Alice Cooper has reunited with his original bandmates — Michael Bruce (rhythm guitar), Dennis Dunaway (bass) and Neal Smith (drums) — and together, they’ve just released “The Revenge of Alice Cooper”. Yes, it’s true! After 51 years, the original Alice Cooper group is back with a brand-new album that feels like a time machine to the 1970s — that glorious era when the band shocked the world with their jaw-dropping brand of shock rock. This is a hard rock album that sounds as if not a single day has passed since 1974. The band’s eighth studio album as the original Alice Cooper group stands out as a phenomenal, monumental slab of 70s-inspired hard rock. It features everything fans love about their signature sound: catchy choruses, electrifying guitar work, a cohesive and thick rhythm section, and, of course, Alice Cooper himself delivering theatrical, charismatic vocals, emphasizing every word like a true storyteller. His voice here is haunting, expressive and utterly magnetic. Produced by the legendary Bob Ezrin, the sound is rich, organic and raw in the best way — like it was recorded in the same smoky, psychedelic haze that gave birth to “Love It to Death” and “Killer”. The album is full of killer hard rock anthems but doesn’t stop there. You’ll hear touches of rock ‘n’ roll, blues, glam rock, punk, even a bit of country twang — all seamlessly blended into a 70s sonic canvas that feels nostalgic and fresh at the same time. There are clear shock rock elements in tracks like “Black Mamba” and “Kill the Flies”, with lyrics and atmospheres that bring back the group’s classic horror-theatrical style. There’s also a trippy, psychedelic touch throughout the album, creating a hippie, vintage vibe that appeals even to younger listeners, who didn’t grow up on the early Alice Cooper records. All the songs offer something special, there’s not a weak moment to be found. If you’re a fan of classic hard rock, you’re going to love this album – It’s a release that will definitely strike an emotional chord with long-time Alice Cooper fans. “The Revenge of Alice Cooper” deserves to be placed right next to “Muscle of Love” (1973). This is the return we’ve all dreamed of — and yes, it lives up to the legend. After five decades of silence, the original Alice Cooper group has spoken again — and what they had to say is absolutely remarkable.
♦ 8,5/10
Dimitris Zacharopoulos
