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Twisted Sister was an American heavy metal band formed in 1972 in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, and later based on
Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
. Their best-known songs include " We're Not Gonna Take It" and " I Wanna Rock", both of which were associated with
music videos A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
noted for their sense of
slapstick Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such as ...
humor. Besides their music, the band is equally remembered for their hairstyles and wearing of female clothing and make-up, leading to a categorization in the
glam metal Glam metal (also known as hair metal or pop metal) is a subgenre of heavy metal music, heavy metal that features pop music, pop-influenced Hook (music), hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat arena rock, rock anthems, and slow Sentimental ballad#Powe ...
scene of the 80s. Twisted Sister evolved from a band named Silver Star, and experienced several membership changes before settling on the classic lineup of
Jay Jay French Jay Jay French (born John French Segall, July 20, 1952) is an American guitarist, manager, record producer and founding member of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister. He is a columnist, author and motivational speaker who oversees licensing and i ...
(guitars), Eddie "Fingers" Ojeda (guitars), Dee Snider (lead vocals), Mark "The Animal" Mendoza (bass), and A. J. Pero (drums) in 1982. It was this lineup which recorded the band's first four albums. Twisted Sister's first two albums, '' Under the Blade'' (1982) and '' You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll'' (1983), were critically well-received and earned the band underground popularity. The band achieved mainstream success with their third album, '' Stay Hungry'' (1984), and its single "We're Not Gonna Take It", which was their only Top 40 hit on the
Billboard Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), ...
. Their next two albums, '' Come Out and Play'' (1985) and '' Love Is for Suckers'' (1987), did not match the success of ''Stay Hungry'', and Twisted Sister disbanded in 1988. In the late 1990s, the band briefly reunited before more-permanently reforming in 2003. They released two more albums, '' Still Hungry'' (2004), a re-recording of their third album, and a Christmas album, '' A Twisted Christmas'' (2006). Following Pero's death in 2015, the band embarked on a farewell tour and subsequently separated again after completing the tour in 2016. Twisted Sister was ranked at No. 73 on
VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...
's list of "100 greatest artists of hard rock".


History


Early days (1972–1976)

In late December 1972, Manhattan resident John Segall (who later renamed himself "Jay Jay French") auditioned for, and was asked to join, the "glitter band" Silver Star from Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey. Silver Star was formed by drummer Mel Anderson ("Mel Star") as the "New Jersey version of the
New York Dolls New York Dolls were an American rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1971. Along with the Velvet Underground, the MC5, and the Stooges, they were one of the first bands of the early punk rock scenes. Although the band never achieved ...
", consisting of Billy Diamond (lead guitar), Wayne Brown (lead vocals and guitar), Tony Bunn (bass) and Steve Guarino (keyboards). Michael O'Neill took over the lead vocals from Brown, who had left; Segall hated the name "Silver Star", and pushed to have it changed. O'Neill came up with the name "Twisted Sister" at a rehearsal on
Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a Christian martyrs, martyr named Saint Valentine, Valentine, and ...
in 1973. Along with the name change came stylistic changes that eventually spurred several members to leave the band, amicably, including Bunn and Guarino; Diamond, Star, Segall (now "Johnny Heartbreaker", soon to change his name permanently to "Jay Jay French"), and new bass player Kenneth Harrison Neill made-up the next lineup of Twisted Sister. The band found work immediately, and started playing six nights a week. They secured a residency at the Mad Hatter in
East Quogue, New York East Quogue is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Southampton in Suffolk County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 4,757 at the 2010 census. History East Quogue originally settled in 1673 an ...
, for the summer of 1973 and played 78 shows there, and another 27 shows elsewhere, for a total of 105 shows from
Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May. It i ...
to
Labor Day Labor Day is a Federal holidays in the United States, federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday of September to honor and recognize the Labor history of the United States, American labor movement and the works and con ...
. By December 1974, Jay Jay had already played nearly 600 nights and about 3,000 performances, as the band played five 40-minute shows per night (each with costume changes) some ending as late as 8 AM, the following morning. At this point, the band broke-up and a second iteration brought in a new lead singer (Rick Prince) and guitar player (Keith Angel). After Prince failed to show for a rehearsal in early 1975, Jay Jay took over the lead vocals and management duties. The band split up after Labor Day weekend 1975. In October 1975, the fourth version of the band started to play the club circuit. Jay Jay hired a former high school friend named Eddie Ojeda, who joined as co-lead singer and second guitarist, and got drummer Kevin John Grace after reading an ad that Kevin had put in the Village Voice. Bassist Neill remained and completed the lineup. The band followed a more glam rock direction, influenced by
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
,
Slade Slade are a rock band formed in Wolverhampton, England in 1966. They rose to prominence during the glam rock era in the early 1970s, achieving 17 consecutive top 20 hits and six number ones on the UK Singles Chart. The '' British Hit Singl ...
, Mott the Hoople, the
Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
, and the New York Dolls. They played at local clubs, but floundered in relative obscurity.


