'Metal Xmas And A Headbanging New Year': More Details Revealed

September 18, 2008

On October 14, Armoury Records, distributed by Eagle Rock Entertainment, will release one mighty molten metal blast of good CD cheer: "We Wish You A Metal Xmas And A Headbanging New Year".

It's an all-star assemblage as members of such great hard rock bands as FOO FIGHTERS, QUEENSRŸCHE, DIO, ALICE COOPER, ZZ TOP, DOKKEN, KISS, L.A. GUNS, MARILYN MANSON, MOTÖRHEAD, BLACK SABBATH, KING'S X, JUDAS PRIEST, ANTHRAX, RATT, STYX, TOTO and more all jam out together on some of the most beloved holiday songs of all time (including "Grandma Got Ran Over By A Reindeer").

The kick is in the chemistry between the musicians as members of different bands perform together on the material to create a one-of-a-kind listening experience! MOTÖRHEAD's Lemmy, ZZ TOP's Billy Gibbons and FOO FIGHTERS' Dave Grohl, for instance, team up on "Run Rudolph Run", a song popularized by Chuck Berry. This is just one of 12 such irresistible pairings.

"This is a metal CD you will want to listen to all year round," says Wendy Dio, who put the project together with Bob Kulick and Brett Chassen. "It has been a very exciting and exhausting project, but we have managed to get an all-star cast together."

Ironically, the hardest person to get was Dio himself as he doesn't sing Christmas songs. Wendy hounded him for days, finally getting him to listen to Kulick's arrangement of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen". Dio liked it, added a few bits, recorded it at Kulick's studio, and got Tony Iommi to add his signature guitar sound. The result is a very SABBATH Christmas song. Rounding out the circle of familiar characters on this track are DIO bassist Rudy Sarzo and drummer Simon Wright.

"The 'Metal Xmas' album was a great opportunity to pay homage to my least favorite holiday," says Dio, "and what a lineup of musicians to do it with! The arrangements of the classic noel songs are fresh and heavy with rock'n'roll, and the performances are equally classic. It's a magical way to change your holiday listening."

"We Wish You A Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year" track listing:

01. We Wish You A Merry Xmas

Jeff Scott Soto (TALISMAN, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, JOURNEY)
Bruce Kulick (KISS, UNION)
Bob Kulick
Chris Wyse (THE CULT)
Ray Luzier (KORN, DAVID LEE ROTH, ARMY OF ANYONE)

02. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

Alice Cooper
John 5 (ROB ZOMBIE, MARILYN MANSON)
Billy Sheehan (DAVID LEE ROTH, TALAS, MR. BIG)
Vinny Appice (DIO, HEAVEN AND HELL, BLACK SABBATH)

03. Run Rudolph Run

Lemmy Kilmister (MOTÖRHEAD)
Billy F. Gibbons (ZZ TOP)
Dave Grohl (FOO FIGHTERS)

04. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN AND HELL, BLACK SABBATH)
Tony Iommi (HEAVEN AND HELL, BLACK SABBATH)
Rudy Sarzo (QUIET RIOT, WHITESNAKE, DIO)
Simon Wright (AC/DC, DIO)

05. Little Drummer Boy

Doug Pinnick (KING's X)
George Lynch (DOKKEN)
Billy Sheehan (DAVID LEE ROTH, TALAS, MR. BIG)
Simon Phillips (THE WHO, TOTO)

06. Santa Claus Is Back In Town

Tim "Ripper" Owens (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH)
Steve Morse (DEEP PURPLE)
Juan Garcia (AGENT STEEL)
Marco Mendoza (WHITESNAKE, TED NUGENT)
Vinny Appice (DIO, HEAVEN AND HELL, BLACK SABBATH)

07. Silent Night

Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT)
Scott Ian (ANTHRAX)
Jon Donais (SHADOWS FALL)
Chris Wyse (THE CULT)
John Tempesta (ROB ZOMBIE, THE CULT)

08. Silver Bells

Geoff Tate (QUEENSRŸCHE)
Carlos Cavazo (QUIET RIOT, RATT)
James Lomenzo (MEGADETH, WHITE LION)
Ray Luzier (KORN, DAVID LEE ROTH, ARMY OF ANYONE)

09. Deck the Halls

Oni Logan (LYNCH MOB)
Craig Goldy (DIO)
Tony Franklin (THE FIRM)
John Tempesta (ROB ZOMBIE, THE CULT)

10. Grandma Got Ran Over By a Reindeer

Stephen Pearcy (RATT)
Tracii Guns (L.A. GUNS, BRIDES OF DESTRUCTION)
Bob Kulick
Billy Sheehan (DAVID LEE ROTH, TALAS, MR. BIG)
Greg Bissonette (DAVID LEE ROTH)

11. Rockin' Around the Xmas Tree

Joe Lynn Turner (RAINBOW, DEEP PURPLE)
Bruce Kulick (KISS, UNION)
Bob Kulick
Rudy Sarzo (QUIET RIOT, WHITESNAKE, DIO)
Simon Wright AC/DC, DIO)

12. Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

Tommy Shaw (STYX)
Steve Lukather (TOTO)
Marco Mendoza (WHITESNAKE, TED NUGENT)
Kenny Aronoff (TONY IOMMI, SMASHING PUMPKINS)

Listen to "Run Rudolph Run" at this location.

U.S. cover:

U.K. cover:

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