Christmas Records, Day 4: Rob Halford's Winter Songs

Halford - Halford III: Winter Songs (Metal God Records, released 2009)

Well, few could have seen this one coming: for his first solo album in over seven years, Judas Priest mainman Rob Halford has decided to get festive, mixing original thrashers with metal-centric versions of much-loved carols including Oh Holy Night and Come All Ye Faithful. On paper it's an unmitigated disaster of a project; on disc (and subsequently through speakers) it's a surprisingly sprightly, entertaining (in a guilty pleasures sort of way) release that seems to have been crafted with respect for the material at hand. Winter Song is a tender number that keeps its crunched chords on a tight leash, and comprises a highlight alongside another original, Get Into the Spirit, which is all frenetic riffs and bat-bothering high-pitched vocals. At the other end of the quality spectrum we've Halford's take on We Three Kings - impossible to fully describe here, it's the sort of recording that'll leave you in tears. Hopefully of laughter.

Video: Halford, Get Into the Spirit