Twisted Sister is releasing on DVD their the first “Metal Meltdown” concert series show filmed at the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas, NV on May 30, 2015 titled METAL MELTDOWN – FEATURING TWISTED SISTER LIVE AT THE HARD ROCK CASINO – LAS VEGAS on July 22, 2016 via Rock Fuel Media and Loud & Proud Records.
Watch the trailer below.
The show was dedicated to the honor of Twisted Sister’s iconic drummer, A.J. Pero, whose tragic, sudden death just two months prior to the filming of this event shocked the music world. The band announced that not only were all the remaining concerts being performed in 2015 dedicated to the memory of Pero, but that 2016 would mark the 40th and final year of the band’s legendary live performances. They recruited renowned drummer and friend of Pero, Mike Portnoy (The Winery Dogs, Dream Theater, Avenged Sevenfold) to take the reins, and his very first Twisted Sister appearance was captured by the “Metal Meltdown” camera crew.
As Twisted Sister guitarist JayJay French explains,
“The decision to continue performing all the summer shows in 2015, not to mention the concert that this performance celebrates, was in jeopardy over the days immediately following A.J.’s sudden death. We needed time to re-group and re-focus. Everyone was great. All the promoters of the huge European summer festivals that we were set to headline and Barry (Summers of Rock Fuel Media), the producer of this concert said, ‘We understand. You all (meaning the band) have to do what makes you comfortable. Whatever the band decides has to be honored and respected.’
“In the end, I believe we did what A.J. would have wanted us to do and Mike Portnoy was a very big part of that decision in both an emotional and artistic way. This performance captured herein just two months after A.J.’s death really was about our way to help memorialize the great A.J. Pero. The front four (Dee, Eddie, Mark and I) have had no one but A.J. behind us since 1982. This concert has A.J.’s influence permeating through our bloodstream in ways that I will never forget and when we cut to A.J.’s drum solo on the rear projection screen, We were all emotionally overwhelmed. Not since our reunion for NY Steel in 2001 (to honor and raise money for the families of the NYC police and fire department who died on 9/11) have I been moved to tears.”
Here’s the complete song listing of METAL MELTDOWN – FEATURING TWISTED SISTER LIVE AT THE HARD ROCK CASINO – LAS VEGAS:
01: What You Don’t Know
02: The Kids Are Back
03: Stay Hungry
04: The Beast
05: Shoot ‘Em Down
06: You Can’t Stop Rock ‘N’ Roll
07: I Believe In Rock ‘N’ Roll
08: Under The Blade
09: I Am (I’m Me)
10: We’re Not Gonna Take It
11: The Fire Still Burns
12: The Price
13: Burn In Hell
14: A.J. Pero Tribute
15: I Wanna Rock
16: Come Out and Play
17: S.M.F.
