“Blistering” and “ferocious” aren’t words normally applied to Christmas music, but they definitely describe Hawk Nelson’s latest blast of holiday cheer. Expanding on the group’s 2006 Gloria EP, this seven-song release features often-overlooked traditional tunes and gives a new spin to familiar favorites. Hawk Nelson doesn’t tone down its punk-pop edge for most of these tracks; if anything, the band dives into them with extra jolts of joyful abandon. Hawk Nelson invites comparisons to The Pogues as it barnstorms its way through folk-based hymns like “The Wassail Song” and “I Saw Three Ships.” The banjo-driven “Up on the Housetop” turns into a wild hootenanny, while a medley of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” and “O Come All Ye Faithful” rides a slalom-like curve from crazed to serene. Just as arresting is the vocal harmony interplay in “Joy to the World” that takes the band from caroling to caterwauling. Acoustic-based renditions of “The Holly and the Ivy” and “Silent Night” offer reflective moments amid the more raucous tunes.

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