Alice Cooper's 'The Revenge of Alice Cooper' - Album Review

Each passing year tends to include a few interesting rock and metal reunions. It is always nice to see bands get back together, especially if everyone involved is doing so for the right reasons, even if the results are not always quite what the fans would have hoped for. Sometimes it is just good to see certain musicians working together again, regardless of how things turn out, and one of 2025's most notable reunions to date is the coming together of the remaining remembers of the original band named Alice Cooper to release their first full album of new material since 1973's Muscle of Love. Unlike many, though, I have never really drawn much of a line between Alice Cooper the band and Alice Cooper the singer. It is true that Cooper's first seven albums all featured the same musicians - but I have never felt like there was a huge shift in tone between Muscle of Love and 1975's Welcome to My Nightmare, Cooper's first true solo album, particularly as armies of session players had already started to participate on the band-era albums before the solo era got underway. Also unlike many, too, I have never held Cooper's early 1970s albums in especially high regard. There are plenty of stand-out tracks between them, that is for sure, but I tend to prefer most of the albums he has put out since the mid 1980s over everything else - and the more metallic Cooper gets the more I tend to like him. I might not be sounding like the biggest Cooper fan here - but I do like him quite a lot. I just tend to feel that he is quite hit and miss when it comes to songwriting - and I am not sure that he has ever released an out-and-out classic album. All of his albums are patchy, but there is a lot to enjoy within his catalogue - and I have reviewed some of his more recent efforts pretty positively here. Cooper's last album, 2023's Road (which I reviewed here), was one I enjoyed a lot for the most part. Mostly written and recorded by his current live band, which differed from the session musicians and songwriters approach he has tended to take more recently, Road felt raw and upbeat. There has certainly been something of a shift back to a more 1970s-esque sound on Cooper's albums of late - but there always remained something of a harder edge which had crept in over the years. Two years on from Road, though, and we have The Revenge of Alice Cooper - Cooper's thirtieth album overall and the first with his original band since 1973. Guitarist Michael Bruce, bassist Dennis Dunaway, and drummer Neal Smith have all contributed small amounts to many of Cooper's recent albums - but The Revenge of Alice Cooper is the first full album he has written and recorded with them in over 50 years. The late Glen Buxton, who died in 1997, appears on one song via the use of an old recording of his playing - whilst his lead guitar is replicated throughout by Gyasi Heus and Rick Tedesco. Producer Bob Ezrin, who produced many of Cooper's 1970s albums and has worked with him a lot more recently again, also returns - and the session musicians are also kept to a minimum. As such, this album does feel like a true reunion - and it is more of a shift in tone back to the 1970s than any of Cooper's other recent releases. Given the side of Cooper which I tend to prefer, it is perhaps unsurprising that I enjoy some of his other more recent releases more than this one - but as a retro throwback and a gathering of old friends, The Revenge of Alice Cooper is certainly enjoyable.

If anything, the album is too long. Cooper's recent albums tend to generally be on the long side, and he is certainly not alone in this, but 14 songs is a bit much given the general patchy nature of his songwriting. There are some strong, memorable songs here, but there are also some throwaway moments and too much rote blues - so the album could have done with some fat trimming. The early portion of the album, though, is pretty strong. Opening with lead single Black Mamba, which features Robby Krieger (The Doors) on lead guitar, the creepy vibe of Cooper's early work is re-established quite quickly. Rumbling bass notes and occasional screaming guitar leads set an early tone, before Cooper starts to deliver a creepy spoken monologue - evoking early horror B-movies (as does the album's cover art). When Smith's drums kick in, though, the song morphs into a snaking, mid-paced rocker - with a groovy bassline that expands on the intro melodies and some wah-drenched guitar rhythms. Occasional guitar leads cut through the murk, with Krieger adding some of his trademark blues to the piece, but generally this track is psychedelic garage rock in tone with the prominent drive of the rhythm section leading the way. Cooper sounds great vocally throughout, as he always does in fairness, and he occasionally returns to the spoken word of the intro for effect. Some repetitive wordless vocal hooks which act as a chorus can grate a little after a while, but generally the tone here is strong - with Krieger adding a lot with his laid back playing. Wild Ones is more of an up-tempo rocker, and it is one of my favourite pieces here. It is the sort of song I can imagine Cooper playing live today, and it opens with a fast-paced drum beat and some thrashy, yet hooky, lead guitar. The sound of this album is pretty old-school, with garage rock vibes throughout, so the rumble of the rhythm section always has a big presence. Dunaway's pulsing bass playing drives the song, whilst the rhythm guitars are generally in the background more to create raw chord patterns - whilst the cutting leads feel more present. The guitar takes over a bit more for the snappy chorus, which is one of the album's most anthemic moments, but generally this is Dunaway's song in terms of riffs and basslines - which is unsurprising given that he co-wrote it. It is a song which grabbed me from the off and it remains a real favourite - and I hope that Cooper introduces it into his setlists. Up All Night opens with Smith's punchy drumming, before Bruce lays down a gritty guitar riff - and this track is much more guitar-driven than the last one. The bass is still busy, but there is much more of a roar from the guitar riffing this time - with the stop-start guitar playing during the verses backing Cooper's vocals and the ever-present drumming nicely. Cooper delivers the verse vocals in a semi-spoken manner, but the chorus is much more melodic - with 1960s, Beatles-esque vocal harmonies and pop melodies clashing against the scratchy guitar leads which are also thrown in. The song is another memorable one thanks to this poppy chorus, then, and there is a good mix of grit and melody here - with a snappy guitar solo towards the end, too.

