Sebastian Bach Steps Into The Twisted Sister Frontman Role For A Handful Of 2026 Dates Following Dee Snider’s Departure
by Paul Cashmere
Veteran American metal band Twisted Sister will return to the stage later this year with Sebastian Bach announced as their new frontman for a limited run of shows.
Founding guitarist Jay Jay French and long-time bandmate Eddie Ojeda confirmed that Bach will handle lead vocals for a select series of dates after the departure of Dee Snider, who stepped away from the group due to health challenges. The band has stressed that the appearances will not affect Bach’s ongoing solo commitments, with his current and future touring schedule remaining unchanged.
The development follows the abrupt cancellation of Twisted Sister’s planned 50th anniversary world tour, which had been slated to celebrate five decades since the group’s formation in New Jersey in 1972. That run was shelved in February after Snider announced he would be leaving the band on medical advice, placing the future of the anniversary shows in doubt.
Now, with Bach at the microphone, the band will honour at least part of that legacy on stage.
Bach has made no secret of his admiration for Twisted Sister over the years. He has previously described himself as a lifelong fan and has often referenced the band’s influence on his own career. In speaking about the new role, he revealed he had shared an emotional phone call with Snider prior to the announcement, underscoring the mutual respect between the two vocalists.
For Bach, the appointment is a full-circle moment. As a teenager in Canada, he was among the generation inspired by Twisted Sister’s breakthrough in the mid-1980s, when the band’s third album, Stay Hungry, catapulted them into mainstream consciousness. The record produced their signature anthem We’re Not Gonna Take It and the MTV staple I Wanna Rock, both accompanied by slapstick-laden video clips that became fixtures of the era’s music television boom.
Formed originally as Silver Star before adopting the Twisted Sister name in 1973, the band endured years on the US club circuit before securing a UK deal and releasing Under The Blade in 1982. Its follow-up, You Can’t Stop Rock ‘N’ Roll, consolidated their standing in Britain and Europe. By the time Stay Hungry arrived in 1984, Twisted Sister had bridged the gap between underground heavy metal and the emerging glam metal movement, while maintaining a harder edge that earned them credibility across genres.
The classic line-up of Snider, French, Ojeda, Mark Mendoza and A.J. Pero became one of the defining bands of the 1980s metal explosion. However, commercial momentum faltered after 1985’s Come Out And Play and 1987’s Love Is For Suckers, leading to their split in 1988. Subsequent reunions, including a sustained return from 2003 to 2016, culminated in a farewell tour following the death of drummer A.J. Pero in 2015.
The 2025 reunion announcement had reignited interest in the band’s 50-year history, with Russell Pzütto stepping in on bass in place of Mendoza. With Snider now out of the picture, the current configuration features French and Ojeda as the remaining original-era members, Pzütto on bass, Bach on vocals and drummer Joey Cassata behind the kit.
For Bach, the Twisted Sister stint adds another chapter to a career that began when he joined Skid Row in 1987. With that band he achieved multi-platinum success through albums including Skid Row and Slave To The Grind, the latter debuting at number one in the United States. After parting ways with Skid Row in 1996, Bach built a diverse portfolio spanning Broadway productions such as Jekyll & Hyde, reality television appearances and a steady solo recording career.
In 2024 he released Child Within The Man, his first studio album in a decade, reaffirming his commitment to heavy rock. The forthcoming Twisted Sister performances will run parallel to his solo touring obligations.
No replacement dates for the previously cancelled anniversary shows have yet been detailed, but further announcements are expected in coming weeks.
For a band that has experienced multiple break-ups, reunions and reinventions over more than half a century, the decision to continue with a new frontman signals a determination to keep the catalogue alive on stage. With one of hard rock’s most recognisable voices now at the helm, Twisted Sister’s next chapter will draw on both legacy and renewal.
Tour dates and ticketing details will be announced.
Stay updated with your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert. Subscribe to Noise11 Music News here
Be the first to see NOISE11.com’s newest interviews and special features on YouTube. See things first—Subscribe to Noise11 on YouTube
Follow Noise11.com on social media:
Bluesky
Facebook – Comment on the news of the day
