As I Lay Dying might be one of the more well-known Christian metalcore outfits, but they didn’t get hung up on their love of that pesky Jesus fellow when we subjected them to our seasonal interrogation. Nick Hipa made sure to remind us of the importance of dead pop stars, small fluffy dogs, and alien invasions in this festive time of year.

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What is the most metal Christmas present you’ve either given or received?
I didn’t exactly give or receive it, but I vividly remember my Dad getting an authentic Viking sword replica one year. Its sheer weight blew my mind!

What is your favourite Christmas song?
The Jackson 5′s version of ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’.  Young MJ was untouchable.

What is your favourite Christmas movie?
I actually contemplated this for a while and almost went with Christmas Vacation, but ultimately the honor goes to Home Alone.  Young Macaulay Culkin was untouchable.

What is your best memory of 2011?
The missus and I welcomed a young pomeranian by the name of “Peeblez” into our family.  I never really understood how people could be so obsessive about their dogs until I had one myself.  He’s responsible for the majority of my favorite memories this year.

What is your favourite album of 2011?
Without a doubt, In Flames’ Sounds of a Playground Fading.  It is an endless sea of great riffs, catchy hooks, tasty solos, solid grooves, and creative layering within the confines of very well written songs.

What will your New Year Resolution be?
Every year I try to envision ways to get better all the stuff I do, whether it’s guitar playing or surfing or CrossFit or cooking even‹and take consistent baby steps in those directions.

Who is the ugliest person you’ve kissed under the mistletoe?
I’m happy to say that no immediate names come to mind.

What role would you take in a nativity play?
I would play the innkeeper… kinda there for the whole thing… but ultimately laying back in the cut in case things got real.

If all those mad prophecies about 2012 being the end of the world comes true, how do you want the apocalypse to manifest itself?
I’d actually be let down if it happened via natural disasters.  What I would like is for some sort of crazy Alien invasion to destroy us all.  The plus side of that sort of annihilation is that we go out as an entire unified species, who in our dying moments, put aside petty differences to fight a common evil.  The same idea as Independance Day or the end of Watchmen.

2011 has been a year of revolution and upheaval ­ what do you think will happen in 2012?
A global takeover by the Chinese, followed shortly thereafter by a global takeover by gnarly Aliens.  The end.