Rise Against, who recently released Appeal To Reason, has also lent their unique punk rock sound to the Nightmare Revisited soundtrack. The Chicago bred quartet has put a nightmarish twist on Danny Elfman’s original “Making Christmas” and the video to go along side the track can be seen here.

The Nightmare Revisited soundtrack also featuring Marilyn Manson, The All-American Rejects, RJD2 and more is available in stores now.

Corporate line:
With “The Nightmare Before Christmas” franchise growing each year, Walt Disney Records is releasing a brand new cover album, “Nightmare Revisited.” The album features unique, ALL NEW RECORDINGS on the eccentric cult classic, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” soundtrack, covered by a diverse group of artists across different music genres. Artists such as Amy Lee from Evanesence, Korn, Rise Against, Shiny Toy Guns, Flyleaf, Polyphonic Spree, and more! Take a spin with these great songs and show us there is still plenty of nightmare to revisit.

The tracks:
“Overture” f/DeVotchKa – Sounds a scottish hoe-down rather than an opening track to a Halloween movie.

“This is Halloween” f/Marilyn Manson – Marilyn Manson is the king of creepiness and his take on this song is brilliant. Manson might be the only artist that could take a song of this album and put it on his own album.

“Jack’s Lament” f/The All-American Rejects – AAR opens brilliantly but this is the sort of song that needs a visual to hold it together.

“Doctor Finkelstein/In the Forest” f/Amiina – Purely instrumental–good for a nap.

“What’s This?” f/Flyleaf – Perhaps my favorite song from the movie–except for “This is Halloween.” Flyleaf’s take doesn’t really do the song justice when performed as a rock track because it’s missing the atmosphere.

“Town Meeting Song” f/The Polyphonic Spree – The Polyphonic Spree shows you what Pink Floyd might do if they were making a soundtrack for a kid’s movie. Here is a suggestion–The Polyphonic Spree and Danny Elfman should get together and write an album. It’d be brilliant to say the least!

“Jack and Sally Montage” f/The Vitamin String Quartet – Another instrumental interlude.

“Jack’s Obsession” f/Sparklehorse – At first I thought–who is this chick singing… nope, it’s a dude. Big mistake.

“Kidnap the Sandy Claws” f/Korn – This song is brilliant. I haven’t heard Korn have this much fun in a decade.

“Making Christmas” f/Rise Against – This is the complete opposite of the Korn track. It lacks atmosphere and playfulness. Rise Against doesn’t make Christmas–they make a Rise Against song without thinking about the overall idea.

“Nabbed” f/Yoshida Brothers – Who are these guys? I had no idea until I looked them up. I want all their albums. Their music is beautiful. This is the only instrumental track that made me listen over and over again.

“Oogie Boogie’s Song” f/Rodrigo y Gabriela – An instrumental track that has the opposite effect of the Yoshinda Brothers.

“Sally’s Song” f/Amy Lee – What can’t Amy Lee sing? Amy Lee is magical. If I was Danny Elfman and Tim Burton I’d be trying to figure out how to get this voice on future projects.

“Christmas Eve Montage” f/Rjd2 – Block rocking beats. Techno/hip-hop has connection with this soundtrack.

“Poor Jack” f/Plain White T’s – As much fun as it sounds–it’s not really more than a color by numbers cover.

“To the Rescue” f/Datarock – This techno track doesn’t fit–no, not in the least.

“Finale/Reprise” f/Shiny Toy Guns – The soundtrack to your nightmares. Is it too dark? So it would seem.

“End Title” f/The Album Leaf – Another miss.

Finally:
There are some really interesting and fun tracks. The usual suspects are absolutely brilliant: see Marilyn Manson, Korn and Amy Lee from Evanesence. There are some huge surprises like the Yoshida Brothers. It’s rare that you get a soundtrack and find an artist that makes you want to go out and buy their albums like the Yoshida Brothers do. If you are a fan of the movie, like myself, this still isn’t a must buy–however those four or five tracks certainly are worth downloading.

On September 30, Walt Disney Records unveils Nightmare Revisited with 20 fresh recordings and beloved covers of the music, mayhem, and merriment from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. Danny Elfman returns to recapture the musical landscape he masterfully created for the original The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack with two brand new recordings of the “Opening” and “Closing.” Adding a new tantalizing twist to Nightmare favorites, Nightmare Revisited also boasts an eclectic array of today’s music superstars including Korn, Amy Lee, Plain White T’s, Rise Against, Rodrigo y Gabriela, The All-American Rejects and more. Of course the soundtrack could not be complete without a popular ghost of Nightmare’s past: Marilyn Manson’s eerie cover of “This Is Halloween.”

Each artist re-imagines the most beloved Nightmare anthems, incorporating their signature styles and bringing a hauntingly delightful new sound to life. Clips of each song can be heard at www.nightmarerevisited.com.

Nightmare Revisited track listing:

1. Overture – DeVotchka

2. Opening – Danny Elfman

3. This Is Halloween – Marilyn Manson

4. Jack’s Lament – The All-American Rejects

5. Doctor Finkelstein/In the Forest – Amiina

6. What’s This? – Flyleaf

7. Town Meeting Song – Polyphonic Spree

8. Jack and Sally Montage – The Vitamin String Quartet

9. Jack’s Obsession – Sparklehorse

10. Kidnap the Sandy Claws – Korn

11. Making Christmas – Rise Against

12. Nabbed – Yoshida Brothers

13. Oogie Boogie’s Song – Rodrigo y Gabriela

14. Sally’s Song – Amy Lee

15. Christmas Eve Montage – RJD2

16. Poor Jack – Plain White T’s

17. To the Rescue – Datarock

18. Finale/Reprise – Shiny Toy Guns

19. Closing – Danny Elfman

20. End Title – The Album Leaf