Dee Snider rose to rebellious message challenge

By Scott Munro
( Metal Hammer )
published

Exclusive: Dee Snider says solo album producer Damon Ranger challenged him to take his rebellious message to the masses, as he issues lyric video for We Are The Ones

Dee Snider
Dee Snider (Image credit: Getty)

Twisted Sister leader Dee Snider has credited producer Damon Ranger with pushing him on his upcoming solo album We Are The Ones.

Snider will bring the curtain down on Twisted Sister on October 1 at the Lakewood Rock Carnival in New Jersey – the last date on their Forty And Fuck It tour.

And the frontman says he was ready to retire from music until Ranger issued a call to arms, urging him to take his rebellious message to the masses.

Snider tells the new episode of Metal Hammer: In Residence: “I was really calling it a day and walking away when I was approached by a top award-winning producer named Damon Ranger who challenged me to make a new record that would take the Dee Snider message and get it to a much bigger audience.

“He said, ‘You’re the voice of rebellion and today people need this message, but with the music you’re playing you’re reaching such a small segment of the audience, your message isn’t getting out there.’”

Snider continues: “In the US, I’m more of a celebrity than a rock star and he said, ‘With the right music, you can take that message to a much bigger audience – and at a time when the world needs the Dee Snider, Twisted Sister message of stand up for yourself and fight the fuck back, this world needs that message more than ever.’

“So I took the challenge and created a new record that has that.”

Snider has released a lyric video of the title track of his solo album, which will be released on October 28 via Red River Records. Listen to it below.

The full interview with Snider appears on the new episode of Metal Hammer: In Residency on Spotify which also features interviews Behemoth’s Nergal, Parkway Drive and music from artists including Metallica, In Flames, King 810 and Meshuggah.

Dee Snider We Are The Ones tracklist

  1. We Are The Ones
  2. Over Again
  3. Close To You
  4. Rule The World
  5. We’re Not Gonna Take It
  6. Crazy For Nothing
  7. Believe
  8. Head Like A Hole
  9. Superhero
  10. So What

Thinking Out Loud: Dee Snider

Dee Snider: Heavy metal fans will hate my solo album

Scott Munro
Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent 35 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving to the e-commerce team in 2020. Scott keeps Louder’s buyer’s guides up to date, writes about the best deals for music fans, keeps on top of the latest tech releases and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more. Over the last 10 years, Scott has written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, the Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald newspapers, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.