Tag: Dee Snider

Album Review: Dee Snider – Leave a Scar (Napalm Records)

By: Jesse Striewski

The name Dee Snider will forever be synonymous with Twisted Sister, the ’80s hair metal group whose sound he largely helped cultivate after joining in 1976. But unlike his previous, more pop-oriented outfit, Snider’s solo work is more akin with more traditional styles of heavy metal, featuring blistering guitar work, group sing-a-long’s, and headbanging-induced breakdowns. On his latest solo effort (his first since 2018’s For the Love of Metal), he does not let down in any of these departments.

Album opener “I Gotta Rock (Again)” was the typical expected first single aiming at his core audience who can’t see pass his Twisted days. But as soon as that’s out of the way, the fun really starts. The track is immediately followed by one of the album’s best songs in the form of “All or Nothing More,” which is followed by a couple more hard-hitters before Snider truly reaches his peak midway through, screaming his heart out on “Silent Battles,” possibly his best work in years.

Some other highlights include “Crying For Your Life” and “In For the Kill” (the latter feeling ideal for the next Call of Duty game). There’s even a surprising “duet” of sorts featuring the guttural vocals of Cannibal Corpse frontman George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher in the form of latest single “Time to Choose.”

I’ll admit, I was definitely skeptical at first after hearing said initial first single. But without the Twisted Sister banner behind him, Snider is finally fully able to realize his creative abilities that were likely waiting to be unleashed for quite some time. I was lucky enough to see him perform live once with his former band back in 2006 before they eventually threw in the towel (and before drummer A.J. Pero’s untimely passing). But I’d be just as inclined to see him do a solo set knowing much of the material would be as good as what’s found on here.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Series Review: Cobra Kai Season 3 (Netflix)

By: Jesse Striewski

When The Karate Kid sequel series Cobra Kai first emerged in 2018, the world wasn’t quite prepared for the awesomeness that was so unexpectedly unleashed upon it. It instantly united pop culture nerds across multiple medians, bringing back ’80s nostalgia in full force for the young and old alike.

In season one, we were re-introduced to the characters Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), who are thrusted back into each other’s lives more than three decades later. Daniel has since gone on to become the owner of a successful car dealership, while Lawrence stayed the same beer-chugging, metal-loving loose cannon he always was. Things shake up when Johnny decides to take a leap of faith and re-open Cobra Kai, which in turn re-opens some old wounds in the process.

Season two focused more on the two old enemies each operating their own respective dojos, with new conflicts arising from their new students (and old mentors). Unlike the first season, more emphasis was put on the rivalries between newcomers Miguel (Xolo Mariduena) and Robby (Tanner Buchanan), as well as Sam (Mary Mouser) and Tory (Peyton List). It also brought back John Kreese (Martin Kove) in a more extended and sinister role, and included a bittersweet, albeit brief tear-jerking reunion with some of the other original members of Cobra Kai (which would unfortunately prove to be Rob Garrison’s final portrayal of Tommy before his passing in 2019).

Naturally, season three takes over directly where the second one left off, with everyone dealing with the repercussions of the final battle that saw Miguel seriously injured and put into a coma. There’s still plenty of unresolved wars between multiple factions, as each character grapples with what happened and tries to return to some sense of normalcy.

And of course, there’s plenty of surprises along the way as well; Elizabeth Shue finally returns as Ali (now actually Dr. Ali Mills Schwarber) after Johnny’s attempt to reconnect with her via social media in the previous season. And even familiar Okinawan faces from The Karate Kid Part II, including Kumiko (Tamlyn Tomito), and Chozen (Yuji Okumoto) return, leading to some tense moments between Daniel and the latter before ultimately bringing some closure. Even former Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider manages to squeeze in a brief cameo, too.

But what makes us invest so much time into shows like Cobra Kai has got to be the reflections of ourselves we’re able to see from these characters and their struggles. They’re far from invincible, and whether you were more of a Daniel or Johnny type growing up, there’s something truly there for everyone.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars