Previous to purchasing "Under the Blade," I had only owned Twisted Sister's "Big Hits & Nasty Cuts." Although I enjoyed their hits, I never felt compelled to delve further into their catalog, despite hearing many great things about their first few albums. Like many people, I tended to lump them in with '80s hair metal, of which I am not generally a big fan. After watching some of the "Live at Reading" DVD on YouTube, included in this version, and really enjoying it, I decided to give one of their studio albums a chance. I was not disappointed at all!
If you're a fan of classic, early Kiss, Judas Priest, etc.—early metal, classic hard rock—you will love this album. Basically, the entire album is very good and lacks filler, however, some of my personal favorites include: "What You Don't Know (Sure Can Hurt You)," "Bad Boys (Of Rock 'N Roll)," "Shoot 'Em Down," "Destroyer," and "Under the Blade"—all songs that have been in regular rotation in their live set list. Obviously, considering that there are no duds or filler on the album, the songwriting is very strong. Kind of like KISS, no individual in this band will blow you away with their technical prowess, however, they are more than competent to perform the given style and do justice to the great songwriting.
Whether you already own the album or not, this version is worth the price alone for the bonus material including: the "Ruff Cutts Version" of "What You Don't Know (Sure Can Hurt You)," "Shoot 'Em Down," "Under The Blade," and "Leader of the Pack," "Shoot 'Em Down (Live At Reading)," and the "Live At Reading" DVD.
Enjoy!