Club days (1976–1982)

In February 1976, at the suggestion of the band's agent, Kevin Brenner, Jay Jay was told that the band could only go so far without being able to play
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...
cover songs and urged Jay Jay to hire Danny Snider ( Dee Snider), who had been in the bands Peacock and Heathen. Danny changed his name to Dee at Jay Jay's suggestion and thus began line up number six of Twisted Sister. This version lasted just six weeks, with drummer Grace departing. The group took a heavier musical direction in April 1976 with the addition of new drummer Tony Petri, who was heavily influenced by
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. After adopting the Black Sabbath name in 1969 (the band ...
, Led Zeppelin, Slade, and
Alice Cooper Vincent Damon Furnier (born February 4, 1948), known by his stage name Alice Cooper, is an American rock singer and songwriter whose career spans sixty years. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusion ...
. In 1978 Neill became a
born-again Christian To be born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelical Christianity, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is d ...
after a stint in rehab for alcoholism; his parish, however, objected to his participation in the band, which they deemed to be Satanic. After his departure, the band recruited Dictators bassist Mark Mendoza to replace him. The band moved in a more heavy metal direction in 1978, when the group began to record its demos. Two of their demos found their way to
compilation albums A compilation album comprises tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from one artist, then generally the tracks we ...
by
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
classic rock Classic rock is a radio format that developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, it comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the early-1990s, primarily focusing on comm ...
radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...
WBAB, and were later re-recorded for the band's first two albums. Having audience participation in the "Sweet Jane Gong Show" and the "Death to Disco" stage routines became legendary. The band broke attendance records at large halls in the Tri-State Area and its growing fan base began to take the name "S.M.F.F.O.T.S.", for Sick Motherfucking Friends Of Twisted Sister, later shortened to "S.M.F." for "Sick Mother Fuckers". NME reported that Twisted Sister had sold out the 3,000 capacity New York Palladium for a March 16 show without a recording contract or radio airplay. Fan hysteria and the seemingly "lost art of entertainment" soon became the hallmark of a TS show. After selling out the Palladium, the group began aggressively pursuing a recording contract, with an aim to get out of the club circuit before its impending collapse due to the upcoming change of the drinking age from 18 to 21. The band went through three more line up changes between 1979 and 1982. Drummer Joey Brighton replaced Tony Petri, former
Dictators A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute Power (social and political), power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a polity. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to r ...
drummer Richie Teeter replaced Brighton and, finally, on April 1, 1982, AJ Pero replaced Teeter. Future Shark Island and
The Scream ''The Scream'' is an art composition created by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch in 1893. The Norwegian name of the piece is ('Screaming, Scream'), and the German title under which it was first exhibited is ' ('The Scream of Nature'). The agonize ...
drummer Walt Woodward III was also in the band for three days in 1982. The band started its own T-shirt company and record label. The group released two singles that eventually made it over to the UK and caught the attention of Martin Hooker, the president of indie label Secret Records, a small British label that was mainly a
punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
outlet. Jay Jay remained as manager through 1981 at which time he hired Mark Puma, a local promoter, to manage the band. This lineup (Dee Snider, Jay Jay French, Eddie Ojeda, Mark Mendoza and A.J. Pero) is considered the "official Twisted Sister line up" because this version is responsible for almost all the studio albums, singles, videos and DVDs. On the suggestion of two reporters from '' Sounds'' and ''
Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British music webzine and quarterly magazine that primarily covers rock, punk and heavy metal music. Since 2017, the magazine has been published by Wasted Talent Ltd (the same company that owns electronic music publication ...
'' magazines, Twisted Sister left New York to find a label in the UK. There, in April 1982, they were finally signed by Secret Records. The band also took $22,000 to the UK to appear on the show ''The Tube''.


First two albums (1982–1984)

In July 1982, the group released its first EP, '' Ruff Cutts'', on the Secret Records label, still featuring Tony Petri on the drums. This was followed shortly by the group's first studio album, '' Under the Blade'', produced by
Pete Way Peter Frederick Way (7 August 1950 – 14 August 2020) was an English bassist. He was the co-founder and original bassist of the rock band UFO from 1968 to 1982; he briefly rejoined the band in 1988–1989 and full-time from 1991 to 2008. He ...
of UFO. Despite rather low production quality, the album was an underground hit in the UK, providing the band with sufficient name recognition to open for such metal acts as
Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1975 by bassist and lead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Kilmister was the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band a ...
. The album had an overall raw metal sound and included "Tear It Loose", a very fast speed-metal song featuring a guitar solo by "Fast" Eddie Clarke of Motörhead. Another single, the future hit "We're Not Gonna Take It", was planned for release, but Secret Records went out of business before Snider was able to complete the lyrics. After that appearance on the music TV program ''
The Tube The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or as the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent home counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in England. The Undergro ...
'',
Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...
approached the band and signed them. Atlantic was one of the labels that had turned Twisted Sister down in the ''Club Days'' period. The band's first LP under Atlantic, '' You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll'', produced by Stuart Epps, was released in 1983 and included the UK No. 18 hit "
I Am (I'm Me) "I Am (I'm Me)" is a song by American heavy metal band Twisted Sister, released in 1983 as the lead single from their second studio album, '' You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll''. The song was written by Dee Snider and produced by Stuart Epps. "I Am ( ...
". From a production standpoint, the album sounded better than its predecessor, and it was every bit as heavy. Upon the success of the album the company decided to promote the band more heavily. A music video was made for the
title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-t ...
of ''You Can't Stop Rock'n'Roll'', which was to become the first of a series of comedic videos that popularized the band.


