This Calendar has taken many strange turns over the eighteen years we've endured until it was old enough to vote, but even amongst the insanity of those early years, we never had anything quite this bonkers. This is the Christopher Lee - Hammer Dracula, Saruman etc - singing (and I use the word loosely there) a Heavy Metal Christmas version of 'Silent Night'.
You can see what this EP (Extended Player for you kids out there) promises, but you can't quite believe it until it begins. Then, as the riff starts, you think 'Oh no, surely not? Please!...' but then you settle in and, after a couple of minutes you're shaking your head and flipping rock signs to your neighbours. No? Just me then...
For reference, Heavy Metal Christmas also features a version of 'The Little Drummer Boy' and - wait for it! - there is also a 'Heavy Metal Too' featuring more festive nonsense, a 'Darkest Carols, Faithful Sing' version of 'Hark, The Herald Angels' and a full non-Christmas related concept album, but I'll leave you to investigate that.
This whole thing has reminded me that when I was a younger man working in the glittering West End of London I once passed Christopher Lee in Berkeley Square. I can confirm, he was very tall, very imposing, and definitely not a man you'd approach for a chat.
Rock on Scaramanga!
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