Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand is the first Christmas album released by Christian rock band Relient K. It was released on November 4, 2003, via Gotee Records.
Background and release
Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand was produced by Mark Lee Townsend and co-produced by Matt Thiessen.
On October 23, 2007, the band re-released this album with seven new songs, and the new title of Let it Snow, Baby... Let it Reindeer. Guitarist Matt Hoopes reflected on the album, stating, "On the first batch of songs, we mostly tried to keep it... really fast, loud and a little bit off for Christmas songs."
On the 20th anniversary of the album, the group pressed it as a vinyl record.
Critical reception
Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand was met with positive reviews from music critics. Tony Cummings of Cross Rhythms wrote, "Apart from having the most amusing title ever conceived for a Christmas project, what do you get? Well, just what you'd expect. A punktastic versions of "Angels We Have Heard On High", a fun modification of a creaking old standard 'Santa Clause Is Thumbin' To Town' and best of all, a hilarious version of '12 Days Of Christmas'. But it doesn't stop there. There's also a truly manic version of Handel's 'The Hallelujah Chorus' and if Matthew Thiessen's run through of 'Silent Night/Away In A Manger' is dull, with not a guitar in earshot, this is still an above average Yuletide album likely to get airplay in the Christmases ahead."
Relient K
- Matt Thiessen – lead vocals, guitars, acoustic piano
- Matt Hoopes – guitars, backing vocals
- Brian Pittman – bass
- Dave Douglas – drums, backing vocals
Production
- Mark Lee Townsend – producer
- Matt Thiessen – co-producer
- J.R. McNeeley – mixing