Dee Snider is a living legend. We can all agree on that, right? So when said living legend is challenged to make a modern Heavy Metal album by one of today’s current icons then it’s a given that our ears perk up. Luckily, the results with that current icon hit hard and play out as a relevant piece of modern metal aptly titled For The Love Of Metal.
Never mind your preconceived notions of Dee Snider. You know the ones I’m talking about: the advocate, glam metal icon, face of “parents just don’t understand” in metal, or hell, even “Captain Howdy” (From the underrated slasher flick Strangeland with an appropriately killer soundtrack). It’s a whole new ballgame for Snider this time around on For The Love Of Metal as he teams with Jamey Jasta (Headbanger’s Ball 2.0, Hatebreed) who produced this epic slab of in your face, no holds barred METAL. I wish there was a better way to describe it but some albums just scream “METAL!” and this is (fittingly) one of those.
“Lies Are A Business” is like old school hair metal meshed with Sweden’s best heavy hitters with thrashy guitars on top of absolutely pummeling drum work as Snider’s uncanny voice rips through the riffs with that scream to drive into this thick breakdown at the conclusion. The first taste of the album was “Tomorrow’s No Concern” and it is the best possible reintroduction to Dee Snider v.2 with a chorus that is the most hypnotic, subliminally mesmerizing slab of awesome this side of a backward-playing Ozzy record. But seriously, folks, the track is an anthemic shredder and should rightfully stand alongside Snider’s other great anthems of the past.
“I gave you yesterday/Tomorrow’s no concern/I gave you yesterday/You can keep it/Because today is mine!” screams Snider and if that ain’t some sort of mission statement then I don’t know what is.
Speaking of anthems, holy hell is “I Am The Hurricane” the epitome of that statement with that iconic voice sounding stronger than ever. And during “Roll Over You”, Snider gets even more vicious spouting sweet nothing like “We fuckin’ despise you!”
So you have Jasta producing and the legendary Snider belting out modern metal masterpieces but what else do you got for short attention span listeners? WELL! There’s a trio of bangers towards the end of the album with some special guests that’ll surely pique yer interests.
First up, Lamb Of God’s Mark Morton adds some riffy goodness to “Become The Storm” then “The Hardest Way” features vocal heavyweight Howard Jones of Light The Torch (You should check out his latest album if you haven’t already) who gives a soulful counterpoint to Snider’s snarl while Arch Enemy’s Alissa White-Gluz takes a softer approach on the somber “Dead Hearts (Love Thy Enemy)”.
Closing with the biting title track coming at you like the aforementioned Lamb Of God meets Twisted Sister with a huge sing-a-long, fists pumpin’ in the air chorus which culminates with Snider decreeing: “Unleash the METAL!” and “We are all fucking METAL!”, For The Love Of Metal concludes with a resounding feeling of, you guessed it, METAL!
For The Love Of Metal is out through Napalm Records on July 27th. Pre-orders are up and ready for purchase by clicking here or here. For the latest on Dee Snider, including festival and convention appearances, head on over here.
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