Mainstream popularity (1984–1985)

International fame came for Twisted Sister when the band's third LP, '' Stay Hungry'', hit the stores on May 10, 1984. During the successful tour, a young
Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
supported the band. ''Stay Hungry'' sold more than two million copies by the summer of 1985, and went on to sell more than three million in subsequent years. It remains the band's biggest success. Videos of hit singles " We're Not Gonna Take It" (No. 21 hit in the United States) and " I Wanna Rock" (No. 68 in the United States) ran almost constantly on MTV. The acclaimed surreal
comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...
''
Pee-wee's Big Adventure ''Pee-wee's Big Adventure'' is a 1985 American adventure comedy film directed by Tim Burton in his feature-film directing debut. The film stars Paul Reubens as Pee-wee Herman, along with Elizabeth Daily, Mark Holton, Diane Salinger and Judd O ...
'' took this further with the band having an appearance making a fictional video for " Burn In Hell" on the
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
backlot only to be interrupted by Pee-wee Herman passing through. Despite being comedic in nature, the videos featured violence against parents and teachers, which placed the band under heavy criticism by conservative organizations. The group was singled out by the PMRC in 1985. Their songs "Under the Blade" and "We're Not Gonna Take It" were specifically mentioned in the associated Senate hearings. Snider, along with
John Denver Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997), known professionally as John Denver, was an American Country music, country and Folk music, folk singer, songwriter, and actor. He was one of the most popular acoustic m ...
and
Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American guitarist, composer, and bandleader. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, jazz fusion, orchestra ...
, testified before a
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
committee during these hearings on September 19, 1985.


Decline and fall (1985–1989)

On November 9, 1985, the band released its fourth studio album, '' Come Out and Play'', produced by
Dieter Dierks Dieter Dierks (born 9 February 1943) is a German record producer, sound engineer, music publisher, studio owner and musician. He became well known as producer of the rock band Scorpions (band), Scorpions who were signed to him between 1975 and ...
. It was not nearly as successful as its predecessor, although it did earn the band a
gold certification Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
for sales of 500,000 copies. Some speculate that the failure was partly due to MTV choosing not to air the video for " Be Chrool to Your Scuel" on the grounds that it was graphically offensive. The song featured such guests as
Alice Cooper Vincent Damon Furnier (born February 4, 1948), known by his stage name Alice Cooper, is an American rock singer and songwriter whose career spans sixty years. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusion ...
(who also stars in the video),
Brian Setzer Brian Robert Setzer (born April 10, 1959) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He found widespread success in the early 1980s with the 1950s-style rockabilly group Stray Cats, and returned to the music scene in the early 1990s with ...
,
Clarence Clemons Clarence Anicholas Clemons Jr. (January 11, 1942 – June 18, 2011), also known as The Big Man, was an American saxophonist. From 1972 until his death in 2011, he was the saxophonist for Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band. Clemons rel ...
and
Billy Joel William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Piano Man" after his Signature song, signature 1973 song Piano Man (song), of the same name, Joel has ha ...
. The tour supporting the album was a near fiasco, with low attendance and many cancelled dates. Not even Atlantic's re-release of a remixed ''Under the Blade'' helped the band recover its popularity. ''Come Out and Play'' was one of the first
CDs CDS, CDs, Cds, etc. may refer to: Finance * Canadian Depository for Securities, Canadian post-trade financial services company * Certificate of deposit (CDs) * Counterfeit Deterrence System, developed by the Central Bank Counterfeit Deterrence ...
to go out of print. After the tour, Pero left to rejoin Cities. He was replaced by ex- Good Rats drummer Joey "Seven" Franco. The nickname "Seven" comes from his being the band's seventh drummer. In 1986, Snider embarked on a solo project, reportedly approaching future
Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris (musician), Steve Harris. Although fluid in the early years of the band, the line-up for most ...
guitarist
Janick Gers Janick Robert Gers (; born 27 January 1957) is an English musician who is best known as one of the three guitarists in Heavy metal music, heavy metal band Iron Maiden since 1990. He initially joined to replace Adrian Smith (musician) , Adrian ...
, but this did not work out. Janick recalls it as follows: "He rang me up and we talked but I remember saying, 'There is no way in this world that I am putting on make up or anything like that, I'm just not into that shit.' But we had a chat and he seemed like a nice enough guy. But I never heard back from him." Snider then recorded an album with Franco programming the
drum machine A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument that creates percussion sounds, drum beats, and patterns. Drum machines may imitate drum kits or other percussion instruments, or produce unique sounds, such as synthesized electronic tones. A d ...
and featuring several
session musician A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a reco ...
s such as
Reb Beach Richard Earl "Reb" Beach Jr. (born August 31, 1963) is an American rock guitarist. He is a member of the bands Winger and Whitesnake. Career After graduating from Fox Chapel Area High School and attending Berklee College of Music in the ea ...
on guitar and Kip Winger (just before they formed Winger) and Steve Whiteman of Kix. Atlantic Records refused to release it unless it was labeled as a Twisted Sister album. So, on August 13, 1987 '' Love Is for Suckers'' made its debut. Although the band had not played in the recording sessions, it was mentioned on the album cover as if the group had, and the band did play some of the songs in subsequent shows.
Beau Hill Beau Hill is an American record producer who is best known for his work with Ratt, Alice Cooper, Kix, Winger, Streets, Warrant, Fiona, and Europe. He also played instruments and sang backing vocals for some of the artists that he produced, as ...
's production gave the album a very polished
pop metal Pop metal (sometimes conflated with or used interchangeably with glam metal) is an umbrella term for commercial heavy metal and hard rock styles which feature prominent pop music elements such as catchy hooks and anthemic choruses. It became p ...
sound. The band's members had also removed the makeup that they had been wearing since their early days. The music video for the lead single " Hot Love", featuring the band members without their makeup, had moderate success on MTV. Commercially though, the album was a complete failure and many of the band's metal fans were disappointed with the pop sound. On October 12, 1987, almost two months after the release of ''Love Is for Suckers'', Snider left the band, the record label cancelled its contract, and Twisted Sister disbanded. The public announcement of the band's demise came in January 1988.


