Alice Cooper - Road

2023-08-24 07:00:33

Alice Cooper has seen and been through everything. It wouldn’t be possible without his band, who give their all on stage. The shock rock master complains that concert reports are often only about the show and theatrics, but less about the music. That’s why his instrumentalists should get more involved in the songwriting this time and recorded ideas themselves, accompanied by prominent songwriters like Wayne Kramer (MC5) and Keith Nelson (Buckcherry). „Road“ consolidates studio output at a high level.

It starts with the programmatic “I’m Alice”, written by guitarist Ryan Roxie. Dusty and at the same time crisp Hard Rock, driven by a Cooper in the best mood, makes you feel good and has something of a statement piece. The four minutes are reminiscent of the classic Alice Cooper sound in the best sense of the word and burn in immediately. After that, “Welcome To The Show” shifts up a gear, seems in the best of moods and at the same time leaves plenty of room for entertaining singalongs. Sometimes it can be so simple. The free, mid-tempo playing “All Over The World” rounds off the opening trio in a classic and entertaining way.

There is no run-of-the-mill on this record, as “Road” is more varied than it has been for a long time. There is, for example, the ballad-esque “Baby Please Don’t Go” with an emphasis on reduction, lots of feeling and radio-ready pop appeal – a semi-ballad-esque mini-hit, a pleasant surprise. The complete opposite is “Dead Don’t Dance” with one of the heaviest riffs on the entire record. Black Label Society and Fozzy send their regards, while the boss surprisingly heads for metallic-tinged territory. In “White Line Frankenstein” Tom Morello gets involved – as a songwriter, backing singer and, of course, with a feverish solo that lets the casual rocker escalate perfectly. The extended drum finale of “Magic Bus”, on the other hand, exudes pure joy of playing.

Alice Cooper focuses on the essentials and does everything right. In fact, “Road” has become a classic band album, captures the personalities of the musicians and is more direct, more closed than it has been for a long time. After the Detroit record, there is again multi-layered, mostly no-frills rock, which simply dares to look behind the curtain far away from the big performance. The meanwhile 75-year-old Cooper delivers the next strong work of his old age and clearly has no desire to retire.

Rating: 8/10

Available from: 08/25/2023
Available from: earMUSIC (Edel)

Website: alicecooper.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AliceCooper