When Twisted Sister disbanded in 87, Dee wasn’t in the news a lot, except for a few little paragraphs here and there in a magazine about his upcoming “Desperado” project.

Then that project got killed by record label bosses at Neglektra.

And the biggest voice in my life was missing during the “golden commercial years” of metal and rock music.

Then Widowmaker got up and running, however Grunge came and after a two albums, the band was done.

A solo album called “Never Let The Bastards Wear You Down” revived hope that more would come. But it didn’t eventuate.

However Dee is a lifer when it comes to music. He battled tooth and nail to make it, so there was no way he was going to lay dormant for long.

And like it was written in some holy book, Dee came back, more diverse than ever. He became a movie maker, a radio show host, a solo artist, an author and when TS reformed, he led them up front all the way to the last show.

“For The Love Of Metal” came out in 2018 and it is basically metal music the way I know it.

His solo music doesn’t have the same public acceptance as the Twisted music, but it doesn’t mean it’s not important or influential. As I’ve said before, a million sales of an album doesn’t mean you have 1 million fans. You just have a million people who purchased the album.

The question any artist should be asking is, how many people actually listened to the album from start to finish?

In a one to one commercial sale, it will never be known how many people listened to the album at least once and how many people listened to the album over a hundred or a thousand times.

“Mask” is a great song.

Depending on how you experience the album, it’s either hidden deep in the album at track 8 or it’s at the start of the B side of the vinyl.

That intro riff hooks me in right away. It’s thrash power Metal like.

With torn and bleeding smiles we move on
And mouth all different kinds of broken promises
Why should our days be spent in denial
While counting our faults and ripping our hearts out

These lines express the struggle of carrying on with a facade of happiness despite inner turmoil.

The smiles we wear is depicted as torn and bleeding, indicating the pain and suffering we endure internally.

We continue to make promises we cannot keep, adding to the brokenness within. The questioning of why one should spend their days in denial is a desire for honesty and authenticity, rather than pretending everything is fine.

The act of counting faults and ripping hearts out shows a self-destructive pattern of dwelling on personal flaws and causing emotional harm.

These lines highlight the complexity of navigating through life’s challenges while grappling with inner turmoil and the longing for genuine connection and self-acceptance.

The face you see is not our own
It hides our tears and shades our eyes
The heart you touched has since grown cold
We wear the mask that grins and lies

We live in a world of suppression.

The idea of each one of us presenting a false image to the world, concealing our true emotions and vulnerabilities behind a mask is real.

The face that others perceive is not a genuine reflection of our inner feelings. Instead, it serves as a shield to protect ourselves from judgment, pain, or further emotional exposure.

The heart that was once open and receptive has now become distant and detached.

The mask we wear may project a smiling and seemingly content facade, but it conceals the truth and hides the pain beneath the surface.

Behind our doors the time cannot be whisked away
Crashing and burning, leaving hints of darkness
Deep within their withered faces, lines are sunken in
We say we’re fine behind the mask
We say we’re fine, why do you ask

The passage of time and the struggles that accompany it. Behind closed doors, the weight of time cannot be escaped or avoided.

The phrase “crashing and burning” conveys a sense of chaos and turmoil that leaves traces of darkness in its wake. The imagery of withered faces with sunken lines reflects the toll that time and life’s challenges have taken on us.

Despite the weariness and pain hidden within, we still maintain the facade of being fine. We wear a mask of contentment and happiness, even when asked about our well-being.

The repetition of “we say we’re fine” emphasizes the disconnect between our true emotions and the image we project to the outside world. Its easier to maintain appearances and avoid delving into the depths of our inner struggles.

The subject matter is serious and the music is thunderous.

Crank it.