Separation period (1989–1997)

After the band's break-up, former members were involved in different projects: * Snider formed Desperado, Widowmaker, and SMFs. Joey Franco also played drums in Widowmaker. Snider also wrote and starred in the movie '' Strangeland''. * Ojeda went on to join Scarerow and then formed Prisoners of War. He also worked as a session guitarist and guitar instructor. * French stopped performing except for some guest appearances. He formed French Management and produced the
alternative metal Alternative metal (also known as alt-metal) is a genre of heavy metal music that combines heavy metal with influences from alternative rock and other genres not normally associated with metal. Alternative metal bands are often characterized by ...
band
Sevendust Sevendust is an American Rock music, rock band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1994 by bassist Vinnie Hornsby, drummer Morgan Rose and guitarist John Connolly (musician), John Connolly. After their first demo, lead vocalist Lajon Witherspoon an ...
's first self-titled album. * Mendoza briefly joined Blackfoot. Then he worked as a producer and manager. He also occasionally pursued solo projects. * Pero was involved in several projects and subsequently toured with Snider's SMFs. Pero for a time during this period also worked in a now defunct (as of January 2017) Staten Island, NY audio shop called Clone Audio. * Franco worked as a session drummer and played with Snider's Widowmaker. In 1992, Atlantic Records, released a "best of" album '' Big Hits and Nasty Cuts'' that also featured some live performances from the ''Under The Blade'' period. This album was compiled by French. A live album from the ''Stay Hungry'' era named '' Live At Hammersmith'' was released in 1994 by CMC International.


Reunions and reissues (1998–2014)

