Before they hit their notorious 80's high water mark on MTV, Twisted Sister was a long-struggling bar band who had been through innumerable lineup changes that would have killed the dreams of most aspiring rock stars. This was a major part of what built up the hype that eventually made them so notorious, but a nasty little side effect was that often the recorded output didn't match up. Case in point - their debut album. One of two recorded in the U.K. - the group had to move there as no record company in the U.S. was even remotely interested - Under The Blade is a disarming mix of glam rock and New York-area Street attitude, heavily influenced by Queen and Judas Priest. The campy feel of their look does not come across very well in their songs, at least not at this point. Maybe the low-budget production is to blame, and it's not for lack of trying. A special edition of this CD includes their earlier Ruff Cuts EP and a live version of "Shoot 'em Down".