ROAD By Alice Cooper - Album Review

Review By Lauren Page / LiveWithLP

With over 25 albums under his belt, Alice Cooper once again takes us into his captivating and twisted glam rock world with his latest release Road which features 13 powerhouse anthems captivating the true raspy rock-and-roll iconic voice we all know and love.

At 79 years old, over 50 million tracks released worldwide and a successful supergroup known as the Hollywood Vampires featuring Johnny Depp and Joe Perry still touring the globe, Alice Cooper has no signs of slowing down and this album is a prime example of the theatrical rock and roll he is known for and the electrifying storytelling he produces through music. This record is a new era of daring riffs and showcases why Alice is the undisputed maestro of shock rock. 

“I’m yours forever but you’re mine tonight” Even with track 1, Alice Cooper is back at it as a lyrical mastermind, sprinkling that 70’s vibe and impeccable guitar riffs from the get-go with the opening track ‘I’m Alice’. This would be the kind of song I’d love to see him kick off a show with. 

‘Welcome to the Show’ is second up on the tracklist and transports you back to the 80’s rock era we all know and remember from Alice Cooper. The guitar work on this track stands out for me and by track 2 on this album I am already hooked to see what is up next, I’m telling you from this early on, this album is going to be INCREDIBLE live. 

There's no denying that his discography over the years has been the epitome of diversity and this is shown in tracks 3 and 4, All Over The World and The Dead Don’t Dance taking on a more infectious rock beat - you truly don’t know what you’re getting with each track and that’s a testament to Cooper's musical storytelling. 

We’re only a third through the album and still seeing Cooper experiment with new styles and sounds. Classic rock and roll shine bright with ‘Go Away’ which brings out the satirical style we know and love from Alice’s songs, let's be honest, nobody brings stories to life on stage quite like Alice in this comical yet glam rock approach. 

Further, down the tracklist, we reach my favourite, ‘Rules of the Road’ - this is one of those tracks you hear for the first time and start creating up a music video or live stage show in your head. I can see this being a big theatrical number with the crowd singing back every single lyric.

For true Alice fans, I think track 9, The Big Goodbye will hit hard, the underlying meaning of the song hits home that we are going to one day have to accept that Alice Cooper is going to hang up his macabre stage theatrics and say goodbye to his on-stage alter ego. Or hey, maybe I’m looking into the track too much but that's the beauty of an Alice Cooper track, You’re always searching for the meanings behind the songs and what story lies within the lyrics. 

‘Road Rats’ is another brilliant track on this album, as mentioned above, there's no denying Alice Cooper racks up the air miles with his touring and this track is a great overview of life on the road with a catchy rhythm and brilliant solos. 

Yet another curveball enters the chat with track 11, Baby Please Don’t Go, theres no denying Alice has given us some spectacular ballads over the years, I mean who forgets I’m Always Chasing Rainbows? That goes without saying, but Baby Please Don’t Go being towards the end of the record is strategically placed, exploring all of Coopers' genres and saving the heartfelt tracks till the end. 

The unmistakable voice of Cooper shines through for the next track, 100 Miles. A similar vibe to the last track too, showcasing his spoken-word lyrics and penchant for outrageousness. 

The final track on the album is Magic Bus. This feels like such a random addition to the end of the record, but I think I’ve said enough times above, one of the reasons Alice Cooper is loved by millions is due to his ability to constantly break boundaries and change up his sound and genre. This is a great way to round off an album. 

Whether you’ve been there from the start, in the last decade or are new to the world of Alice Cooper, I will tell you that Road is up there with one of the best albums Alice has released. It has the whacky essence of Cooper with dashings of theatrical wordplay and the glam rock golden era all weaved into one album. 

Road is out August 25th