Christmas Metal is still considered a novelty--because, well, Santa doesn't hold the power Satan does over metalheads--but it's far from a new thing. Classic tunes have been reinterpreted by some of metal's most respected forces, and many smaller bands have also tried to take a stab with their songs glorifying and (more often) lampooning the holiday.

If you're going to buy a tacky metal Christmas sweater, whether it's a Motohead one or that sad Foo Fighters Emperor ripoff, at least give these tunes a shot while you contemplate the purchase.

Halford - 'I Don't Care If It's Christmas Night': Not to let Snider hog all the Yuletide attention, Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford also gets in on the Christmas spirit with Winter Songs. While not all of the songs are about Christmas, plenty of them are. One of the silliest, and best, songs on the album is 'I Don't Care if it's Christmas Night." It's a mid-paced rocker, and its carefree party vibe owes a huge debt to one of Priest's biggest hits, 'Living After Midnight." He tries to get back to his lady but can't due to a variety of transportation problems. Considering Halford's been long out of the closet, it is a bit odd that he's talking about meeting his girl, but just go with it. If you're at the bar on Christmas day, put this on the jukebox.

Type O Negative - 'Red Water (Christmas Mourning)': For some people, Christmas can be a major drag. You may hate your family, and sometimes, you wish you didn't share their bloodline, especially when politics and relationships get brought up and you almost choke on your ham. But hey, at least you have your family, or some of it. Peter Steele, the most miserable man, tied in Christmas with the death of his father with Type O Negative's 'Red Water (Christmas Mourning)." While Type O usually sprinkled in a liberal dose of snark with their gloomy observations, this is all lamentation, no joy. He sees ghosts of the departed while drinking old scotch, and he can't drink away the pain. Actually, it's not completely devoid of Steele's wit, as he manages to work in 'Goddamn ye, merry gentlemen." Christmas bells can be faintly heard at one point, but they do little to raise spirits. According to Steele, who passed away in 2010 from an aortic aneurysm, this was the one Type O song he would never perform live. Even a guy who's posed for Playgirl had his limits.

Jesu - 'Christmas': You think Steele is bummed? Justin Broadrick really doesn't like Christmas. He dedicates his oh-so-bountiful spirit with his shoegaze-metal project Jesu on 'Christmas," from a 2010 EP of the same name. The music itself is pretty downtrodden, low rumbles reminiscent of his most famous project, Godflesh, and soft croons that highlight just how much he hates the holidays. This song focuses on the holiday's cyclical nature, how we get ourselves hyped up for the same march year after year. In the end, we cry and look at the snow and wonder where the time has gone. Pass the eggnog and make sure it's spiked like the grimmest black metal warrior's armbands--you'll need it after this song.