a l b u m r e v i e w s


ALICE COOPER
BRUTAL PLANET
Spitfire Records
Produced by: Bob Marlette
Released: JUNE 6 / Website
Closest Relative: Union, Himself
GENRE: Hard Rock
OVERALL: 89%

  1. Brutal Planet
  2. Sanctuary
  3. Wicked Young Man
  4. Gimme
  5. Blow Me A Kiss
  6. Cold Machines
  7. Take It Like A Woman
  8. It's The Little Things
  9. Pessi-mystic
  10. Eat Some More
  11. Pick Up The Bones

Another great album, but for different reasons. This is Alice's first album for several years and sees him once again re-invent himself successfully.
This is the heaviest I have ever heard Alice Cooper and follows the style, feel and strategy of other Spitfire Records releases.
Not only is it the heaviest I have heard Alice, it is also a very dark album, not something he has touched since the heydays of the late 70's. Since then Alice has tended to be a more feel good stadium rocker trying to look nasty. Brutal Planet is more for real. This is nasty!
The album was recorded and produced by Bob Marlette, the producer of the moment it seems. He also produced the new Union album and for that reason, the sound and feel of Brutal Planet is very similar. The guitars are tuned down to dark and grungy and the bass is right up in the mix.
What we have is the musical influence of Union's Blue Room, mixed with a little Black Label Society intense heaviness mixed with the powerful and commanding vocals of Alice Cooper at his toughest.
It's hard to imagine any long time Cooper fan being pissed off with this release. Maybe those who picked up Trash and thought that was the real Alice. Not so, but this is!
A special mention for the track Sanctuary which just blew my mind. This track is so heavy! It starts with a fast, dark, heavy guitar riff that totally dominates (Zakk Wylde would be impressed) and a spoken work chorus preaching of modern day 9 to 5 oblivion, then from nowhere it just gets more intense and suddenly the song is an anthem, with not one but two choruses following each other surrounded by pounding drums and guitar. It's enough to make ones ears bleed and is worth the price of the album alone.
But feel not, there are plenty of great hard rocking songs on the album, just not with the intensity of Sanctuary.
11 tracks and not a radio track nor a ballad amongst them. This is an album for the long time die-hard Alice Cooper fans mixed with the commercial acceptability of modern US hard rock.
BOTTOM LINE: An impressive new album from Alice Cooper that proves he can adapt and re-invent himself with the best of them.
An uncompromisingly heavy album with great production and mix. This is not going to appeal to everyone, but I don't think the album was made for those purposes. This is Alice Copper doing whatever he wants and what that is in the end, is a very strong contemporary hard rock album.
PRODUCTION: 93% SONGS: 86% VIBE: 88%ATTITUDE: 91%
ESSENTIAL FOR: All Alice Cooper fans, fans of heavy modern US hard rock and some Union fans.

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