Twisted Sister
Under The Blade (Remaster Series)

June 2011
Released: 2011, Eagle Rock Entertainment / Armoury Records
Rating: 4.0/5
Reviewer: Robert Williams

Eagle Rock Entertainment has re-issued UNDER THE BLADE the classic debut full length album from New York glam rock pioneers Twisted Sister. This special edition CD & DVD combo pack is the most elaborate of the Twisted Sister re-issue's to date, crammed chock full with all of the bells and whistles coming in the form of five exclusive bonus tracks and archival footage of a young Twisted Sister performing at the 1982 Reading Festival.



A favorite amongst the band's fans second in terms of popularity only to the mega crossover appeal of "Stay Hungry", UNDER THE BLADE features such revered and treasured hits as "Shoot 'Em Down" "Sin After Sin" "Destroyer" "Run For Your Life" and of course the title track. Almost all of the songs on this release would go on to become live staples and crowd favorites on Twisted Sister's future tours.



The DVD portion of the UNDER THE BLADE special edition engages the viewer with nostalgic bliss as we are taken nearly thirty years back in time to the Reading Festival in 1982. The band decked out in their trademark brightly colored and tassled stage garb, conquer and divide their captive audience in a rare daylight hours performance that is high on electricity and showmanship. Twisted Sister as a band were always second to none in terms of stage presence and this multi-cam footage accurately portrays what it must have been like to witness the band live in their initial heyday in the early eighties.



The booklet also features liner notes by rock music journalist Gary Bushell, lyrics and credits. They probably should have added some vintage pics of the band to really spruce things up, but as it stands this is a fine re-issue well deserving of the price of admission and of course the addition of bonus tracks and the fantastic DVD should warrant even seasoned collectors who own an original pressing to add this special edition to their collections.