In 1998, the band recorded a song for the
soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...
of Snider's movie ''Strangeland''. In 1999,
Spitfire Records Spitfire Records was a subsidiary of Eagle Rock Entertainment located in New York City, New York. In September 1998, Paul Bibeau founded, launched and rapidly developed Spitfire Records Inc. from a two-man operation located in his home bedroom i ...
re-issued the group's back catalog, supplemented with previously unreleased tracks. This was followed by '' Club Daze Volume 1: The Studio Sessions'', an album containing demo recordings from the pre-''Under the Blade'' era, which has three songs that were written by French, this was the first time someone other than Snider was writing songs and ''Club Daze Volume 2: Live In The Bars'', a live counterpart. In 2001, Koch Records released a
tribute album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century a ...
under the name '' Twisted Forever: A Tribute To The Legendary Twisted Sister''. The album featured a wide range of artists and bands who had been influenced by Twisted Sister, including Lit,
Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1975 by bassist and lead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Kilmister was the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band a ...
,
Chuck D Carlton Douglas Ridenhour (born August 1, 1960), known professionally as Chuck D, is an American rapper, best known as the leader and frontman of the hip hop group Public Enemy, which he co-founded in 1985 with Flavor Flav. Chuck D is also a me ...
,
Anthrax Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Bacillus anthracis'' or ''Bacillus cereus'' biovar ''anthracis''. Infection typically occurs by contact with the skin, inhalation, or intestinal absorption. Symptom onset occurs between one ...
, Overkill,
Cradle of Filth Cradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style evolved originally from black metal to a cleaner and more "produced" amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic metal and other metal genres. Their ly ...
,
Joan Jett Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin; September 22, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actress. Often referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music#J, Godmother of Punk", she is regarded as a Pop icon, rock icon and ...
,
Sebastian Bach Sebastian Philip Bierk (born April 3, 1968), known professionally as Sebastian Bach, is a Canadian-American singer who achieved mainstream success as the frontman of the hard rock band Skid Row from 1987 to 1996. He has acted on Broadway and h ...
, and
HammerFall HammerFall is a Swedish power metal band from Gothenburg. The band was formed in 1993 by ex- Ceremonial Oath guitarist Oscar Dronjak. They have released thirteen studio albums. History Early days (1993–1996) HammerFall was formed when g ...
. Oddly for a tribute album, Twisted Sister was also present with a cover of
AC/DC AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock and Heavy metal music, heavy metal, although the band calls it simply "rock and roll". They are cited as a formativ ...
's "Sin City". In November 2001, the reunited Twisted Sister joined fellow New York metal artists Anthrax, Overkill, Sebastian Bach, and
Ace Frehley Paul Daniel "Ace" Frehley (, ; born April 27, 1951) is an American musician who was the original lead guitarist, occasional lead vocalist and founding member of the rock band Kiss (band), Kiss. He invented the persona of The Spaceman (a.k.a. ...
to headline a benefit concert for
NYPD The City of New York Police Department, also referred to as New York City Police Department (NYPD), is the primary law enforcement agency within New York City. Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is the largest, and one of the oldest, munic ...
and
FDNY The New York City Fire Department, officially the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) is the full-service fire department of New York City, serving all five boroughs. The FDNY is responsible for providing Fire Suppression Services, ...
Widows and Orphans Fund in the wake of the
September 11, 2001 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
on the World Trade Center. '' New York Steel'' raised over $100,000 for the charity, and the reaction to the first Twisted Sister set in 14 years was overwhelming. The demand for more live dates was immediate and the band took the first steps toward returning to the concert stage. In 2002, a remastered "best of" compilation named ''Essentials'' was released. Fans generally consider this to be a better compilation than the one previously issued by Atlantic. 2002 also saw the featuring of "I Wanna Rock" as one of the gameplay radio songs on the videogame '' Grand Theft Auto: Vice City''. The song features in the playlist of the fictional radio station "V Rock". In 2003, Snider and Franco collaborated on a Halloween-themed project called Van Helsing's Curse. The project's first album, ''Oculus Infernum'', was released by Koch Records and featured a blend of heavy metal and orchestral elements in the style of
Trans-Siberian Orchestra Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) is an American rock band founded in 1996 by producer, composer, and lyricist Paul O'Neill (producer), Paul O'Neill, who brought together Jon Oliva and Al Pitrelli (both members of Savatage) and keyboardist and co-pr ...
. Twisted Sister, this time including Mark Mendoza, reunited again for the
Sweden Rock Festival Sweden Rock Festival is a rock festival outside the town of Sölvesborg in Blekinge in southern Sweden. The festival offers the best possible mix of classic rock, hard rock, metal, blues and related genres. The first version of the festival, k ...
in June 2003. The band also appeared in August of that same year at the
Wacken Open Air Wacken Open Air (, abbreviated as W:O:A) is a Heavy metal music, heavy metal music festival, held annually since 1990 on the first weekend of August in the village of Wacken, Schleswig-Holstein, Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Almost all ...
festival. Footage from that show was filmed for a DVD release, which featured former Violent Apathy and Spite member, Tom Fuller. In March 2004, the band entered the studio to completely re-record the group's ''Stay Hungry'' album for Demolition Records. The band members reported that they were not happy with the original album's production, so this time they produced it themselves. The re-recording was released under the name '' Still Hungry'' and contained seven bonus tracks. In July 2005, the group played a free concert in
Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...
