ALBUM REVIEW: Dee Snider does it all For the Love of Metal

Iconic metal vocalist Dee Snider’s new album is a love letter to everything good about metal. “For the Love of Metal” is the latest solo offering from the former Twisted Sister frontman. Teaming up with Hatebreed’s Jamey Jasta, the album features 12 songs of authentic metal. Out now on Napalm Records.

The album opens with “Lies are a Business”. Immediately I was blown away by the speedy, metal sound. I know that Twisted Sister had a heavy side, but I’m much more accustomed to the lighter, more radio friendly sound of the singles. This high pace, in your face sound sets a precedent for the rest of the album that never really lets up.

“Tomorrow’s No Concern” and “I am the Hurricane” both maintain this sound. The former boasts a rattling, bassy intro, while the latter features a number of tempo and rhythm changes that keeps the listener engaged. “American Made” is a chuggy, riff-heavy song that leans more towards the sound of classic
Twisted Sister while still holding on to the relentless metal energy of the album so far. It’s got a very big, impressive sound.

One issue I had with the album is that it was, at times, a little repetitive. The speedy, metal sound is enjoyable, but ultimately limited. More so than anything I just felt that a couple of the songs, “Roll over You” and “Running Mazes”, for example, sounded like cheap knockoffs of some of the better songs on the album, rather than distinct songs.

Sandwiched between those songs is “I’m Ready”. It’s got a fast riff and nice high guitar licks and the iconic Dee Snider vocals shine. “Mask” has a little more groove than the previous songs. The guitars are beefy and there’s really nice vocal harmonies in the chorus.

“Become the Storm” starts with a slick vocal intro. There’s soaring lead guitar licks and I found it to me much more open and airy than the other songs on the album. The chorus is catchy and melodic and there’s a great solo section. Really good song.

One thing to mention is that there is a number of guest appearances on the album. The most notable of these, for me, in terms of the sound, are Howard Jones on “The Hardest Way” and Alissa White-Gluz on “Dead Hearts (Love thy Enemy). “The Hardest Way” is, on the whole, a decent song, but I don’t think Howard Jones’ voice really worked. It just stood out to me and sounded strange.

I really enjoyed “Dead Hearts”. It starts with a quiet, acoustic section with White-Gluz singing lead vocals before the inevitable distortion kicks in and the song picks up. I thought the song was really good but it sounded really out of place. The acoustic section made no sense to me on an album committed to pure metal.

The final track is the titular “For the Love of Metal” is powerful and fast. It encapsulates the entire sound and message of the album in one tight, concise track. Really good closer.

Overall the album is a very solid offering. The metal sound and style is a much better fit for Snider than his previous solo attempts. Despite the limitations, it’s still an enjoyable, cohesive album that I’d recommend to Twisted Sister fans and new listeners alike.

For The Love Of Metal track listing:
01. Lies Are A Business
02. Tomorrow’s No Concern
03. I am The Hurricane
04. American Made
05. Roll Over You
06. I’m Ready
07. Running Mazes
08. Mask
09. Become The Storm
10. The Hardest Way
11. Dead Hearts (Love Thy Enemy)
12. For The Love of Metal

Review by Josh Farrell

Originally published on Metal Planet Music