Kill the Flies is a much creepier track overall, and it really harks back to some of the denser numbers on Cooper's early albums. Smith's drumming is quite laboured here, but that only helps the song to sound heavy and lumbering (in a good way), whilst slab-like guitar rhythms and proto-punk bass playing gives the song quite a bit of punch. Ezrin adds some organ and other keyboards here, too, which allows the song to feel much deeper than many of the other cuts here. Despite its rocky edge, then, the piece still has a real atmosphere to it throughout - which is largely created by the subtle keyboard playing and some relatively intricate vocal harmonies. There is a bit of a theatrical feeling, then, which is later built upon by some glockenspiel and a proggy guitar solo with slide and plenty of effects. A pretty hooky chorus manages to operate within this framework, too, which is a bit of an in - and the song is another highlight thanks to its variety, even if it is one that takes a few listens to fully appreciate. One Night Stand is another pretty bass-driven piece. Ringing guitar chords create a bit of an atmosphere, but it is Dunaway's bass playing that drives everything here - his melodic playing busy and ever-present. Slightly aggressive drumming again adds a proto-punk edge, and this gives the song a bit of bite - as otherwise it feels a bit more laid back with the ringing guitars and slinky bass. Cooper almost croons the song, too, singing in quite an affected lower register which sounds a bit strange. There is a Doors vibe here for sure - albeit with a later screaming guitar solo which is welcome. Blood on the Sun is a bit of an mini epic, and it opens with prominent acoustic guitar melodies - over which Cooper starts to sing. The opening moments of the song are quite organic, then, with the acoustic guitar dominating, but the song soon opens up following a lower key version of the first chorus - which is another of the album's hookiest moments. Cooper's vocal approach during the chorus is more typical hard rock, with some strong harmonies to back him, and some of the guitar riffing as the song gets going, particularly following each chorus, feels quite uplifting in a Pete Townshend-esque manner. Bruce's big chords and riffs here feel much more strident than they sometimes can, then, and the piece feels like a bit of a stadium rocker at times despite the slow-burning intro and the fact that part-way through the band drop out to allow Smith to lay down some marching drums as a slow-burning guitar solo takes over. This solo is quite lengthy, but the section is memorable - and it helps the song to be another highlight here. It is likely the most involved song on the album, and when the final chorus reprise later crashes back in the song feels like it comes full circle. In contrast, Crap That Gets in the Way of Your Dreams is a short, proto-punk piece with a bit of a sense of humour and little to write home about. Cooper and his original band often channelled some of those garage/proto-punk vibes of bands like MC5, and this short, faster rocker is a song which goes back to that sound somewhat - with a more aggressive vocal from Cooper alongside snarling guitar rhythms and occasional cutting leads. Slightly humorous lyrics and infectious riffing make the track enjoyable for what it is - but it is not one of my favourites here. The guitar solo is welcome, though, and as a bit of throwaway garage rock the song does the job.

