Christmas, Hawk Nelson (BEC Recordings)

This popular Christian rock band has done Christmas tunes before on the Happy Christmas series of CD anthologies, like "Last Christmas" and "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)." They also had a 2006 EP, Gloria, with the title song, "Alleluia," "I Heard the Bells" and "Last Christmas," still available as a download. This extended EP for 2011 includes none of those songs, just a hard rockin' romp through seven classic carols. (Actually eight, as "O Come All Ye Faithful" is medleyed with the opening track, "Hark the Herald Angels Sing.") "The Holly and the Ivy" is a mid-tempo approach and "Silent Night" is the usual slow-tempo arrangement, but "Wassail Song," "Joy To the World," "Up on the Housetop" and "I Saw Three Ships" lope along at fast tempos to juice up your holiday parties.