Just by the name of it, the reference of “Metal God” on the cover makes this release a significant one. And it couldn’t be any other way, since the astonishing “Nostradamous” shocked the metal community to the core. But…just a minute…what does the title “Winter Songs” mean and why does the Metal God rest his eyes on snowcapped cliffs?

The answer to that can be quite shocking actually since Halford decided to mix some new songs with some traditional Christmas tunes!! Of course it is holiday time, we will definitely decorate out little Christmas tree, so why not do it listening to some metal Christmas tunes in the process? Well, Christmas is not a heavy metal party, you know, far from it actually. Halford vocals do not really synch to the merry melodies we used to listen to when we were kids and went to school. Luckily, this album also has a couple of songs to remind us of the glorious CV of one of the top voices of the metal movement ever. And by this, I mean the vivid “Into The Spirit” with the rapid riffing by Roy Z and Metal Mike Chlasciak. Of course, everything hushes down and bows in respect when Halford’s high octaves take control. It sounds like a cliché but it is inevitable to say that this guy’s voice matures like old, fine wine as years go by. Indeed, Halford takes up where he left us with “Nostradamus”, where he presented us with even more aspects of his vocal capacity. The metal element starts to fade with the intro of the second cut of the album, “happily” titled “We Three Kings”. Thankfully, the guitars save the day, up to a point, with some hammer-ons and some pull-offs, reminiscent of Judas Priest. It’s just not that easy to listen to the Metal God impetuously singing “Hallelujah” with all the merry assortment into place. In fact, the whole album follows this “candy-topped” recipe; seminar vocals, guitars balancing between Judas Priest and Iron Maiden with solos to be envied. It’s not a secret that Roy Z has done great things with both Halford and Dickinson (whom he resurrected in “Balls To Picasso” but mainly on “Accident Of Birth”). But this is another story…

I really don’t know what is the musical residue of “Winter Songs”. Starting with the fact that you cannot listen to it during any other season and concluding with the fact that, save the starter, there is no song to be put into a live playlist, one wonders what was the intention of such a thing…Actually, if there was an erase button on my player I would have pressed it without regret during the same titled cut, erasing one more dark page of the ultimate voice’s history (I still haven’t forgotten “Two”). Just walk by this thing as if you missed it, except if you really need a music background when you’re baking Christmas cookies…

P.S. “What Child Is this?” sounds conspicuously similar to Blackmore’s latest…