Halford - Halford 3: Winter Songs Album Reveiw

Halford - Halford 3: Winter Songs (2009)

Members:

Rob Halford – vocals

Roy Z – guitar

Metal Mike Chlasciak – guitar

Mike Davis – bass

Bobby Jarzombek – drums

Additional performer

Ed Roth – keyboards

Halford III: Winter Songs is the third studio album by the heavy metal band Halford. It was released on 3 November 2009 in the United States, 9 November 2009 in Europe and 13 November 2009 in Germany.[4] It was written, arranged and recorded between 2008 to 2009.[5] The album is Christmas themed consisting of traditional holiday favorites made into heavy metal fashion along with a few original arrangements by Rob Halford and producer/guitarist Roy Z.

First Impressions:

A whole album of Metal Christmas songs? This could be fun.

Christmas songs are the bane of this overly commercialized holiday season, a holiday full of busy stores, cranky people, and the hollow drone of holiday standard music playing in so many forms practically everywhere you go. In 2009 Rob Halford tried to change that for the better (yes Twisted Sister did it in 2006, but that album is kinda satirical at times). His band Halford released their 3rd album, this one being a holiday themed release called "Winter Songs", produced by Roy Z. I remember getting this album when it came out in November of 2009 at Canterbury records in old town Pasadena, the stark blue cover and calm Rob photo made me really curious. I wasn't a huge fan of the 2006 Twisted Sister holiday album, but being a fan of Rob Halford and all of his bands made me want to listen. Can this album spice up the dismal history of holiday albums? Let's dig in and find out track by track....Let's Do This!!

1."Get Into the Spirit" 5:26

We open with a nice heavy riff from one of the NEW track on this one, and what a track it is. This is how a metal holiday album should sound. The drums are a powerful fury of hard beats, a great keyboard part in the middle, and a great bit of guitar work throughout. Then we have Ron's voice, banshee screams and great clean sound as well. Amazing song to start a great album.

2."We Three Kings" 4:06

An arrangement of a traditional Christmas song that we are all familiar with....but cranked up a bit. Rob using his best Priest voice and keeping it kinda level but still firm. The piano is a nice touch and fills this arrangement out well. The guitar work is great and the rhythm section is tight but not overbearing...I'm not a fan of the traditional version but I like this one....quite a bit really.

3."Oh Come, O Come, Emanuel"4:38

Another traditional song redone by Rob and the guys, and it's also a good one as well. Sonically it does have a Iron Maiden type gallop in its rhythm but for this track it works really well. I enjoyed this one and I have to admit it has been on my Rob Halford/Judas Priest playlist for quite a while now...it really a nice arrangement and is very gratifying to listen to.

4."Winter Song"5:38

This is another of the NEW songs for this album and it is a more somber piece from the mind of The Metal God. It really evokes a bit of emotion and thought from deep inside at times. It is a moving song in a lot of ways, and it brings a bit of much needed peace to a metal heart, and serves as a rest point to this album and that is a nice thing.

5."What Child Is This?" 4:27

This traditional Christmas song received a real nice arrangement as well. It is normal a trademark song used for the holidays in everything from films to store sale commercials. This one maintains its original slower structure but has a more medieval type of feel. It is well executed and sounds very good.

6."Christmas for Everyone"3:06

NEW track number 3 on this album, and it's a nice mid tempo rock song, that starts with church and sleigh bells. This one has an arrangement that reminds me of the song writing style of Alice Cooper. Pure traditional rock n roll with Rob's usual flair...a song that should be added to everyone's Christmas playlist.

7."I Don't Care"3:14

The 4th of 5 new tracks recorded for this album and it doesn't disappoint. It's another straight ahead rocker with fun lyrics and a really earwormy riff in it. It's a good listen, although it does have a phrasing section in the vocals that reminds me of "Smugglers Blues"...odd but cool.

8."Light of the World" 4:13

Number 5 of 5 new tracks, another somber track that musically sounds a bit like a cross between Pink Floyd and The Beatles...and that isn't a bad thing. It's a nice little track that brings about good feelings and even brought back a few good memories of past Christmases to this old headbanger...thanks Rob.

9."Oh Holy Night" 4:09

A traditional song done in a traditional way...well in Rob's version of traditional. It is a normally droning song that when given Rob Halford's treatment is a great version that I can listen to over and over. It maintains its normal emotional delivery but adds a lot of power, but not so much that it's a parody of itself, a tasteful version of a decent traditional holiday song.

10."Come All Ye Faithful" 2:27

I have heard a ton of versions of this song over my life and some were ok and some were abysmal...Rob did what he could with this one as well, it has a more regal feel here and feels musically like an attempt at a Queen song in places. It's a good version that deserves to be heard but it really serves to close out this album and in that it does a great job.

Conclusion:

When this album first hit my ears in 2009 I was a bit thrown off, mostly because I wasn't expecting a Christmas metal album to be this good and well thought out (especially with my experience with the 2006 Twisted Sister disaster). This album has a permanent place on my playlist all year around, it's just that good and it is also my defacto holiday album when I throw any Christmas gatherings. I can't say enough good things about this release and honestly if you are a metal fan, and you don't have this beast in your collection I have one question for you....WHAT IN THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU???!! Rob and the guys did an excellent job with this one and it will always have a special place in my heart. Well done guys....well done.

Score: 5/5