Alice Cooper has always been the black lipstick under rock’s fingernails and the sneer behind the glitter, the snake wielding showman who turned horror into a stage act and rebellion into a career. Now, nearly six decades into his reign of theatrical terror, Cooper is back where it all began: with the original band.
The new studio album, The Revenge Of Alice Cooper, dropped this month and, somehow, impossibly, it sounds like 1974 never ended. The riffs are mean, the vibe is gritty, and the chemistry between the bandmates is electric like it’s prom night all over again. Produced by longtime collaborator and honorary “fifth member” Bob Ezrin, the record taps directly into the group’s roots while giving a defiant middle finger to the idea of aging gracefully.
“I was aware that some people were going to be cynical about whether we could do it,” Cooper admits in the latest issue of Rock Candy Magazine, “but the band sounds exactly like it did back in 1974. I was pretty amazed by that.”
Why Now? Why This Band?
It’s been a long road since the band split in 1974 after dropping seven albums that helped rewire rock and shock culture forever. Speaking to Rock Candy editor Howard Johnson, Alice laid it all out with full transparency.
“I’ve always known it couldn’t have lasted between us back then,” he says. “We were dysfunctional. Mike [Bruce] was going through it, Dennis [Dunaway] had physical problems, Neal [Smith] too… and I was deep in cocaine and alcohol. That set me back at least five years.”
But the bond never faded. “We were in high school together,” Alice says. “When we finally got back together and started playing as a band, it felt just like coming home.”
The Revenge Of Alice Cooper – A Return to the Macabre
The new record is a return to the music Alice loves, and not just him, but the full force of the original lineup, sharpened by time and tempered by survival. It’s a record born out of history, heartache, and a little hellfire.
Call it revenge. Call it revival. Just don’t call it a comeback.
Want More?
You’ll find full interviews with Michael Bruce, Dennis Dunaway, Neal Smith, and Bob Ezrin in Rock Candy Magazine Issue 51, plus bonus features with legends like Glenn Hughes, Steve Hackett, Gregg Giuffria, Gil Moore (Triumph), Brian Vollmer (Helix), and a retro deep-dive on Def Leppard’s Pyromania.
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