for the Klondike Days festival. In late 2005, Snider appeared on '' Numbers from the Beast: An All-Star Tribute to Iron Maiden'', performing vocals for the Iron Maiden classic " Wasted Years". Snider was joined by his contemporaries and peers George Lynch, formerly of
Dokken Dokken is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1978. It split up in 1989 and reformed four years later. The band has had several hit singles which charted on the Billboard Hot 100, such as " Alone Again", " In My Dreams", and ...
, and Bob Kulick. Also in 2005, the band released the 2003 Wacken show on CD and DVD simply titled ''Live at Wacken''. It also went on tour with Alice Cooper, acting as the support band but delivering a set similar to a headliner's. In 2006, Snider and French worked with
Lordi Lordi () is a Finnish Rock music, rock band. Formed in 1992 by the band's lead singer, songwriter and costume maker Mr Lordi (Tomi Petteri Putaansuu), Lordi are known for wearing monster masks and using horror elements with pyrotechnics during c ...
to produce and play on a few tracks on their new album '' The Arockalypse''. Snider was featured on the first track, "SCG3 Special Report", as the voice of Lordi warning of the upcoming ''Arockalypse''. French guest starred on the song "Chainsaw Buffet". In June 2006, the band announced that it had signed with the American record label Razor and Tie to release a final album, of heavy metal Christmas music, called '' A Twisted Christmas''. The album was released on October 17, 2006, and was a commercial success. On July 8, 2006, Twisted Sister played in front of 80,000 people in
Quebec City Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...
, Quebec, Canada. The show featured
Scorpions Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the Order (biology), order Scorpiones. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by a pair of Chela (organ), grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward cur ...
as the headliner. It also played a small concert at the Wolverhampton Civic Center. Before each of the main shows, they would perform as Bent Brother, practicing their set and appearing without makeup, usually at reduced ticket prices. Twisted Sister was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame on October 15, 2006. On December 13, 2006, Twisted Sister made an appearance on ''
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the fourth and sixth installment of ''The Tonight Show''. Hosted by Jay Leno, it aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009, replacing ''The Ton ...
''. The group performed its rock version of " O Come, All Ye Faithful", which is arranged in the style of " We're Not Gonna Take It". On December 22, 2006, Twisted Sister performed the song on
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
's ''
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish actor and comedian Craig Ferguson. This was the third iteration of the The Late Late Show (American talk show), ''Late Late Show'' franchise, airi ...
''. On an episode of Snider's syndicated radio program "The House of Hair", he stated that due to the success of the Christmas album, and also due to the response to the tour promoting the album, that Twisted Sister might not retire, and the band's future was being discussed. On July 15, 2007, Twisted Sister performed at metal festival
Rocklahoma Rocklahoma is an annual 3-day hard rock and metal festival held in Pryor Creek, Oklahoma, Pryor, Oklahoma. The festival features 3 official stages, as well as many unofficial campground parties and performing acts and onsite vendors. There were ...
. Twisted Sister's "I Wanna Rock" was featured in the game '' Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s'' as a playable song (instead of being a cover like several songs featured in the game, it was the version from the 2004 remake of the group's classic album ''Stay Hungry'', titled '' Still Hungry''). In 2008, Snider appeared on the CMT television show '' Gone Country''. On February 25, 2008, Twisted Sister performed at "Aftermath - The Station Fire 5 years later" in Providence, Rhode Island. On May 10, 2008, Twisted Sister performed a free concert at the
Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
n town
Lovech Lovech (, ) is a city in north-central Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of the Lovech Province and of the subordinate Lovech Municipality. The city is located about northeast from the capital city of Sofia. Near Lovech are the towns of ...
. On July 13, 2008, Twisted Sister performed at Snatch Rock n Roll Lounge, in
Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...
,
Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
. On September 1, 2008, Twisted Sister performed at the Rock The Bayou Festival in Houston, Texas. On June 4, 2009, Twisted Sister performed '' Stay Hungry'' in its entirety for the first time at the
Sweden Rock Festival Sweden Rock Festival is a rock festival outside the town of Sölvesborg in Blekinge in southern Sweden. The festival offers the best possible mix of classic rock, hard rock, metal, blues and related genres. The first version of the festival, k ...
. This included never before played songs such as "Don't Let Me Down" and "Horror-Teria: Street Justice". On July 16, 2009, in an interview on ''
Live with Regis and Kelly ''Live with Kelly and Mark'' (or simply ''Live'') is an American Broadcast syndication, syndicated breakfast television, morning talk show hosted by Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos. Executive produced by Michael Gelman, the ''Live with...'' show ...
'', Snider said that 2009 was the last year that the band would perform with makeup and costumes. On February 16, 2010, Twisted Sister were confirmed to play at Bloodstock Open Air 2010. On July 15, 2011, Twisted Sister were confirmed to play at Masters of Rock. Twisted Sister performed at Copenhell 2014 in Denmark to an audience of 20,000 as part of the group's Stay Hungry 30th Anniversary World Tour. This was the group's first show in Denmark in 30 years. The Twisted Sister show was praised as one of the best concert performances. The band was "..As Sharp, Crazy and Witty as 30 years ago" according to the Danish press. On October 13, 2011, the band announced a five-disc DVD set of live performances over the group's entire career entitled ''From the Bars to the Stars'', with a release date of November 8. Former Twisted Sister drummer Richard Teeter, who had played with the band in 1980 and 1981, died from complications due to
esophageal cancer Esophageal cancer (American English) or oesophageal cancer (British English) is cancer arising from the esophagus—the food pipe that runs between the throat and the stomach. Symptoms often include dysphagia, difficulty in swallowing and weigh ...
on April 10, 2012.


