Under the Blade
Under the Blade is the debut album from Twisted Sister, released on 18 September 1982 by Secret Records. The New York band had built a following around the city's club scene since the 1970s, but most American labels turned them down, so they relocated to the UK, where heavy metal was enjoying a resurgence. Secret, a small British label mostly known for punk, signed them and put out the Ruff Cutts EP ahead of the album. Pete Way, the UFO and Waysted bassist, produced it.
The sound is raw and unpolished, and many of the songs are rerecordings of demos the band had played since their club days. It reached No. 70 on the UK Albums Chart, with no singles, and Secret went bankrupt not long afterwards. Atlantic remixed it for a US release in 1985, though many fans find that version too poppy and prefer the original's hard-hitting edge. Critics welcomed it at the time, and it remains a fan favourite.
Under the Blade: tracklist, credits and charts
9 tracks · 35:44Tracklist
- 1What You Don’t Know (Sure Can Hurt You)Dee Snider4:47
- 2Bad Boys (Of Rock ’n’ Roll)Dee Snider3:21
- 3Run for Your LifeDee Snider3:29
- 4Sin After SinDee Snider3:22
- 5Shoot ’em DownDee Snider3:54
- 6DestroyerDee Snider4:08
- 7Under the BladeDee Snider4:39
- 8Tear It LooseDee Snider3:09
- 9Day of the RockerDee Snider4:55
- Produced by
- Pete Way, Mark Mendoza, Dee Snider
- Recorded at
- The Barn at Kitchenham Farm, Ashburnham with the RAK Mobile, I.C.C. Studios, Eastbourne, Maison Rouge, London, England
- Recorded
- July 1982
- Labels
- Secret Records, Secret
- Length
- 35:44
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart · 1982 | 70 |
| US Billboard 200 · 1985 | 125 |
| New Zealand Albums · 1985 | 40 |
From MusicBrainz and Wikipedia. Only what the sources record is shown.
Also released on 18 September
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More from Twisted Sister
Full discography →
The best of 1982
All of 1982 →
More on Secret Records
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Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikidata only
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 1982 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | September 1982 | |
| Wikidata | 18 September 1982 | |
| UK / Europe release | 1982 | earliest UK or European date |
17 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | GB | Secret Records | original | |
| 1982 | NL | Roadrunner Records | original | |
| 1982 | DE | Secret Records | original | |
| 1982 | GB | Secret Records | original | |
| 1985 | US | Atlantic | 07567812564 | other |
| 1985 | US | Atlantic | 075678125614 | other |
| 1985 | GB | Secret Records | other | |
| 1985 | XE | Roadrunner Records | other | |
| 25 July 1985 | JP | Atlantic | other | |
| 10 June 1989 | JP | Atlantic | 4988014727457 | other |
| 15 December 1997 | JP | Atlantic | other | |
| 1999 | XE | Spitfire Records | 5036369502423 | other |
| 22 November 1999 | XE | Spitfire Records | 5036369502423 | other |
| 2005 | GB | Demolition Records | 5060011191475 | other |
| 23 September 2009 | JP | Atlantic | 4943674092994 | other |
| 23 February 2011 | JP | Armoury Records | 4580142348360 | other |
| 30 May 2011 | DE | Armoury Records | 5036369753221 | deluxe |
Cover art sources
fanarttv · upscaled: major: best source 1000x1000, upscaled to 1500 (x1.50)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| fanarttv ✓ | 1000×1000 | upscaled: major: best source 1000x1000, upscaled to 1500 (x1.50) |
| coverartarchive | 300×300 | upscaled |