Twisted Sister are officially reforming for a 50th anniversary world tour in 2026 — nine years after they wrapped up their 40 And Fuck It! farewell trek. The glam-metal legends will return with founding members Dee Snider, Jay Jay French, and Eddie Ojeda leading the charge, joined by drummer Joe “Seven” Franco and bassist Russell Pzütto.

Speaking to Eddie Trunk on SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation, Snider revealed that the decision to reunite came after a year of reflection: “I turned 70 in March. And milestones, they are what they are, but at the same time, they’re reflection times for people. And me reflecting, I realized, wow, next year is 50 years since I joined Twisted Sister. And that’s significant.”

Snider added that the reunion was almost a dare to his bandmates: “‘One more time. Can we do it one more time?’ And certainly we’ve got people like McCartney and Jagger and Alice Cooper out there… how can you say, well, I’m 70. I’m too old? So, the guys said, ‘Seriously?’ I said, ‘Seriously. One more time. Let’s do it one more time.'”

Notably absent from the reunion lineup is longtime bassist Mark “The Animal” Mendoza. Addressing his exclusion, Snider cited only “irreconcilable differences,” refusing to go further into detail.

“I can’t get into the weeds and I can’t go down that path. And I won’t. But irreconcilable differences. People change, and however it is, and I’m not saying he changed; maybe we changed whatever it is. So in deciding who to use on bass, my bass player on the last two Dee Snider albums, For The Love Of Metal and Leave A Scar, was Russ Pzütto. And he was Mark Mendoza’s bass tech, and a great bass player… So, he did an amazing job on those two albums.

“He was a great guy to tour with. The band all knew him from years of working with Twisted, and again, he seemed like a likely choice. As a matter of fact, one time he was Mark’s choice to fill in for him. And one gig, it was in Belgium at Graspop, and Mark couldn’t make it, and Russ stepped in and played with Twisted. So he actually has performed with Twisted once before.”

In Mendoza’s place will be Russ Pzütto, a familiar face who has played with Snider’s solo bands and previously filled in for Mendoza at Belgium’s Graspop festival. “He was Mark Mendoza’s bass tech, and a great bass player,” Snider noted. “The band all knew him from years of working with Twisted… he seemed like a likely choice.”

The reunion also sees the return of Joe Franco, who last recorded and toured with Twisted Sister for their 1987 Love Is For Suckers album cycle. Franco steps in as Dream Theater’s Mike Portnoy, who drummed with Twisted Sister after A.J. Pero’s death in 2015, is unable to participate due to touring commitments.

Tour dates and venues are yet to be revealed, but with the promise of a full global run, fans can expect a major 2026 celebration of one of metal’s most enduring and defiant acts.

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