Death of A. J. Pero and farewell tour (2015–2016)

On March 20, 2015, drummer A. J. Pero died in his sleep of a heart attack. Twisted Sister released the following statement: "The members of Twisted Sister are profoundly saddened to announce the untimely passing of our brother, AJ Pero. The band, crew and most importantly the family of AJ Pero thank you for your thoughts and prayers at this time." Shortly thereafter,
Adrenaline Mob Adrenaline Mob is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal supergroup (music), supergroup formed in early 2011 by singer Russell Allen, guitarist Mike Orlando and drummer Mike Portnoy. The band's current lineup consists of Allen, Orlando, and ...
, which also featured Pero on drums, released a statement revealing that Pero had died while sleeping on the band's tour bus. On April 7, 2015, TMZ.com reported that Twisted Sister would embark on its final tour, dubbed "Forty and Fuck It", in 2016.
Mike Portnoy Michael Stephen Portnoy (born April 20, 1967) is an American musician who is primarily known as the drummer, backing vocalist, and co-founder of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. In September 2010, Portnoy announced his departure fro ...
(of The Winery Dogs and
Transatlantic Transatlantic, Trans-Atlantic or TransAtlantic may refer to: Film * Transatlantic Pictures, a film production company from 1948 to 1950 * Transatlantic Enterprises, an American production company in the late 1970s * ''Transatlantic'' (1931 film) ...
and formerly of
Dream Theater Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 in Boston, Massachusetts. The band comprises John Petrucci (guitar), John Myung (bass), Mike Portnoy (drums), James LaBrie (vocals) and Jordan Rudess (keyboards). Dream Theat ...
and
Adrenaline Mob Adrenaline Mob is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal supergroup (music), supergroup formed in early 2011 by singer Russell Allen, guitarist Mike Orlando and drummer Mike Portnoy. The band's current lineup consists of Allen, Orlando, and ...
) filled in for Pero on drums on this tour. The band also announced tribute shows in honor of A. J. Pero; the first was in
Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
,
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...
, on May 30 and was recorded for the CD/DVD release ''Metal Meltdown—Featuring Twisted Sister Live at The Hard Rock Casino—Las Vegas'', released that July. The second was dubbed "Twisted Sister – A Concert to Honor AJ Pero" and held in Sayreville, New Jersey on June 13. On this tour a recording of a drum solo, from one of AJ's last concerts with Twisted Sister, was shown on the stage screen, giving the fans one final experience of the classic line-up together. The recording was from the Faroe Islands Summarfestival. The group played its final concert on November 12, 2016 in
Monterrey Monterrey (, , abbreviated as MtY) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León. It is the ninth-largest city and the second largest metropolitan area, after Greater Mexico City. Located at the foothills of th ...
.


Metal Hall of Fame induction and potential reunion shows (2023–present)

On January 26, 2023, Twisted Sister reunited as they were inducted into the Metal Hall of Fame at The Canyon Club in
Agoura Hills Agoura Hills () is a city situated in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 20,330 as of the 2010 United States census, 2010 census, which decreased to 20,299 in 2020. Agoura H ...
. At the event, they performed a special one-off onstage three–song set once again featuring drummer Mike Portnoy filling in for A. J. Pero and guitarist Keith Robert War, who filled in for Eddie Ojeda after contracting COVID-19. On April 7, 2023 Dee Snider announced the band will reunite in 2024 for appearances at various Democratic political rallies during the 2024 election season. On April 8, 2024 Snider stated to podcast "The Hook Rocks!" that offers the band are receiving for a reunion are "''getting close to being impossible to refuse''". Although he reiterated that the numbers are "''not there yet''" but they "''sure as hell seem to be going in that direction''". Mark Mendoza is currently working on writing for radio and film ( The Song Alliance ) with his partner Marla Adler ( Who do you Love )Bernard Wright , female Lead Vocals..EMI ) They have just released several songs including “I’m Your Christmas Present “ on all platforms.


Musical style and influences

Twisted Sister is generally classified as heavy metal,
glam metal Glam metal (also known as hair metal or pop metal) is a subgenre of heavy metal music, heavy metal that features pop music, pop-influenced Hook (music), hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat arena rock, rock anthems, and slow Sentimental ballad#Powe ...
, and
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...
. They have also been called a
shock rock Shock rock is the combination of rock music or heavy metal music with highly theatrical live performances emphasizing shock value. Performances may include violent or provocative behavior from the artists, the use of attention-grabbing imagery ...
band. Despite its classification as glam metal, Greg Prato of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
compared the band's debut album ''Under the Blade'' to early 1980s
new wave of British heavy metal The new wave of British heavy metal (often abbreviated as NWOBHM) was a nationwide musical movement that began in England in the mid-1970s and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. Editor Alan Lewis (music journalist), Alan Lew ...
. Moreover, despite the disdain that
thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an Extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, ...
musicians and fans in the 1980s had towards glam metal, Twisted Sister bridged the gap and could appeal to both thrash metal and glam metal fans, with thrash metal band
Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
even opening for Twisted Sister in the 1980s, despite Metallica's disdain for glam metal music at the time. Thrash metal bands
Anthrax Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Bacillus anthracis'' or ''Bacillus cereus'' biovar ''anthracis''. Infection typically occurs by contact with the skin, inhalation, or intestinal absorption. Symptom onset occurs between one ...
and Overkill had covered Twisted Sister songs. Snider spoke about this, saying: Snider rejected the glam metal label of the band, saying: "I don't think Twisted Sister is 'Glam' because that implies glamour, and we're not glamorous. We should be called 'Hid' because we're hideous." In interviews, Dee Snider cited
Slade Slade are a rock band formed in Wolverhampton, England in 1966. They rose to prominence during the glam rock era in the early 1970s, achieving 17 consecutive top 20 hits and six number ones on the UK Singles Chart. The '' British Hit Singl ...
,
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
,
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...
,
Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical style has varied throughout their career. Originally for ...
,
KISS A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sex ...
,
Grand Funk Railroad Grand Funk Railroad (often shortened to Grand Funk) is an American rock band formed in Flint, Michigan, in 1969 by Mark Farner (vocals, guitar, keyboards, harmonica), Don Brewer (drums, vocals) and Mel Schacher (bass). The band achieved pea ...
,
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. After adopting the Black Sabbath name in 1969 (the band ...
,
the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
, Paul Revere & the Raiders,
the Monkees The Monkees were an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s. The band consisted of Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones (musician), Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork. Spurred by the success of ''The Monkees (TV series), Th ...
,
Alice Cooper Vincent Damon Furnier (born February 4, 1948), known by his stage name Alice Cooper, is an American rock singer and songwriter whose career spans sixty years. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusion ...
,
Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of lead vocalist Steven Tyler, bassist Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton, drummer Joey Kramer, and guitarists Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry and B ...
,
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
,
Queen Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...
,
Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1973. Credited with restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene, Van Halen was known for their energetic live performances and the virtuosity of their guit ...
and
AC/DC AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock and Heavy metal music, heavy metal, although the band calls it simply "rock and roll". They are cited as a formativ ...
as influences. Snider underscored Slade and said: "If not for the nglish glam rock">glam_rock.html" ;"title="nglish glam rock">nglish glam rockband Slade, there would be no 'We're Not Gonna Take It'."


