I saw a press release for Vantablack Warship’s Christmas cover of “All I Want For Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth)” and knew I had to check it out. The esteemed editors at Moshville Towers obviously thought the same and used it as in the 24 Songs of Xmas track on 13 December. I was even more intrigued when I saw that it was part of a compilation, Noël In Extremis II, which led to this (slightly late) Christmas album review.
The Vantablack Warship track is is a cover of a 1944 comedy classic from Spike Jones and His City Slickers. Wikipedia describes Spike Jones as: “…specializing in spoof arrangements of popular songs and classical music. Ballads receiving the Jones treatment were punctuated with gunshots, whistles, cowbells, hiccups, burps, and outlandish and comedic vocals”. The press release for Vantablack Warship, on the other hand, describes how it is: “…made up of members who have worked in prominent groups of the Quebec underground scene for the last 30 years”. So, quick show of hands: who is familiar with the Quebec underground scene? Now, who is clueless about the Quebec scene – underground, overground or Wombling free? I’m very much in the later category. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it turns out the Vantablack Worship version is about as far from Spike Jones’ as you can get! If the thought of zany comedy Christmas classics appalls you, but thrash metal hardcore punk appeals, give the Vantablack Warship cover a try!
There are thirteen tracks on offer in this compilation from the Bam&Co Heavy label and (at least) one other track has appeared in our 24 Songs of Xmas feature: Nova Spei – “Le Père-Noël est une ordure!” (Santa Claus is Garbage!), I’m going to briefly mention three more.
The third track on the album is “Run Rudolph Run” from Demonstöne. It goes like a Sabre jet (to coin a phrase) and includes a full Die Hard reference with an uncensored “Yippee kai yay melon farmer” quote before a blistering guitar solo. See the YouTube link at the end of this review if you want to hear it in all its glory!
Track six, “Party de Noël” by MR.82, had me somewhat confused at first as the opening couple of bars sounds like a bit of lightweight electronica but, very quickly, it gets much (much, much!) heavier. It reminded me of Rammstein. A French language version of Rammstein singing a Christmas song might seem an odd combination but it became one of my favourites on the album after a couple of listens.
Another of my favourites is track seven: “Cold Outside” by Rope Skills. It is in the form of a reply to “Baby It’s Cold Outside”: a song that has, perhaps not entirely unfairly, become known as the “date rape song”. As the chorus goes:
Don’t tell me to stay
because it’s cold outside
I’m going away
It’s not that cold outside
I simply must go
It’s not that cold outside
The answer is no
It’s not that cold outside
The last line of the track is “I said no!” screamed with passion and power. Girl power punk at its best!
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Track Listing:
- La Chorale des grincheux – Douce Nuit, Sainte Nuit (intro)
- The Lookout – You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch
- Demonstöne – Run Rudolph Run
- Vantablack Warship – All I Want For Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth)
- Dirty Cheetah – Le Père Noël c’t’un Québécois (Grivois)
- Mr. 82 – Part de Noël
- Rope Skills – Cold Outside
- Dizzygoth – Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer
- Obscurcis Romancia & Kevin Bordello – Le Sentier de Neige
- Reanimator – Last Christmas
- Tunguska Mammoth – Noël Triste
- Thrash La Reine – C’est dans l’temps du jour de l’an
- Nova Spei – Le Père Noël est une ordure (CHS Prod Mix 2023)
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A share of the profits from CD sales which will be donated to the charity: Dans La Rue. You might not get the CD version in time for Christmas but a downloadable option is also available.
Header image from Bam&Co Heavy facebook page.
Check out our collated seasonal playlist, with all the Spotify-able tracks we’ve featured over the last few years
