Accepting the latest album from Alice Cooper is more a fun exploitation of hard rock tropes than an innovative expression is part of the fun. The Revenge of Alice Cooper is a reunion of sorts. The Godfather of Shock Rock has stuck around, decades longer than the original line-up has. In that time, he established himself as a veteran not just of the genre, but of the stage, too. The Revenge of Alice Cooper has the longevity of the eponymous band leader to rely on as familiar instrumentalists return. Wearing its Hammer Horror and Universal Monsters influence with pride, Cooper and the returning line-up offer an album expected of studio veterans who are moved not by the world but by their earliest memories. The Revenge of Alice Cooper is both a throwback to the early years of the band but also an album which stands in rigid defiance of nostalgia.
Crucial to this return is the ongoing strength of Cooper. His voice is worthy of a studio album feature, a still refreshing style to his work, which brings out the best in somewhat underwhelming music. Opener Black Mamba is of the usual hard rock cut, a tame but still rebellious kick against domesticity. After that, though, there is a steady, rocking style to The Revenge of Alice Cooper that is relatively easy to lose yourself in. Dependable rock and roll which has flutters of glam style and lighter touches too, to keep the band from drifting too far into that nostalgic territory. Wild Ones has the group try and paint themselves as the rebels heard in the opening track Black Mamba, and while it is hard to believe, there is at least respect for the insistence. Keeping up appearances as The Godfather of Shock Rock takes a suspension of what we now know. It is hard to keep character work alive when said personality is spread thin by interviews, social media presence, and the occasional break.
But The Revenge of Alice Cooper does well to keep the story whirring, blurring the real world with the fascinating fiction the band has been crafting for decades. Kill the Flies is likeable as a storyline developer, but not much more than that. Breezy and entertaining instrumentals are on offer, and it sounds as though the original lineup has not missed a second in the studio, let alone decades. The Revenge of Alice Cooper manages the blend that Iggy Pop often provides in recent years. We can depend on the name and quality, but the lighter touch to the instrumentals is an inevitability of longevity, a softening which comes from the calmer years. When the instrumental work is given a chance in the spotlight, it sounds magnificent. Blood on the Sun is the standout moment for guitarist Michael Bruce, and one of the best moments on the album.
For all the worldbuilding The Revenge of Alice Cooper does, for all the hard rock tones the band brings back after a fifty-one-year break from playing together, it does not go far. Crap That Gets in the Way sounds scared of swearing, a complete derailment for the album. For a man with the “don’t care” attitude as part of his image, he sounds truly terrified of a rude word. Cracks begin to show in that old school rock and roll image, though The Revenge of Alice Cooper manages to avoid putting its foot through that hollow depiction of the genre. It stays the course of relatively tame but likeable music. It is harder than the band will be given credit for, mainly because no amount of solid instrumental work can overcome some truly pathetic writing heard throughout. No prize for figuring out the driving force on Money Screams. Persevere, and there is plenty to enjoy about the Bruce-led vocals on Famous Face and a breakdown of the rock and roll lifestyle on What a Syd, even if the lyrics are an occasional letdown.
Says you, too me it was a complete masterpiece, all the songs had nostalgia to it as it sounds more like there music around the era of “Welcome To My Nightmare” Bruce’s part was expertly inserted into the album, I honestly thick that YOU music critics should just step down from your jobs, and let the true fans decide, as your scraping the bottom of the barrel with your review
Good review I gave it a similar score, I liked the album and it was great to hear the band back together but I thought Road and Detroit Stories are better.