Hanukkah for most Jews is a time for latkes, family and friends, and maybe even a gift or two. But for the members of the heavy metal band Gods of Fire, it’s a time to rock your face off with some Hanukkah-themed metal ballads.
The band’s new album, “Hanukkah Gone Metal,” which debuted in mid-November, lines up eight songs for the eight nights of the holiday. The group combines metal rifts on two holiday favorites “Oh Hanukkah” and “Havenu Shalom Aleichem,” with six original songs, like “No Gelt, No Glory” and “Spin for the Blood of Our Elders,” each about a different part of the holiday, from dreidels to fighting dragons for latke oil.
The idea for the album was born of the band’s performance at a 2008 dreidel-spinning tournament, where the group performed a metal arrangement of “Hatikvah.” “The initial ideas flowed quickly…. Then the hard part started. How do you stay true to your Metal roots while writing about gelt or frying up latkes?” band member Seth Diamond wrote in a November 19 article on Jewcy.com. After some time and experimentation with different sounds and instruments, Diamond, who had never written a Jewish album, came to a realization: “The sounds of the synagogue were perfect for Heavy Metal.”
The Forward welcomes reader comments in order to promote thoughtful discussion on issues of importance to the Jewish community. In the interest of maintaining a civil forum, the Forward requires that all commenters be appropriately respectful toward our writers, other commenters and the subjects of the articles. Vigorous debate and reasoned critique are welcome; name-calling and personal invective are not. While we generally do not seek to edit or actively moderate comments, the Forward reserves the right to remove comments for any reason.
Copyright © 2013, Forward Association, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Claims Conference Chief Knew of $57M Holocaust Fraud Probe Earlier 
Top Dog: Who Makes the Best Kosher Hot Dog in America?
Why Do Jews Intermarry at a Much Higher Rate Than Others?
End Orthodox Monopoly on Jewish Marriage in Israel
Boston Bombers Pal Slain in Florida Eyed in 'Jewish' Triple Murder
You've successfully signed up!
_Hanukkah Gone Metal_, the cure to Orrin Hatch's "Eight Days of Hanukkah"!