twisted sister is coming back. so much for retirement.

Dee Snider and company will reunite in 2026 for a 50th anniversary run

Twisted Sister is reuniting in 2026—ten years after their retirement and decades after Dee Snider said he was done for good. Turns out retirement isn't immune to a little existential dread.

In a new interview with John “JP” Parise on 102.3 WBAB and 102.5 The Bone, Snider confirmed that the band will return to celebrate their 50th anniversary. This isn’t a cash grab or a festival circuit stunt—at least not according to him. Snider made it clear the comeback is tied to a health scare he experienced after turning 70.

“I turned 70 this year, and I had a health scare… It shook me up,” Snider said. “You never know when your time is up. And do I really wanna go without rocking one more time?”

Snider admitted he hadn’t been doing full solo shows lately—just the occasional on-stage guest spot with Bret Michaels or Lita Ford. But after talking it through with his wife, he called the rest of the band himself. That’s a shift. For years, he was the one slamming reunion tours and promising Twisted Sister was done. This time, the idea came from him.

“I called them. They never brought it up because I was, like, ‘This is not happening.’ But… I had a life-changing experience, and I reached out.”

The 2026 reunion lineup will feature Snider alongside founding guitarist Jay Jay French and longtime lead guitarist Eddie Ojeda. Missing from the stage will be bassist Mark “The Animal” Mendoza, who bowed out due to “irreconcilable differences.” He’ll be replaced by Russell Pzütto, a member of Snider’s solo band. Drums will be handled by Joe Franco, who briefly filled in for A.J. Pero in the ‘80s. Pero passed away in 2015.

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