This is a very different style of instrumental from yesterday's orchestra and guitar of Phil Keaggy. This is instrumental rock from metalcore band August Burns Red. There is some bells, keyboards and even some strings, but it's mostly walls of guitars and lots of drums and bass on these heavy instrumentals. Classic carols like "O Holy Night", "Little Drummer Boy" and "Got Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" are performed here in a blistering pace along with more recent songs like "Frosty The Snowman" and standards like "Winter Wonderland" and "Jingle Bells". The title track, one of two original instrumentals, actually gets a bit country/bluegrass too. Oh yes, "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" has gang vocals, so I guess the whole album is not instrumental. It's a fun listen if you're looking for some heavy metal vibes to your Christmas celebrations, and who isn't looking for that? And it looks like streaming has 2 tracks my CD does not. Interesting.

Release Year: 2012
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