THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS

The Spirit of Christmas biography
In 1969, Bob BRYDEN (vocals, keyboards, guitar), Rich RICHTER (drums, percussion), Robert BULGER (lead guitar), and Tyler RAIZENNE (bass) joined forces in Oshawa, Ontario to become a band known as CHRISTMAS. After releasing two psychedelic albums under that name, the band recruited vocalist and pianist Preston WYNN and made a slight adjustment to their name to become THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS also releasing a new album called "Lies to Live By". This change was accompanied by a change in style to a more eclectic style.

The music on the only album released under this name is a combination of hard, guitar-driven rock with folk and progressive rock elements added in with a healthy dose of fusion to become a band with a more varied and accessible style. The album itself has mostly been forgotten over the years, however, it was reissued in 1999 and since then has managed to become a sought after gem thanks to the excellent progressive sound that the band had created. Yes, it is an odd name for a band, but the music speaks for itself.

This music can appeal to fans of many styles. You can hear the influence of several bands here built into one cohesive style; among these bands are MIRIODOR, JENGHIZ KHAN, PAZOP, GALLIARD, RUSH, KING CRIMSON and CURRENT 93.