Dee Snider – For the Love of Metal Live (Napalm)
Friday, 24th July 2020
An amalgamation of Dee’s career in hard rock and metal, this DVD/Blu-Ray and audio/visual experience encapsulates a mix of performances from Dee’s solo band all across the world, and narrative components/ memories from Dee that cut back and forth throughout the playback. We all know the man’s ascent to arena/festival headliner through Twisted Sister, but you may not be aware of the journey ever since – and his last studio album For the Love of Metal was one of the most well-received records since those 80’s Twisted Sister blockbuster years.
The live footage cuts back and forth through numerous performances over the last couple of years: festival appearances all across the world, his solo band up to the challenge of delivering this material with its necessary energy and metal to the bone presentation. There’s something timeless about musicians half Dee’s age tackling classics like “You Can’t Stop Rock ‘n Roll” or “Under the Blade” and forgetting that these songs originally hit the streets almost 40 years ago – while the newer songs like “I Am the Hurricane”, “Become the Storm”, and “For the Love of Metal” prove Dee can deliver contemporary material and appeal to a younger demographic in that manner as well. These anthems are meant to be heard and experienced from the stage – the audience feeding off the energy of the music and the musicians to deliver as much as they can in spades. His on-stage banter also is legendary – often quipping what you are already thinking as a fan, making things one with the crowd. You’ll also get a new Dee song “Prove Me Wrong” that sets the stage for the next studio record – proving he’s not ready to retire into the sunset quite yet.
Quality wins out in the end – Dee Snider is as relevant for hard rock and heavy metal today as ever. His love for the music should never be in question – surrounding himself with a professional younger lineup this is ideal for those that need a refresher course on his work from all angles.
