Classic Rock caught up with Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider for their Soundtrack Of My Life feature, with Snider running down high and low points of his extensive career. Following is an excerpt.

Favourite contemporary band

Snider: "Monster Truck, a band out of Toronto. They’re like five albums deep. One of those bands that have great influences. You hear Deep Purple, you hear Lynyrd Skynyrd, you hear Alice In Chains, you hear Grand Funk Railroad, but it’s mixed together to form a unique sound. So they’re honouring the past but creating new music."

The most underrated band ever

Snider: "Wow. Besides my own? (laughs) There’s a litany of these groups that deserve so much more respect and appreciation than they get. But in honour of my dear friend, I’ll go with Motörhead. While they’re greatly appreciated, and Lemmy’s iconic, he was very frustrated that he was reduced to a song. And I don’t disagree with him. That’s why in Twisted Sister we paid tribute to him. Everybody else did 'Ace Of Spades', we did 'Born To Raise Hell'."

The best record I ever made

Snider: "Desperado. Ill-fated supergroup with the late Bernie Tormé, an Irish guitar player, the late Clive Burr, from Iron Maiden, on drums, Marc Russell was on bass. I put three years into that project – heart and soul, all my money from Twisted Sister – only to have it shelved at the eleventh hour, just before release, by (record executive) Bob Krasnow. My greatest songwriting and some of my greatest vocal performances were on that Desperado album. It was released, like, twenty years later. A small company finally put it out. But a very sad story in my life."

Read Snider's complete rundown here.

Following his new Leave A Scar album's charging first single of resilience, “I Gotta Rock (Again)”, Dee Snider is thrilled to reveal the album's second single, "Time To Choose", featuring the brutalizing vocals of Cannibal Corpse’s George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher. Backed by an energetic lyric video, the track blends Corpsegrinder’s eviscerating lows with Snider’s razor sharp cleans, making for a dynamic yet ruthless burner listeners won’t soon forget!

Dee says about "Time To Choose":

"'Time To Choose' deals with a subject I've addressed often over the course of my writing career: good vs. evil (see ‘Burn In Hell’). Given the heaviness of this track, I felt adding George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher's voice to this would drive home the seriousness of the choices we make. I was honored when he agreed to contribute his incredibly powerful voice."

Like a scar itself, Leave A Scar is an illuminating plentitude of angst etched in time – serving as a musical refuge and expressive output for Dee. But in turn, this auditory time capsule written to express the anger, unease and pain he experienced during lockdown emerges as not only blisteringly heavy, but relentlessly powerful. Each of the 12 tracks on Leave A Scarnot only further bolster Dee Snider’s position as one of the most celebrated frontmen of all time, showcasing that his vocal delivery and commanding swagger is as strong as ever, but that he is nowhere near stopping.

Heads will bang within seconds of the hard-charging opening notes of ultra-catchy album starter and lifer anthem “I Gotta Rock (Again)”, instantly setting the stage for the non-stop onslaught of metallic mainstays to come. Tracks like the brutal “Time To Choose” – featuring the primed guest vocal attack of Cannibal Corpse’s George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher – and mosh-ready “The Reckoning” showcase the album’s heavy assault, without sacrificing the harmonic goodness evident on tracks like the unrelenting, hooky thrasher “All Or Nothing More” and melodic, metalcore inspired “In For The Kill”. Energetic single of strength “Down But Never Out” encapsulates the chunky riffage and driving drums palpable throughout the album, while searing “Before I Go” provides one of the album’s most massive, memorable choruses and chilling lyrics. The album closes with victorious ballad “Stand”, a call for listeners to take a stand and make their voices heard. If For The Love Of Metal ignited Dee Snider’s eminent surge into a new era – Leave A Scar sets it ablaze.

Dee Snider says about Leave A Scar: “By the end of 2020, I knew I not only had to get back into the studio, but for the first time since the '90s, I wanted – no, needed – to be a part of the writing process. I reached out to my producer Jamey Jasta and told him I was ready to make another record. Leave a Scar is filled with messages to and for the silent voices in the world who need someone to speak out on their behalf. This is my purpose.”

Jamey Jasta says regarding working with Dee Snider again: “Getting to work with Dee again has been incredible! The power and range in his vocals on this album really shine. Not only is he an American treasure and staple in the rock/metal community, he’s a truly original voice and talent like no other. Combine that with the metallic prowess of the Bellmore bros + Russell Pzütto and Nick Petrino, you get a rockin’ metal recipe that even the most "Dee-hard" SMF’ers will surely love!”

Leave A Scar will be available in North America in the following formats:

- CD Jewel Case
- 1LP Gatefold BLACK
- 1LP Gatefold RED
- 1LP Gatefold GOLD (Napalm Mailorder only – limited to 400)
- 1LP Gatefold SPLATTER RED/BLUE/WHITE (Napalm Mailorder only – limited to 300)
- Dee-Hard 1LP Gatefold Edition RED/BLACK Marbled - LP size Album Art Patch & Slipmat (Napalm Mailorder only – limited to 200)
- Dee-Lux Wooden Box Edition: JC, 7" Single, Leather Wristband, Logo Pin (Napalm Mailorder only – limited to 500)
- Digital Album

Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

"I Gotta Rock (Again)"
"All Or Nothing More"
"Down But Never Out"
"Before I Go"
"Open Season"
"Silent Battles"
"Crying For Your Life"
"In For The Kill"
"Time To Choose"
"S.H.E."
"The Reckoning"
"Stand"

"I Gotta Rock (Again)" video:

Band lineup:

Dee Snider - Vocals
Charlie Bellmore - Guitar & Background Vocals
Nick Bellmore - Drums
Russell Pzütto - Bass & Background Vocals
Nick Petrino - Guitar & Background Vocals

(Photo - Paul McGuire)