ICE NINE KILLS

Mariah Carey might be coming for Christmas, but ICE NINE KILLS have other plans for the holiday season. The horror-metal icons bring a whole lot of blood, guts and twisted holiday cheer with "A Very Vicious Christmas", an eight-track collection that gives traditional Christmas music a seriously sinister makeover. Created for the band's collaboration with Universal's Halloween Horror Nights, this isn't exactly the soundtrack you want playing while everyone is passing the mashed potatoes. Unless, of course, you're planning a Halloween-themed Christmas dinner. In that case, crank it up.

ICE NINE KILLS take familiar holiday favorites and, mostly, replace their traditional lyrics with something much darker. "Jingle Bells" gets a gruesome makeover, trading wholesome winter imagery for something, well, deadlier. It's definitely not the version Grandma remembers. "Carol of the Bells" gets a heavy metal treatment, complete with a heavy breakdown, giving the familiar Christmas melody a much more aggressive personality. It's one of the more exciting moments on the collection, showing how easily a recognizable holiday tune can be transformed into something much heavier and darker. Then there's "We Wish You a Merry Christmas", which isn't interested in spreading the usual warm and fuzzy holiday feelings. This version calls for something "violent and vicious," and that's certainly not the traditional Christmas greeting most people have in mind. The collection also takes on "The Twelve Days of Christmas", replacing the familiar gifts with five broken bones, four missing teeth, etc. Even "O Christmas Tree" gets in on the gruesome spirit, with a children's choir helping deliver the creepy version of the song.

Produced by Spencer Charnas, Joe Occhiuti and Steve Sopchak, the album also includes full-band and orchestral versions of "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy", featuring orchestration by Francesco Ferrini. If there's one masterpiece on here that appeals to a wider audience, it's certainly this orchestral version, which delivers lots of drama and dark, moody instrumentals without getting too shocking.

So, is "A Very Vicious Christmas" a traditional rocked-out Christmas album? Not exactly. This is much more of a horror-inspired reimagining than a collection of classic holiday songs with heavy guitars added. The familiar melodies are there, but the lyrics and overall spirit take a darkly sinister turn. It's a twisted holiday offering for horror fans and metalheads who like their Christmas cheer with a little carnage. Just maybe check with the family before making it the official dinner playlist.