Christmas is just days away and holiday music has been all but inescapable for weeks. At this point, it would be natural to find yourself getting tired of hearing the same carols and hymns all the time. These punk rock Christmas albums might be what you need to breathe some fresh life into your holiday soundtrack.
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While several punk rock Christmas compilation albums exist, not many bands have done full holiday albums. So, it was easy to narrow this list down to three killer albums that will inject some attitude into your Yuletide celebration.
Oi to the World—The Vandals
Fans know The Vandals for their humor. When other punk bands were focusing on serious socio-political issues, The Vandals were writing songs about their lives. The tongue-in-cheek humor that made them one of the biggest punk rock bands in California permeates their 1996 Christmas album Oi to the World.
Most of the songs on Oi to the World are originals. However, the band tossed in a couple of classics. The album features versions of Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies” and the Catholic hymn “Here I Am Lord.”
Horror Xmas—The Misfits
The Jerry Only-led incarnation of The Misfits released the Horror Xmas EP in 2014. While it’s not a full-length album, this Christmas outing by the horror punk pioneers is too good to pass up.
Some longtime Misfits fans likely overlooked this release as it came at what many consider a low point for the band. However, it’s still worth checking out if for no other reason than their take on Elvis’ holiday hit “Blue Christmas.”
The three-track release contains covers of the holiday classics “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” “The Island of Misfit Toys,” and “Blue Christmas.”
Christmas Songs—Bad Religion
Punk rock legends Bad Religion released their holiday album, Christmas Songs in 2013. The nine-track offering is a perfect blend of holiday cheer and punk rock sneer.
Christmas Songs features covers of eight classic carols including “Little Drummer Boy,” “Hark! The Harold Angels Sing,” and “White Christmas.” Additionally, the band included the Andy Wallace mix of their song “American Jesus.”
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