Band members

The following principal lineup recorded on every Twisted Sister studio album (with the exception of '' Love Is for Suckers'', in which only Pero was absent.) *
Jay Jay French Jay Jay French (born John French Segall, July 20, 1952) is an American guitarist, manager, record producer and founding member of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister. He is a columnist, author and motivational speaker who oversees licensing and i ...
– guitars, backing vocals (1972–1987, 1988, 1997, 2001, 2003–2016, 2024) * Eddie "Fingers" Ojeda – guitars, backing vocals (1975–1987, 1988, 1997, 2001, 2003–2016) * Dee Snider – lead vocals, occasional guitar (1976–1987, 1988, 1997, 2001, 2003–2016, 2024) * Mark "The Animal" Mendoza – bass, backing vocals (1978–1987, 1988, 1997, 2001, 2003–2016, 2024) * A. J. Pero – drums, backing vocals (1982–1986, 1997, 2001, 2003–2015; his death)


Discography


Studio albums


Extended plays

*'' Ruff Cutts'' (1982) *''Feel Appeal: Love Is for Suckers Extras'' (2021)


Compilations

*'' Big Hits and Nasty Cuts'' (1992) *'' Club Daze Volume 1: The Studio Sessions'' (1999) *'' The Essentials'' (2002) *'' Still Hungry'' (2004) *''We're Not Gonna Take It & Other Hits'' (2003) *''The Best of the Atlantic Years'' (2016)


Live albums

*'' Live at Hammersmith'' (1994) *''We're Not Gonna Take It!'' (1999) *''Club Daze Volume II: Live in the Bars">Live at Hammersmith (Twisted Sister album)">Live at Hammersmith'' (1994) *''We're Not Gonna Take It!'' (1999) *''Club Daze Volume II: Live in the Bars'' (2002) *''Live At Wacken: The Reunion'' (2006) *''A Twisted Christmas - Live'' (2007) * Live at the Astoria (2008) *''Live at the Marquee'' (2011) *''Rock 'n' Roll Saviors - The Early Years -'' (2016) *''Metal Meltdown'' (2016) *''Up Against The Wall: Live 1979'' (2020)


Singles


Videography


Videos

*''Stay Hungry Tour'' (1984) *''Come Out and Play'' (1985)


DVDs

*''Live at Wacken - The Reunion'' (2004) *''The Video Years'' (2007) *''A Twisted Christmas Live: A December To Remember'' (2007) *''Live At The Astoria'' (2008, recorded in 2004) *''Double Live: Northstage '82 & Ny Steel '01'' *''Metal Meltdown - Featuring Twisted Sister Live At The Hard Rock Casino - Las Vegas'' (2016)


Music videos


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Twisted Sister 1972 establishments in New Jersey Articles containing video clips Atlantic Records artists Glam metal musical groups from New Jersey Glam metal musical groups from New York (state) Heavy metal musical groups from New Jersey Heavy metal musical groups from New York (state) Musical groups established in 1972 Musical groups disestablished in 1988 Musical groups reestablished in 1997 Musical groups disestablished in 1998 Musical groups reestablished in 2001 Musical groups disestablished in 2001 Musical groups reestablished in 2003 Musical groups disestablished in 2016 Musical groups from Bergen County, New Jersey Musical groups from Long Island Musical quintets from New York (state) Razor & Tie artists