Top 10: Heavy Metal Christmas Songs

There’s a long tradition behind making Heavy Metal Christmas songs available for those less inclined to enjoy the croonings of the Rat Pack or the pop anthems from the ‘80s. Often, this tradition of spiking the eggnog with some metal comes with a bit of humor. But there are times when it’s done in earnest, and yet there are times when it’s unintentional.

We’ve mixed up our presentation of Heavy Metal Christmas songs, so you’ll get a bit of it all. Naturally, there will be some that you would have included on the list, and we encourage you to post a comment about it, but these are the ones that we’ve gravitated toward in the last couple of weeks.

Onto our list of 10 Heavy Metal Christmas songs:

No.10 Christmas with GWAR

GWAR needs no introduction, but their costumes aren’t exactly festive. This video clip is less of a Heavy Metal Christmas song than it is a skit that could be aired on Letterman. It’s a lot of fun, and whether it was staged or not, I want GWAR to go carolling in my neighborhood.

No.9 “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo” – Trans Siberian Orchestra

Heavy Metal and symphonies were made for each other, a fact the Trans Siberian Orchestra has proved over and over again. “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo” (a blend of “Carol of the Bells” and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”) is an epic piece that’s beautiful and traditional, presented with an edge and intensity brought on by wailing electric guitars. TSO has been touring their acclaimed metal opera “The Lost Christmas Eve” for the first time ever this year, and there are still a few dates remaining. If you’d like to check the remaining dates and get tickets, visit this link.

No.8 “Mistress for Christmas” – AC/DC

Probably more by accident than anything else, AC/DC ended up with a Heavy Metal Christmas song on the 1990 album The Razors Edge. As usual, the lyrics are about women and sex.

No.7 “Black Xmas” – Venom

Naturally, you can’t have a list of Heavy Metal Christmas songs without a little evil on it, can you? Enter Venom and “Black Xmas.” How can you not get in the spirit with the following chorus?:

The whispers in the breeze
Black Xmas – Devils Eve
Black Xmas – Devil’s wine
The river bleeds in time
That’s the place – In a dream
Where the red clouds chase

No.6 “Little Drummer Boy” & “Silent Night” – Christopher Lee

Just as I nearly had a heart attack because of the awesomeness that is Silent Night, I now know that you can’t have Christmas without a bit of horror. Hammer Films legend, Christopher Lee, offers up not one, but two Heavy Metal Christmas songs. Seriously, they guy is nearly dust and bone, but he’s still hot his edge. Check him out on the promo video.