Gary Hoey has delivered many rock remakes of classic Christmas carols throughout his career, but on
The Best of Ho! Ho! Hoey, he collects them all onto one album along with some new versions. All the songs are well-known Christmas classics, mixing both secular and Christian carols together. The bizarre part of the whole affair is the arrangements of the songs: Although he may not have written them, he sure does not mind rewriting them to his style. What this makes for is heavy, shredding versions of "God Rest," "Greensleeves," and other melancholy Christmas favorites. With so many slow, peaceful renditions of these songs available,
Hoey's approach is not only fresh but also unique. Sure, listeners who do not like guitar virtuoso music will probably not warm up to this album anytime soon, but rock fans who are looking for an up-tempo, aggressive alternative to most Christmas music may want to try this out. ~ Bradley Torreano