It was a couple days before Christmas, and at his desk, was a recovering Aidan who felt very grotesque. He had suffered a case of something so vile. “I’m much better now,” he said with a crooked smile. However, Aidan was stuck thinking of an article to write. “There is nothing happening in metal!” and he was kind of right. Before he lost hope on what to do next, he got hit up by his homie Drew, in strange written text.

“Hey man I got some family coming and I wanted to make a Christmas playlist, but throw in some weird metal Christmas songs. Do you know any?”

Aidan sat there, and thought in a very deep pause… “YO, I should recommend songs to headbang with Santa Clause!”

5) August Burns Red - Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

To start this list right, you need something familiar and fast paced, and nothing is better than August Burns Red’s cover of the Christmas classic. If this track does not get you in the right “bright eyed” state you wish for, don’t worry, because August Burns Red has 2 Christmas albums! I am not joking. I guess this metalcore band from Lancaster, Pennsylvania just knows how to get into the spirit of things… or they lost a bet? Regardless, this short and sweet cover should be in everyone’s Christmas playlist this year.

4) AC/DC - Mistress for Christmas

If the last song did not do it for you, then this one should make you feel warm and fuzzy. AC/DC brought this little number out on 1990’s Razors Edge, confusing many folks that went through the album. Its very existence is still very strange to me, but I can’t help listening to it every winter season. Maybe it’s the Christmas bells in the background that accommodates the well synchronized guitar riff. Or it could be the fact this sounds like the X-rated Christmas classic that was never released due to its scandalous nature. All I know is that AC/DC delivered a banging Christmas track that can get everyone’s head banging.

3) King Diamond - No Presents for Christmas

Got some rotten little kids in the family, well King Diamond has an anthem for you to play! After Mercyful Fate had disbanded, King Diamond decided that the first single he would release would be… a Christmas song? Screw it, I’m not going to complain. This song completely shreds and has become a huge staple in King Diamond winter tours.  The only way to compliment this song even more, is if you played this song while stuffing stockings with coal.

2) Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Wizards in Winter

If you were slightly familiar with metal Christmas music, it is probably because of this band right here. A group like none other, Trans-Siberian Orchestra brings the very heart  and wonder of Christmas classics out in a new light. The live shows are like nothing I have ever seen before and musical talent is on par with the greats of past. If you enjoy this track of theirs, then please dive into the whole album “The Lost Christmas Eve” and experience new takes of the songs you grew up with as a child again.

1) Ronnie James Dio -  God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Let us put a perfect bow on this list and end with the one and only Dio! Accompanied by Tony Iommi, Rudy Sarzo, Simon Wright, and Simon Wright, this all-star group crush this classic! No other song can flawlessly end a night of cheer like this one. So grab the hot coco, sit by the fire with the family, and blast some Dio.

There we have it, ending on a good note. Aidan had finished the article, and was happy with what he wrote.

But then he saw the time and it was way past 5! “Oh snap gotta go… OH AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM SLACKER & LIVEXLIVE!”

In California’s current state of fire emergency, rocker Dave Grohl did what he could to help firefighters during this distressing time. To give thanks to LAFD, Grohl delivered barbecue to Fire Station 68 in Calabasas during their breaks of fighting the ever spreading fires.
 
While these brave men and women continue battling the blazes, Grohl at least made sure they were well fed, as the Foo Fighters frontman cooked up some recipes from his own Backbeat BBQ. For his kindness and generosity, Fire Station 68 thanked Grohl via Instagram.
 

 
We’d also like to thank Dave Grohl, but especially the firefighters working their hardest to save lives and homes in California.

If you are unfamiliar with Dio let me catch you up real quick. Ronnie James Dio was one of the best metal vocalists ever, fronting Rainbow and Black Sabbath, after Ozzy’s 1979 dismissal. Later, he would go on to form a solo project simply called DIO, which brought metal classics such as Holy Diver, Rainbow in the Dark, Last in Line, and so much more! In sum, his career would span over 40 years, until his passing in 2010 to stomach cancer. Six years after his untimely passing, someone thought it was a good idea to bring him back as a hologram.
 
The hologram, created by Eyellusion, made its debut at Wacken 2016. The reviews were mixed, to put it lightly. It was like Obi Wan’s ghost was singing “We Rock.” It was very… off-putting. Awkwardness be damned, the music industry marches on, and Billboard reports that the company that created the hologram is now being represented by major talent agency APA's Steve Martin. If you are thinking “the actor?,” it is not; I googled it. 
 
Martin represents acts like Scorpions, Foo Fighters, and Jack Black. He even managed Dio when he was alive. In the same Billboard report, he notes that there are at least 100 different cities that the hologram act plans to visit next year.
 
"The big question when we first toured Dio through Europe was 'Is anyone actually going to show up?'" Eyellusion founder Jeff Pezzuti tells Billboard. "We sold out the last three shows in Europe and we did really, really well. We're such believers in what we were doing and we're all such massive fans — in my sixth grade class picture, I'm wearing a Dio shirt, so you can imagine taking this all the way across the finish line has been a dream come true."
 
Look I’m all for keeping the memories of musicians alive, but this might be the straw that breaks. When Tupac’s hologram showed up at Coachella for one night surprise, it was such a one-night spectacle to see, especially since the late rapper has been gone for almost 20 years. BUT it only took 4 years for them to debut a hologram for Dio! There are even Hologram tours for Frank Zappa and pianist Glenn Gould in the works.