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Ever since the early days of metal there has been a rift between what is deemed commercially successful and what is "true metal." "Stay Hungry," and Twisted Sister as a whole has managed to walk the very thin line between commerciality and true metal pleasing many people on both sides of the proverbial coin.
The album has a very raw but not unfinished feeling to it, which emits a very powerful do-it-yourself attitude. It is as if the album is recorded particularly in this way to shun the over-produced bigger is better attitude of the eighties. The lyrics add to the do-it-yourself feel of the album with rallying cries for the eternally young and free, fighting for what's right, and being true to ones self.
Nearly 25-years later, "Stay Hungry" has been released yet again with digitally re-mastered audio and an additional disc of bonus content featuring previously unreleased tracks, early versions, and one brand new track titled "30" which is a contrast to the age-old belief that life after 30 is no fun.
One of the coolest additions to this bonus disc is a radio promo recorded for KMET, featuring an adaptation of the chorus line for the song "SMF" proclaiming "we want M E T!" In all honesty, it made me think of Dethklok in a weird and completely unrelated sort of way, Dunkin Hills Coffee anyone?
The early versions of the album's more popular songs differ only slightly if at all for the most part, but the previously unreleased tracks are excellent. I'm really surprised that songs like "Prime Motivator," and "You Got To Fight" didn't make it on the original album.
Overall I'd say that this album is a must-have for fans of true heavy metal. It can be said that the popularity of the radio hits seems to overshadow the rest of the album until you hear it and realize that their songs don't sound completely alike. I must admit that up until recently I never gave this band too much of a chance to do the popularity of their hits. What I've come to realize is that the popularity of this album and the band as a whole shows that fans knew right away that Twisted Sister is a band they could hang their hat on and call their own.
A definitive and anthemic metal classic that bridged the gap between mainstream rock and the somewhat esoteric early days of metal. History lesson aside, the re-mastered and bonus tracks combined are a treasure trove of classic Twisted Sister.
Rating: 85
Reviewed By: Brian Grefrath