If you seek something heavy for your holiday stocking then look no further my friend for an item that should truly be on your Christmas list is Twisted Sister's - A Twisted Christmas Live. Now before we go any further there needs to be some explanation about this one because you probably equate the band Twisted Sister and Christmas as much as you would relate Bing Crosby to circle pit. Yet the trains of Metal mayhem and Holiday cheer met one night on the same track late in 2006 and delivered an album called A Twisted Christmas. The initial response was one of shock and utter disbelief but after a few listens the kitsch aspect of it and the fact that it was actually done damned well made this a blockbuster hit that had the Associated Press lauding it as the best Metal Christmas album to date. Of course I really don't know of any other full on Metal Christmas albums besides it but lets give Dee and the boys a little credit for edging into the territory more commonly tread by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The positive response to the album led to the boys doing a few concerts to support it and one such gala was held at The Starland Ballroom, in Sayreville, NJ. I was among the lucky audience members present for this show and it wasn't only the sold out room that made me realize that a good time was in store for all, but the fact that the amplifiers were all decorated with lights and other holiday ornaments that really tipped the scale.
This DVD brings the worlds Twisted Sister fans right into the club with those who attended as the guys bring their best tunes from their Metal past to life once again and allows them to also enjoy a healthy amount of their newfangled Christmas compositions to make this a show that few would forget once they saw it. It begins with Dee Claus all decked out in Santa's best as he and the band break into "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", a song that builds up slow and then gets to rocking. The smart thing about the set for the show was that they didn't simply do all the Christmas stuff in a row but instead chose to interlace those tunes with their long established classics. Its great hearing the oldies like "Shoot 'Em Down" and "You Can't Stop Rock And Roll" alongside such new Christmas classics ala Sister like "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and "Oh Come All Ye Faithful". Believe it or not, if you found yourself confused when you first heard the Twisted Christmas album on your stereo, it actually becomes a little more appealing once you experience the tunes live. They are very energetic, lively, and just beg for you to sing along with horns and candy canes raised high into the air. Having seen the show that this DVD presents I was sad to find some of Dee's monologue edited out because with the available time on a DVD there was no need to do that. He spoke about the signature tune and it was quite comical and this would have been enjoyed by most. The part they did leave was when he spoke to the parents about his getting socks every year and how it led to his being this way. They also cut about three songs from the set which was another mystery to me with the wonders of DVD. I compared the concert review to the song list on the film and found that the songs omitted were "Stay Hungry", Under The Blade" and "S.M.F." In any event the viewer certainly gets the picture from what we do have and while this is pretty much a straight live concert shoot with limited camera angles it's quite fun to watch and see how good it all came together. You can tell that they are having fun doing this by the reaction during "Heavy Metal Christmas" where all are found laughing and smiling. The release is priced really cheap as well so that's an incentive to click those websites who sell it without any doubt. Pick up Twisted Christmas Live and join Dee and the boys on a sleigh ride into Metal history, I am sure that being naughty or nice will not matter at this point.
Bonus Features: Oh Come All Ye Faithful" (video), "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" (animated video), Heavy Metal Christmas (The Twelve Days Of Christmas) – In Studio Performance, Mendoza's Choir (filming of the recording of the choirs during "Silver Bells").
Track Listing
- Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
- Shoot 'Em Down
- I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
- The Fire Still Burns
- You Can't Stop Rock & Roll
- White Christmas
- The Price
- Oh Come All Ye Faithful
- I'll Be Home For Christmas
- Burn In Hell
- Silver Bells
- I Wanna Rock
- Heavy Metal Christmas (The Twelve Days Of Christmas)
- We're Not Gonna Take It
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
