Under The Blade

In early 2011, all of Twisted Sister's studio albums from the 1980s (save for their biggest hit, 1984's Stay Hungry) were remastered, expanded, and reissued by Armoury Records. And the last title to be reissued was the glam metal act's full-length debut, 1982's Under the Blade. Strictly from a standpoint of bonus bits that were included, this new and improved version of Under the Blade will certainly give the consumer the most bang for his or her buck. In addition to five tracks being tacked onto the end (the group's early EP, Ruff Cutts, as well as a live track), there is a bonus DVD included, which includes the group's kick-ass performance at the 1982 Reading Festival in England. And in addition to faithfully capturing the group's high-energy performance that day, the viewer will be treated to such visual delights as the group constantly ducking objects hurled at them from the audience, singer Dee Snider challenging the "object throwers" to a fist fight after the show, and a rendition of the Rolling Stones' "It's Only Rock n' Roll," with special guests Pete Way, Fast Eddie Clarke, and Lemmy Kilmister. Additionally, there's a bonus bit where all five Twisted members are interviewed about their Reading memories, as well as the recording of Under the Blade. But the actual Under the Blade album isn't so shabby, either, as it was Twisted Sister's most raw studio effort (before the group began moving toward a more glossy sound, which would yield their aforementioned breakthrough hit, Stay Hungry), having more in common with punk rock energy and attitude than pop metal acts. One of the more underrated metal debuts of the '80s was certainly Under the Blade, and now, fans can obtain the definitive version. ~ Greg Prato|