Well, this must win the award for the longest title of the year… Twisted Sister Metal Meltdown Live at the Hard Rock Casino – Las Vegas – A Concert To Honor A.J. Pero is a professional recording of a complete gig from soon-to-retire metal stalwarts Twisted Sister as they make their way through a tour which is now being conducted in honour of fallen comrade AJ Pero who died last year. The legendary Mike Portnoy covers skin-bashing duties for this gig – the band’s first with out AJ – and the remainder of the tour dates.
As well as being a full gig recording, there are little snippets of interview throughout from the band and others. One of which details that each member of the band nominated someone they’d like to have cover for them in the event that they couldn’t perform. It’s somehow nice to know that Portnoy is covering at AJ’s own request. These little bits and pieces (which don’t add much to the running length) are part of a full 90+ minute documentary that’s also included – The Tougher The Road, The Harder They Rock. While the documentary doesn’t perhaps have the rewatch value of the concert, it’s still pretty good and features a load of chat from the band themselves, so everything is from from the horse’s mouth, so to speak. It’s actually quite entertaining as some of the sections of the interview contradict each other – the band have been shown some of the third party recordings and clarify some of the stories and rumours!
The gig itself, though, is of the kind of quality you’d expect from Twisted Sister. Sound quality is spot on and the video work is perfect. Lots of camera angles, all the between-song banter and the band themselves on top form. If there’s a criticism, it’s the audience. I like hearing a big crowd reaction in the background and between songs, and in this recording they’re quite mute. There’s a bit of a cheer between songs but I’d have liked more – you can hardly hear them screaming back to Dee when he’s trying to get them going to the point it sometimes feels he’s shouting at an empty room. But, hey, I’m picking nits here.
There’s a great selection of songs (see further down) and if this is the set they run with at Bloodstock next month then I couldn’t be happier. I certainly expect a rowdier audience for their final UK show! Covering a fair amount of their history and… well, I’d like to say “all the classics” but they have too many so there are bound to be a couple that didn’t make the cut.
Particularly poignant is the AJ Pero tribute towards the end. Portnoy vacates the drums and video / audio of AJ himself playing a solo is allowed to let rip for a couple of minutes, really cementing his place on this final tour. A well done, without being overdone, gesture.
Given the landmark importance of the gig – the location, the first without AJ, the first of the final tour cycle – this is a DVD/Blu-Ray/CD worth picking up for fans. As a casual, but respectful, Twisted Sister fan I can say I thoroughly enjoyed both the live footage and the documentary. Roll on Bloodstock so I can experience it for real!
- What You Don’t Know
- The Kids are Back
- Stay Hungry
- The Beast
- Shoot Em Down
- You Can’t Stop Rock and Roll
- I Believe In Rock and Roll
- Under the Blade
- I Am (I’m Me)
- We’re Not Gonna Take It
- The Fire Still Burns
- The Price
- Burn in Hell
- A.J. Pero Tribute
- I Wanna Rock
- Come Out and Play
- S.M.F
Twisted Sister Metal Meltdown Live at the Hard Rock Casino – Las Vegas – A Concert To Honor A.J. Pero is out on August 5th. Or July 22nd if the video below is to be believed.
Header image by Tim Tronckoe