Famous Face is more of a grinding, mid-paced rocker with much crunchier rhythm guitar riffing throughout from Bruce - who wrote the song. Dunaway's bass still does a lot of heavy lifting, especially during the chorus, but this track is much more guitar-driven throughout the verses - with a grinding riff really setting a strong tone here, and sustained leads later joining in for effect. This is another song with a slightly bigger sound, though. Organ is added at times by session player Tom Booth, which is especially evident during the chorus, whilst Bruce himself adds some piano and other keyboards, too - with the piano noticeable again during the chorus in particular. As such, this mix of crunchy guitar riffing, various retro keyboard sounds, and plentiful guitar leads is a strong one - and the slightly sluggish, mid-paced rocker generally does the business, with Cooper again delivering another decent chorus. Money Screams ups the pace somewhat and goes for a faster, punkier feel with snappy guitar riffing and a lighter-hearted tone. In some ways, the song feels like a slightly expanded version of Crap That Gets in the Way of Your Dreams - with a bit more of a serious tone and more of a classic rock feel. The vocal melodies during the pre-chorus and chorus again recall the 1960s somewhat, with the melodies throughout the chorus not hugely different from what Cheap Trick might try if they were opting for a rawer sound, whilst another pretty memorable guitar solo is packed full of melody. The song is pretty unremarkable really, but some nice melodies and a strong chorus can go a long way - and the track is another decent effort for those who want something which mixes pop and rock well. What a Syd opens with a very generic sounding bluesy motif, and the track is another pretty throwaway piece in my opinion. It has a very deliberate old-school, 1960s sound - but it sounds twee in my opinion, with a bluesy bassline and some clean guitar chords in the background. The shuffling, swinging drum groove which pulls everything together only enhances this strange vibe, too, with Bruce also switching his guitar for an electric piano to add to the slightly twee feel. The song is one of the weaker efforts here for me. Intergalactic Vagabond Blues is better, though, and it picks up the pace immediately with some snappy, old-school blues riffing and Cooper adding some harmonica. The previous song was bluesy in a swing/lounge manner, but this song is bluesy in a harder rock manner - with the snappy riffing, hooky backing vocals, and occasional harmonica all coming together to create a quite infectious piece. A screaming bluesy guitar solo later adds quite a lot to the song, too, which is enhanced in part thanks to the harmonica playing along. The song is unapologetically retro, like the last one, but it is just much more up my street. There is a decent energy created throughout thanks to the riffing and the harmonica wig outs - plus the band seem to want to really rock out here, as there is quite a lot of lead guitar throughout, with another lengthy solo bringing everything to a close.

What Happened to You is the song here which features Buxton's guitar playing. Given that Bruce and Heus are also both on the song, it is unclear exactly which bits came from Buxton - but it is nice that he was able to be part of the album in a small manner. In truth, I think his contributions to some of the 1970s album were quite limited due to his substance issues - but he was nevertheless a great player when he was at his best. Like the last song, too, What Happened to You is generally an upbeat and bluesy rocker. Rollocking piano from session player Ross Harwood adds some barroom vibes at times, especially the countermelodies to the vocals which he plays during the verses, but generally this is a guitar-driven song with crunchy, bluesy guitar riffing conjuring up a nice swing as the faster-paced song moves along. The guitars are perhaps a bit less busy in terms of leads this time, with the piano doing a bit more heavy lifting, but there is a short solo early on - as well as another lengthy one as the song comes to a close. I Ain't Done Wrong is the only cover song here, as the band here tackle the old Yardbirds piece from the 1960s. Unsurprisingly, given The Yardbirds' blues background, this piece is another bluesy rocker - but this time the song is more mid-paced and overtly blues in quite a rote manner. Cooper again adds some harmonica here, which adds some additional texture, but generally I find this song to be quite lumpy. Smith's drumming feels weighed down and leaden here, and not in a good way this time, and the barrelling guitar riffing is just repeating tropes that we have all heard hundreds of times before. It might seem silly to make this complaints during a cover of an old British blues boom tune, which are often songs that can sound as rote as anything these days, it just shows that little imagination went into making this track anything different from the last few - and given that it sits at the end of a run of bluesy pieces it ends up feeling like more of the same. Given the number of songs here, this cover version could easily have been left out and the album would not have lost anything as a result. Thankfully, the closing number See You on the Other Side breaks away from the band's obsession with the blues which has crept in during the album's latter half - instead returning to something a bit more atmospheric and interesting. A bit of a slow-burning piece, the song is something of a cinematic semi-ballad with early clean guitar melodies, strong bass countermelodies, and a bit more of an atmospheric depth thank to some interesting guitar and vocal arrangements. A strong chorus helps, which actually has a slight emotional edge thanks to Cooper's vocal delivery and the aforementioned vocal harmonies - whilst melodies elsewhere from an acoustic guitar depth and clean guitar additions keep things interesting. The song is not as expansive as a couple of the other longer tracks here, but there is certainly more going on than is often typical of this album - and it returns, vibe-wise, back to the first half the album, which, in my view, is stronger than what follows. Whilst I am not sure that this album lives up to the reunion hype, especially given how bluesy it gets towards the end, there is enough strong material here to say that it is enjoyable overall - and it sounds like the band were having fun putting these songs together. Where they lean into the spooky, atmospheric vibe which characterised Cooper's early work, alongside some of the punkier moments, the album really shines - but the handful of twee moments and the excessive amount of bluesy later on holds it back from being a classic. It still ticks a lot of boxes, though, and it is a fine addition to Cooper's expansive canon.

The album was released on 25th July 2025 via earMusic. Below is the band's promotional video for Wild Ones.