Twisted Sister's final bow with Dream Theater's drummer filling thunderous shoes.
The first “Metal Meltdown” concert series event kicked off at The Joint at the world famous Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas on May 30, 2015. Legendary, multi-Platinum selling rockers Twisted Sister performed an explosive 90-minute concert of their biggest hits spanning their 40-year career. The show was dedicated to the honor of Twisted Sister’s iconic drummer, A.J. Pero, whose tragic, sudden death just two months prior to the filming of this event shocked the music world. The band announced that not only were all the remaining concerts being performed in 2015 dedicated to the memory of A.J. Pero, but that 2016 would mark the 40th and final year of the band’s legendary live performances. They recruited renowned drummer and friend of A.J. Pero, Mike Portnoy (The Winery Dogs, Dream Theater, Avenged Sevenfold) to take the reins, and his very first Twisted Sister appearance was captured by the “Metal Meltdown” camera crew.
Sound
Portnoy's debut — he studied Pero's parts like sacred texts.
Production
Hard Rock's The Joint: perfectly sized, gloriously loud venue.
Director
Brian Lockwood
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
A.J. Pero died of a heart attack at 55 on March 20, 2015 — the band learned mid-tour and almost cancelled before honoring his wish to continue.
This captures the exact moment 1980s hair metal became heritage act — complete with legacy drummer, casino residency, and tearful goodbyes.
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