You might recall last year my end of 2017 post, wherein I reviewed the iconic John Denver And The Muppets: A Christmas Together (Click here if you didn’t read it). That album was a lot of fun to look at, so I thought it would be fun to look at another Christmas/Holiday classic. Given how wild, chaotic, and bizarre 2018 was, something peaceful wasn’t on the chopping block. Instead, it seemed appropriate to go for something weirder & out there. Maybe, something a little twisted?
That’s right everybody, it’s time for my first look at Hair Metal legends Twisted Sister! Despite having a short career, they were none the less beloved by a surprising amount of people. Even into the 2010, fans were still chanting their name, raising the horns, and having a good time at their shows. Fronted by an equally iconic singer, they carved their own niche into Heavy Metal’s history, and they’ve stayed there ever since. Today’s review covers perhaps their most twisted record ever. It’s so twisted, it brings a smile to my face, and gets me into the holiday spirit. So slip into some comfortable slippers, grab a big glass of eggnog with a nice dash of nutmeg, and take a look at my review for A Twisted Christmas. This season’s gonna get nice & twisted!!!!
Background
Out of all the albums I’ve covered on this blog, never has the history of an album been so odd as A Twisted Christmas. According to Dee Snider himself from their Christmas show in Vegas, 4 years prior they had begun a reunion tour due to renewed interest in the band. After a show, Dee went up to the founder of the band (J.J. French), and suggested to him about doing a Christmas record in addition to the one coming in 2004. He liked the idea, and on October the 17th, 2006, A Twisted Christmas was released to the public.
As for their Twisted Christmas Live show in Vegas, Dee goes on to say that the idea came from him & his family went to Radio City Music Hall for their holiday extravaganza. They watched the whole show, and Dee turns to his kids and asks “Watcha think of that?”. His oldest child turned to him and very bluntly says “Father (A joke from Dee), that show made me hate Christmas”. From there, the rest was history.
Basic Description
A one trick pony.....but a good one trick pony!
I’ll eventually talk about that description in the “Worst Track” section of the review, but for now let’s talk about the good stuff. Their first offering of the 2000s, while flawed, showed that Twisted Sister could still hang. With A Twisted Christmas, we actually got the best selling album of the band’s career since the 80s. This record is full of that classic drive, passion, and punch that these Hair Metal icons are known for, but dipped in a vat of Christmasey colors & delights. They actually have a surprisingly high amount of respect for the classics they cover (Ironic if you watched their show from Vegas), and it’s great to see them harness the power of other classic metal tracks (Including their own) to add something more. It’s surprising at first, but by the end you’ll get why this is one of Twisted Sister’s best!
Best Track
Oh Come All Ye Faithful was the first thing I ever found from this record, and virtually every track on here is fantastic, it’s the song that’s stayed with me the most. Calling upon their iconic song We’re Not Gonna Take It, they take that tune’s vibe & mentality and apply it to one of the most holiest songs of the season. It’s weird at just how well both sides work together
Oh Come All Ye Faithful
Worst Track
Again, this album’s only fault is that it’s really only good to listen to in December. Unless you’re a die hard Twisted Sister fan and you’re listening to all of their releases in one day, there’s no real reason to listen to A Twisted Christmas early. In many ways this make the album kind of an anomaly when you compare it to everything else in the band’s discography: you can listen to all of the albums before this one any time & any where. With this one? It’s really only good during the holidays.
Other
If you’re curious about this album, click on the link below.
A Twisted Christmas
Overall Impression & Rating
A Twisted Christmas is right up there in my list of Christmas/Holiday albums. While it might be narrow in scope when compared to everything else they’ve produced, at the same time it was crafted so well by everybody in the band, it’s hard not to get charmed by it. So, whether you’re watching their live show from Vegas or you’re listening to the CD itself, this is a great & twisted alternative to the more traditional selection of tunes for this time of year.
A Twisted Christmas gets an 8 out of 10.
So that was a look at A Twisted Christmas. An unusual album for this time of year, but given who created the record, it’s not exactly a surprise. See you all in a few days for the final post of 2018, when I’ll examine a proper Christmas amine classic. Take care!
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This originally wasn’t what I was going to post today. Having time to watch the movie was been strangely difficult, while this review I managed to get done early. By this Friday, I swear I’ll get the last review out!
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