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The band's debut album is already over 20 years old (and, interestingly, was released some 10 years after the band was formed..), and anyone who dismisses Twisted Sister as a "glam metal" band should give this one a serious listen. There's nothing remotely common with such atrocities as Warrant or Slaughter (USA), or the better-known Poison (although I do have a thing for their debut...) Don't be fooled by their... hmmm... Strange looks either (and keep in mind they looked even worse in the years before! ;)) While the "party-metal" vibe is present here, there are a number of songs such as "Destroyer" that are heavier and darker than a lot of stuff released back then (or today, for that matter.) This was a time before Twisted Sister went into a more commercial direction (still not nearly as commercial as the aforementionned glam bands.) This is pure heavy metal with aggressive and heavy riffs. Dee Snider can stand with the best of them (a few inches higher, actually ;)), with a vocal style that fits the dark "Destroyer" and the aggressive and heavy "Under the Blade" just as well as the much lighter "Bad Boys (Of Rock 'n' Roll)".

"Under the Blade" is a good representative of the early 80s American metal, mixing aggressive riffs with catchy melodies, thus catering to a crowd of metalheads and hard rockers alike. Quite interesting also is the mix of pretty aggressive lyrical contents on some songs, while others such as "I'll Never Grow Up Now!" are more light-hearted. And as icing on the cake diversity-wise, the album closes on a mellow note with the bluesy "Day of the Rocker", quite a departure from the first nine songs. An album well worth looking into if you're into classic 80s metal.

Additional Information

- Original 1982 edition did not include "I'll Never Grow Up Now!"