night’ by Forevermore, the only band I didn’t knew on the album. This starts classical but then very soon the guitars come in and they make the song their own. Fast twin solo’s and beautiful flowing melodies. Oh and it is all instrumental.
Then another song from Wolves At The Gate: ‘The King’. For me this was no familiar song so this could easily be written by WATG themselves. A magnificent song from the masters of rockcore. (I just probably invented a new word.) If you know WATG then you know what I mean and you also can know what to expect.
The next song ‘O Holy Night’ performed by Becoming The Archetype simply blows you away!
It begins oh so sweet but than it touches the ‘wow’ factor. Loud guitars, twin solo’s double bass drums and, sorry I have to say it again, the typical BTA sound. Dark but with a spark of light.
It all ends with,again,a song by August Burns Red. ‘Flurries’ is just a happy song, no not by Farrel, completely instrumental. Fast and with arrangements ABR is well known for. I love the bass in this song by the way, I have to say it because the bassguitar is often quite underrated. A lovely song for the whole family.
Well as you probably understand by now, this is not an album for the whole year but in this time of holidays it is a perfect gift for everyone who doesn’t like the regular Christmas songs or if you just want something else. I am not a big fan of classic Christmas songs but this album sure makes me smile and I don’t mind listening to it.
Rating: 8/10
Written by: René Woning
Track Listing:
1. Joy To The World – August Burns Red
2. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – Fit For A King
3. O Come O Come Emmanuel – For Today
4. Come Thou Long Expected Jesus – Wolves At The Gate
5. He Came With Love – Memphis May Fire
6. Jingle Bell Rock – The Ongoing Concept
7. Silent Night – Forevermore
8. The King – Wolves At The gate
9. O Holy Night – Becoming The Archetype
10. Flurries – August Burns Red
Record label: Solid State Records, Dec. 2014
Buy the album here:
Holland: First Paradox
Norway: Nordic Mission
Video for: ‘O Come O Come Emmanuel’ – For Today
Video for: ‘Joy To The World’ – August Burns Red