Rating: C+
Eagle Rock has paired two live concert performances
of historical value for fans of Twisted Sister. The
first of which showcases the band that took New York by
storm before they even garnered a record deal.
Back in 1982, Twisted Sister had just released their
debut album, Under the Blade. They returned to
Long Island and filmed the performance at the North
State Theater. This is the breadwinner of the two
concerts in this collection as it truly documents a band
getting ready to take the world by storm. The band is
poised for the big time yet naďve enough to still be
wide-eyed and as enthusiastic about their career as
their fans. The set list for this show features many of
the early songs that SMF’ers hold close to their heart
including “What You Don’t Know (Sure Can Hurt You),”
“Bad Boys (Of Rock ‘n’ Roll),” “Under the Blade,” “Shoot
‘Em Down,” “Sin After Sin” and the classic “You Can’t
Stop Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Also included are covers of “Leader
of the Pack” and “It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll.”
The second DVD is also a very important snapshot in
the career of Twisted Sister as this was supposed to be
a one off reunion gig to raise money for the victims of
9/11. New York famed Deejay Eddie Trunk put the show
together as he felt Metal was not represented when it
came to raising money and hope for the victims of the
World Trade Center attack. He worked hard and his blood,
sweat and tears paid off as his friends, Twisted Sister,
agreed to reform to raise money for charity. The video
quality of the show, however, is not good. It is very
dark and this detracts from the sound and performances
in the show. In fairness, this was not shot for a
commercial release at the time but rather for
posterities sake.
The set is pretty killer as the reunited band bashes
through “The Kids Are Back,” “Stay Hungry,” “Burn In
Hell,” “You Can’t Stop Rock ‘n’ Roll,” “I Wanna Rock,”
“We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “The Price” among others.
Despite the quality of the video at times, the two
concerts are very cool and the songs sound great. The
bonus interviews are excellent as the band looks back at
two of the most important dates in their history.
By Jeb Wright
