Brian Vollmer - Lead Vocals
Paul Fonseca – Bass
Jim Lawson - Lead Guitar
Brent Niemi – Drums
Rick VanDyk - Lead Guitar


TRACK LISTING:
1.) “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” (Written in 1939 by Robert L. May, a copywriter for the Chicago-based Montgomery Ward department stores, as a promotional gift for the store's customers.) The intro to Rudolph was altered in a way to give it a more modern feel.  Over the top of the intro there are a couple Brian Vollmer vocal accents.  The rhythm guitar underneath the vocal lines of the pre-verses had a very simple feel letting the vocals carry the verse. The band incorporated a second rhythm guitar for the musical verse.  This second rhythm guitar was over the top of the main musical section yet underneath the vocal lines.  The band changed the backing harmonies on their version.  This song has always had a very nice hook for the chorus, which is one of the reasons why it is so popular.  However, the standard hook Mr. May wrote for this does not compare to Helix’s arrangement.  There is a lead guitar solo after the second chorus.  Halfway through the lead guitar solo there is a musical rhythm change.  The lead guitar solo continues underneath the next verse only laced in between the vocal lines.  The lead guitar licks that are scattered throughout the song underneath Brian’s vocals really give the song a polished sound.  I loved how Brian and the lead guitar played off of each other.  
2.) “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (Written by Johnny Marks and recorded by Brenda Lee in 1958 on Decca 9-30776. Although Decca released it in both 1958 and again in 1959, it did not sell well until Lee became a popular star in 1960; that Christmas season, it hit #16 on the Billboard pop chart and turned into a perennial holiday favorite.)  There is a very simple rhythm guitar riff over the top of this into section.  Brian kept the lyric arrangement basically the same as the version Breda Lee recorded.  There is a small vocal echo connecting the opening chorus with the first verse.  For the musical chorus the band kept the arrangement very basic.  Not straying from the original if straying at all.  I do not know who produced this or set up Brent’s microphones around his drum kit.  However, even listening to this CD on a cheap walkman as I am now the tom-tom sound is amazing!!!!
3.) “Santa’s Back in Town” - (Released on the fourth Christmas album from Elvis titled, ‘Elvis Christmas Album’ on October 15, 1957.).  There are vocal accents were Brian pulls off his best Elvis.  Outside of that the band sticks pretty much too the original sheet music.
4.) “Wonderful Christmas -Time” – (This songs title actually is “Wonderful Christmastime” and was recorded by ex-Beatle Paul McCartney on November 16 1979.)  This is another song on the release where Helix copied the sheet music note for note. 
5.) “Jingle Bell Rock” – (Written by Joe Beal & Jim Boothe.) –The only thing the band done here was give the song a heavier sound.  Which, I loved!!!!!!
6.) “Happy Christmas War is Over” - (Written by ex-Beatle John Lennon along with his wife Yoko Ono in October 1971.)  HELIX DRILLED IT!!!!!  It is the best cover song I believe I’ve ever heard!  Though this song was just written in 1971 and just a baby comparing it to the other standard Christmas songs, it is very deserving of becoming a standard Christmas song especially during war time.  “…war is over, if you want….” 
7.) “Sock it to me Santa” - (Recorded as a single by Bob Seger in 1994.) This honestly, is the first time I have ever heard this song.  So I can’t say if it is different or better than the original.  So I will treat it as an original.  The song opens with a conversation between Brain and Rick over the top of a percussion arrangement.  The musical into opens with one measure of Brian singing a lyric line from the famous James Brown song ‘Papa’s Got A Brand New Band’.  After the lyric line the rhythm guitar kicks into the famous opening riff from the same song.  However, once the riff is over the rhythm guitar changes.  The rhythm guitar over the top of the intro section, and this is the best way to word it, is several warm-up riffs.  The drum line underneath the intro section was done with the tom-toms.  There is a drastic musical change for the musical chorus were the song goes from a standard rock style sound to a more Ramones sound.  I was not expecting this at all!  There is a small “Papa’s Got A Brand New Band” section connecting the musical chorus with the musical verse.  The twin lead guitar solo was several main riffs from other Christmas songs.     
8.) “Jingle Bells” – (Also known as "One Horse Open Sleigh", and was written by James Lord Peirpont.) The band speeded up and modernized this classic song with the rhythm guitar riffs and lead guitar solo.  I LOVED THE WAY THEY ARRANGED THE BREAKDOWN SECTION!!!!!
9.) “Silent Night” – (Was written in German by the Austrian priest Father Josef Mohr and the melody was composed by the Austrian headmaster Franz Xaver Gruber.)  For the first verse the band kept the song very traditional and as it was originally written.  The only difference was the replacement of the piano with the electric guitar.  After the opening verse there is a drastic musical change.  This musical change consisted of a lead guitar solo.  The guitar solo is the same as the lyrics.  This lead guitar solo is fucking amazing, yes I said it, fucking amazing!!  After the solo the band brings the song back down to the opening arrangement of just guitar/vocals.   
10.) “It’s Christmas Time Again” (original: Vollmer/Prior/Georgakopouloings) This is the only track on the release that is an original composition.  The track opens with two measures of just rhythm guitar before the main intro kicks-in.  In the way the guys set the musical verse up had the rhythm guitar laced in between the vocal lines.  So underneath Brain’s vocals is just the drum line.  There is a small rhythm guitar change underneath the pre-chorus.  In the way the guys wrote the individual arrangements gives the song that huge Helix hook.  The lead guitar solo is after the first chorus and sounds like it was done with both lead guitarists.  There are a few minor lead guitar licks underneath the third and forth chorus. 


     Consisting of Brian Vollmer (vocals), Paul Hackman (guitars), Keith ‘Bert’ Zurbrigg (bass) and twins Brent “Doctor” (guitar) & Brian Doermer (drums) and hailing from the great white north a.k.a. Canada Helix was formed in 1974 for a Battle of the Bands contest in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.  Since that contest Brian has kept the rock hard Helix machine on some form of super Viagra, Levitra, or Cialis going through twenty-four members, the releasing of nineteen albums (this includes live & greatest hits releases), plus the devastating loss of one of its founding members, Paul Hackman in a tragic auto accident on July 5, 1992.  With all of this was just one thing left for Helix to do.  Release a Christmas album?  Yes, that’s right Helix’s latest effort is a Christmas release!
     It’s not unusual for an artist to record a Christmas. However since the late fifties and early sixties it’s just something you don’t see. Let alone in the genre of heavy metal. In fact, I can only think of one and that’s ‘A Twisted Christmas’ that Twisted Sister released last year. I don’t know why? I spoke with a music business insider friend the other day and he said there was no rule against it. Maybe, this along with the Twisted release will start a trend. Who knows, either way I’m rambling on like an old person back to the review. The guys chose a good mixture between standard and modern Christmas music including writing one song themselves. Even though you have to take into consideration that that the CD will be played probably only once a year, it still ranks up there with some of the best stuff the band has recorded. If you are a Helix fan or if you are a fan of good solid Christmas music then this CD has your name on it!