Blood and Bullets (album)

After Twisted Sister disbanded in 1987, frontman and songwriter Dee Snider formed a new band, Desperado, and recorded an album for Elektra Records. Two weeks before its scheduled release in 1990, the label shelved the album and the band subsequently dissolved. Snider spent another year unable to pursue further musical activities as he remained signed to Elektra, but once free he formed Widowmaker.{{cite news |last=McTavish |first=Brian |title='Twisted Sister' singer puts focus on music |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/313072677/ |newspaper=The Indianapolis Star |date=October 14, 1992 |page=B-6 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription |access-date=December 28, 2023}} After a period of struggling to generate record company interest and finance, Ric Wake signed Widowmaker to his independent label Esquire Records and the band recorded their debut album, Blood and Bullets, with Wake as the producer.{{cite magazine |last=Flick |first=Larry |title=Dee Snider resurfaces in Widowmaker |magazine=Billboard |date=September 26, 1992 |publisher=Billboard Publications, Inc. |volume=104 |issue=39 |page=21 |issn=0006-2510}} Much of the material recorded was co-written in 1989–90 by Snider and Bernie Tormé when Desperado were active. Three songs from Desperado's debut album were re-recorded and Snider and Widowmaker guitarist Al Pitrelli co-wrote a couple of new tracks.{{cite news |last=Limongelli |first=Joe |title=Dee Snider & Widowmaker: At the Staircase, Thursday, January 26 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/397396638/ |newspaper=The Weekender |date=January 26, 1995 |pages=14–15 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription |access-date=December 28, 2023}}{{cite book |last=Snider |first=Dee |title=Shut Up and Give Me the Mic: A Twisted Memoir |publisher=Gallery Books |year=2012 |pages=406–407, 410–411 |isbn=978-1-4516-3739-7}}

Blood and Bullets was released on July 28, 1992, and the band embarked on a US tour to promote it.{{cite news |title=Widowmaker takes Twisted approach |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/578850659/ |newspaper=Tucson Citizen |date=July 30, 1992 |page=4 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription |access-date=December 28, 2023}} "Emaheevul" and "The Widowmaker" were released as a promotional singles from the album.{{cite AV media notes |title=Emaheevul |others=Widowmaker |year=1992 |type=US CD promotional single |publisher=Esquire Records |id=ESDJ 74333-2}}{{cite AV media notes |title=The Widowmaker |others=Widowmaker |year=1992 |type=US CD promotional single |publisher=Esquire Records |id=ESDJ 74340-2}} A music video was shot for "The Widowmaker" and was directed by Milcho Manchevski and produced by Kate Judge.{{cite magazine |title=Production Notes |magazine=Billboard |date=September 26, 1992 |publisher=Billboard Publications, Inc. |volume=104 |issue=39 |page=53 |issn=0006-2510}} According to Snider's autobiography Shut Up and Give Me the Mic: A Twisted Memoir, the album achieved over 50,000 CD sales.

Speaking to the Gannett News Service in 1992, Snider said of the album, "It still has the appeal of Twisted Sister, but it has more musical depth. Twisted Sister was very one-dimensional. We had catchy songs and an outrageous image but that was it. Widowmaker has the songs with great hooks but there's musical integrity there, too."{{cite news |last=McKeon |first=Diana |title=Former Twisted Sister Dee Snider ready to rock 'n' roll again |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/207823480/ |newspaper=Springfield News-Leader |date=August 18, 1992 |page=6D |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription |access-date=December 28, 2023}} The song "Reason to Kill" was inspired by Snider's experiences with his previous labels Atlantic and Elektra.{{cite news |last=Blockus |first=Gary R. |title=Widowmaker a new twist for Dee Snider |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/283490546/ |newspaper=The Morning Call |date=July 17, 1992 |page=D1, D2 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription |access-date=December 28, 2023}}

{{album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/blood-bullets-mw0000080919/ |title=Blood & Bullets – Widowmaker |work=AllMusic |accessdate=December 28, 2023}}

| rev2 = Chicago Tribune

| rev2score = {{Rating|2.5|4}}{{cite news |last=Herrmann |first=Brenda |title=Recordings |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/389790356/ |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=October 15, 1992 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription |access-date=December 28, 2023}}

}}

Upon its release, Hit Parader praised Blood and Bullets as an album "definitely worth checking out whether or not you were ever a Twisted Sister [fan]". The reviewer added, "Snider has never sounded better and [here he's] aided by the burning lead licks of guitar master Al Pitrelli."{{cite magazine |title=Hit or Miss |magazine=Hit Parader |date=November 1992 |issue=338 |page=94 |issn=0162-0266}} Randy Clark of Cash Box felt Widowmaker had the "same sound" and "same attitude" as Twisted Sister. He wrote, "Although the players and their performances on this CD are hot and spirited, there's been little to no change in hard rock/heavy metal since the early '80s, which is what this new album sounds like."{{cite magazine |last=Clark |first=Randy |title=Music Reviews: Albums |magazine=Cash Box |date=October 31, 1992 |volume=56 |issue=10 |page=5 |issn=0008-7289}} Brenda Herrmann of the Chicago Tribune described the album as "serious anthem stuff – not as cheesy as 'We're Not Gonna Take It' but not exactly Nirvana quality either". She added, "Tunes like 'Emaheevul' and 'The Widowmaker' are solid arena-rock, but the ballads, 'The Lonely Ones' and 'Calling for You' are surprisingly good, and the final cut, 'We Are the Dead', is pretty intense."

{{tracklist

| title1 = Emaheevul

| writer1 = Dee Snider, Bernie Tormé

| length1 = 3:21

| title2 = The Widowmaker

| writer2 = Snider, Al Pitrelli

| length2 = 5:08

| title3 = Evil

| writer3 = Willie Dixon

| length3 = 3:06

| title4 = The Lonely Ones

| writer4 = Spier, Nutter, Snider

| length4 = 4:59

| title5 = Reason to Kill

| writer5 = Snider, Pitrelli

| length5 = 5:34

| title6 = Snot Nose Kid

| writer6 = Snider, Tormé

| length6 = 4:07

| title7 = Blood and Bullets (Pissin' Against the Wind)

| writer7 = Snider, Pitrelli

| length7 = 3:16

| title8 = Gone Bad

| writer8 = Snider, Tormé

| length8 = 3:19

| title9 = Blue for You

| writer9 = Snider, Tormé, Pitrelli

| length9 = 6:18

| title10 = You're a Heartbreaker

| writer10 = Snider, Tormé

| length10 = 3:21

| title11 = Calling for You

| writer11 = Snider, Tormé

| length11 = 4:46

| title12 = We Are the Dead

| writer12 = Snider, Tormé

| length12 = 3:48

| total_length = 51:07

}}

{{tracklist

| headline = Japan bonus track

| title13 = Easy Action

| writer13 = Snider, Tormé

| length13 = 3:59

}}

Widowmaker

• Dee Snider – lead vocals, backing vocals
• Al Pitrelli – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
• Marc Russell – bass, backing vocals
• Joey Franco – drums

Additional musicians

• Tony Harnell – backing vocals
• Joe Lynn Turner – backing vocals
• Bruno Revell – backing vocals
• Steve West – backing vocals
• Rich Tancredi – keyboards

Production

• Ric Wake – production
• Bob Cadway – engineering
• Rick Kerr – mixing
• Tony Dawsey – mastering

{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1992 debut albums

Category:Widowmaker (American band) albums