Andrew Horn
We Are Twisted Fucking Sister!

Provocative, irritating, hateful, useless. These are some of the adjectives that have been attributed to Twisted Sister over time.

They have also been described as a poor copy of KISS, as a band that over the years managed to gain popularity solely and only thanks to their image. Personally, I believe the great merit of bands like Twisted Sister is consistency and courage. The criticisms mattered little because the New York band never conformed to any trend, to any cliché; they always went their own way, first and foremost respecting the will of the fans, and themselves. 40 years of career, never letting anyone stand on their heads, neither the glam metal bands that at the time ruled the clubs and stadiums, nor Tipper Gore's P.M.R.C., which in those years censored every song they could get their hands on, among the most famous "Under The Blade" by Twisted Sister (inciting violence), "Eat Me Alive" by Judas Priest (sex), and "Into The Coven" by Mercyful Fate (occult arts), to name a few.

40 years of career, I was saying, that Twisted Sister spent with ups and downs, and that in March 2015 saw the passing of the historic drummer A.J. Pero, who had been with the band since their early days. The idea of a movie about the band had long been in the works, a movie that risked being cancelled after the drummer's sudden death from a heart attack. But for those who know Dee Snider and company, giving up was never a valid option. After nearly a year of searching for old managers, die-hard fans of the band, and former members, at the end of January 2016, the film, called "We Are Twisted Fucking Sister!", saw the light in European theaters.

To be clear, I do not consider the idea of this film a purely commercial move, as the band had already been on a farewell tour for a year and a half, and the creation of this film was solely for the purpose of letting the fans of the group relive the story behind their rise in the music scene.

The film excellently captures the entire career of Twisted Sister prior to the release of their debut "Under The Blade" (1982), with some snippets of concerts, interviews, memories, and more. Leading the charge is, of course, the group's founder Jay Jay French, who since as far back as 1973 took the first steps with a band called "Silverstar," later renamed to the name we all know. Founder, leader, guitarist, main vocalist for a certain time, French has gone through quite a lot in his life, that’s for certain. The arrival of Snider at the microphone was, needless to say, the salvation of the group. The incredible charisma and energy that the blonde frontman has always demonstrated was the key to success for Twisted Sister, and they saw in Snider's figure also the changing of their look, with outfits that were borderline hideous. A fun anecdote is, for example, one night at a concert, Snider wore a pink top identical to the one his girlfriend wore, who was watching from the front row along with one of his ex's also sitting in the front row. Another fact that brought Twisted Sister some popularity was also the repeating of the chant "Disco sucks!" at almost every concert, which according to French, brought both the fame that the group needed, but also the hatred of others, as was also inevitable. Memorable is, of course, the concert at the NY Palladium, sold-out in no time, considering also at the time the band was without a record deal, and which guaranteed Snider and his bandmates one of the most memorable concerts of their pre-debut career. Additionally, the appearance on the English talk show "The Tube," which led to a popularity increase even in English territory, where shortly after the N.W.O.B.H.M. would explode. Last, but not least, was the arrival of Mark "The Animal" Mendoza on bass, with whom the band was finally ready for the much-desired debut, already widely publicized through singles produced by Eddie Kramer. The rest, as they say, is history.

"We Are Twisted Fucking Sister" is the testament of a group that, in 40 years of career, has managed to face everything, and that in the 70s went through quite a formative period, proving that sometimes, it is not just the aesthetics that bring fame to a group, but also determination and audacity. Now, Twisted Sister has disbanded, after a long farewell tour, but this film stands as a story for anyone who wants to start listening to this group that for better or worse, has always been talked about. A story that for some will never cease to exist.