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Twisted Sister is a band very few Metal fans are unaware of, even those that weren't around in the 80s. Most have almost certainly heard "We're Not Gonna Take It" from the band's breakout album Stay Hungry, released in 1984, as well as seen the comical video featuring Mark Metcalf from the movie Animal House. What Metal fans may not be aware of is that Twisted Sister was around for over 10 years prior to Stay Hungry and it is the band's THIRD full-length album. We Are Twisted Fucking Sister! is a documentary about the early years before this working band from New York finally hit it big.

The band, which began playing Glam/Glitter Rock covers, was formed by guitarist Jay Jay French in 1972 and it wasn't until vocalist Dee Snider joined in 1976 that things started to get heavy. The film makes great use of early video to capture the band morphing into a Heavy Metal band as they race through speeded up versions of Bowie's "Suffragette City" and "Rebel Rebel." This footage captures not only the energy of the band but the talent that was often overlooked in later years when more simplistic songs were released as singles. Snider is almost always in tune and the soloing of French and Eddie Ojeda, while not necessarily technical, had plenty of oomph. We Are Twisted Fucking Sister! captures the band as they rise to the top of the bar-band circuit in the Tri-State area of New York (including Connecticut and New Jersey) and their frustration at being able to sell out 3000 seat arenas yet not get a record deal. The filmmakers focus more on the music than on the personal struggles of the musicians, except those that directly impact the band, which gives it a much different feel than say, Anvil: The Story of Anvil. I like that it is more factual but it is a bit dry at times.

Whether or not you like Twisted Sister, We Are Twisted Fucking Sister! is an entertaining look behind the scenes at the struggles of a rising band. When you hear live versions of Heavy Metal anthems like "Under the Blade," Shoot 'em Down" and "Destroyer" you may just find yourself checking out the band's early releases like You Can't Stop Rock and Roll or Under the Blade and discovering there was actually a pretty good Hard Rock/Heavy Metal band behind the cartoon we're all familiar with.