Sabaton frontman Joakim Brodén recently shared the story of how his passion for heavy metal began at a very young age, crediting Twisted Sister as the band that first captivated him. This revelation came from an interview with Loudwire.
The Swedish metal vocalist recalled a vivid childhood memory that would shape his musical future. When asked about the moment heavy metal first hooked him, Brodén described a powerful early encounter with the genre.
“I was like three or four years old and Twisted Sister came out with ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’ or ‘I Wanna Rock,’ neither me or my mom remember which song it was,” Brodén said. “But it was on Swedish TV. Mom was in the kitchen, I was in the living room.”
The intensity of his reaction to the music was so dramatic that it alarmed his mother.
“I was screaming so she thought, ‘My kid is dying,'” he continued. “She ran around and there I was, freaking out in front of the TV to Twisted Sister.”
Brodén’s childhood reaction to Twisted Sister reflects the powerful impact the band had on metal music during the 1980s. This was particularly evident during their most successful period.
The song that likely captivated young Brodén was part of Twisted Sister’s breakthrough moment in heavy metal history. Wikipedia reports that “We’re Not Gonna Take It” was released in 1984 as a single from their album Stay Hungry and became their biggest hit, reaching No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100. The track was later certified Gold for over 500,000 sales in the U.S. This achievement cemented its status as Twisted Sister’s highest-selling single.
The album Stay Hungry itself became a defining release for the band and the glam metal genre. Wikipedia notes that the album went multi-platinum and remains Twisted Sister’s most successful release. It featured both “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “I Wanna Rock” as staples of metal music. This commercial success helped establish Twisted Sister as one of the most recognizable bands of the 1980s metal scene.
The rebellious spirit and catchy hooks of these songs clearly resonated with audiences worldwide, including a young Joakim Brodén in Sweden. Last.fm documented that “We’re Not Gonna Take It” is recognized as a defining anthem of 80’s glam metal. Its memorable music video and defiant lyrics became cultural touchstones of the era.
This early exposure to Twisted Sister’s energetic heavy metal sound would prove to be a defining moment for the future Sabaton frontman. It set him on the path that would eventually lead to his successful career in metal music. The lasting impression of that childhood experience demonstrates how powerful music can be in shaping a person’s artistic direction from an incredibly young age.
