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Metal Hammer
Constrictor
(Metal Hammer, 1986-11-00)
"He's Back" he exclaims gleefully from his new single. But with it's stomping disco beat the single is far removed from Alice Cooper's comeback album. The teeny-idol, creative genius and master of the eccentric who has kept so quiet for ten years has turned up sounding rockier than ever before and has managed to put behind him the weak albums that were his efforts of the late seventies and early eighties. ...
Alice Cooper: The Man Behind The Mask
(Metal Hammer, 1986-12-00)
If it's Thursday, it must be Columbus, Ohio, and Vincent Furnier is preparing to change personality. In a few hours time, for the duration of approximately one hour and twenty minutes, the modest, unassuming Mr. Furnier will adopt, some say possessed by, the body of Alice Cooper. Harry Doherty talked to Vince about the problem....
Live On Stage
(Metal Hammer, 1987-01-00)
A massive hoarding outside the arena boldly advertised 'The Legendary Alice Cooper', but such a description is no idle boast. No siree, the seminal figure that inspired a generation has risen from the grave to remind us just what real shock rock is all about....
News Report & Video Review
(Metal Hammer, 1987-08-00)
Alice Cooper and producer Michael Wagener began mixing Alice's new album recently at Amigo Studios in the valley. No title has been confirmed as yet, however sources say that one cut called 'Freedom' will be the only one considered for radio play in the states. The remainder of the album has been likened to a splatter movie on record, and we quote 'Totally gross'. Alice and his band are also playing at the Reading Festival at the end of this month. ...
Prince Of Darkness
(Metal Hammer, 1987-09-00)
He is back, and you'd better believe it. We should have known that when he got the bit between his teeth last year that he'd regain his love for the taste of blood....and act on it. And how we loved him for it. When Alice came over to the UK at the tail end of '86 with a brand new band, but with some 'Welcome To My Nightmare', his fans greeted him fanatically and the sense of anticipation was quite overwhelming. But there was also an apprehension over whether he could still pull it off on stage. 'Constrictor', the comeback album, had shown that he had lost none of his verve in the studio, but it was as a live performer that Alice was truly loved....
Reading Rules
(Metal Hammer, 1987-10-00)
The nightmare returns! Alice Cooper is back and, boy, is he mad. The album kicks off with a real piledriving anthem called 'Freedom', obviously penned with those dickheads at the PMRC in mind. The intensity of this song is almost frightening, and as you can tell when Alice screams the words "This ain't Russia" that he's pointing a two-fingered salute to those who would advocate censorship in rock. And rock's definitely what this album is. On another song, he's busy proclaiming "If you don't like it you can look me up", while Kane Roberts' guitar slashes like a razor....
Raise Up Your Legs And Tour
(Metal Hammer, 1987-11-12)
After the stupendous performance at the Reading Festival, British and European fans will have to wait until February of next year to see Alice Cooper perform again in this part of the world. A tour had been booked in for around this time of year, but was knocked on the head si that Alice could play a lengthy US schedule. He is now on the road there, having played his traditional Halloween show in Detroit, as well as unveiling a new show to take the place of the famous Nightmare Extravaganza. Can he beat that one? We'll see in February....
Bring Back The Noose
(Metal Hammer, 1987-12-10)
Crikey, they used to say that cats have nine lives but that's not a patch on Alice Cooper. Just when you think the guillotine's blade has dropped for the final time, the ghost of Alice always returns, bigger, bolder, stronger, and ultimately far more intimadating. But most wouldn't have it any other way! Now, in 1987, having brought the Reading Festival to a climatic finale, we are graced with a new album, 'Raise Your Fist And Yell', and the Fall sees Alice taking North America by storm on a staggering 93 date tour with a stage show that the Alice legend one step further in the realms of phantasmongoria....
Playlists
(Metal Hammer, 1987-12-31)
Alice Cooper seems almost certain to undertake a full European tour during April. Dates are expected to begin on April 1st in the UK and this will involve nine British shows (including Wembley Arena), followed by three weeks on the continent. The latter will include seven shows in Germany (in the areas of Hamberg, Frankfurt, Mannheim and Nurmberg plus gigs in Essen, Munich and Stuttgart). Alice has spent the last three months on tour in the states, and the time is now right to return to Europe, after his successful performance at last years Reading Festival. Fans will now have the opportunity of seeing the new stage show with Alice having abandoned the 'Nightmare' show as seen at Reading. We'll be bringing you those dates as soon as they are available. ...
'I WANNA BE ELECTED!' - On Tour With Alice Cooper
(Metal Hammer, 1988-03-28)
He wants to be elected, or does he? Following a radio interview in the states, it suddenly became front page news that Alice Cooper was going to stand for the post of Governor of Arizona! Of course, the whole thing was a complete misunderstanding, but it caused quite a stir, drawing more media men than usual to his recent US shows. With the old Gore-Hound now poised to begin a full UK tour (new stageshow, old habits), the big question is: will Alice put himself forward as a candidate for the 'Bring Back Hanging (For Everyone)' party, and if so it should certainly be interesting to check out his swingometer!...
Edinburgh Playhouse '88
(Metal Hammer, 1988-04-25)
As for Alice? The gig was in the bag before he left his dressing room (or should that read 'crypt'?!). He's not exactly breaking new ground these days, but when the crowd's forked out nine-and-a-half lager tokens per head, it's only fair to give them exactly what they want. And they got it all. Alice gets chased around by guys in bedsheets, Alice chops up his sindy doll, Alice gets his snake out (nudge, nudge), Alice chops the head off a passing monster. You want blood? You got it! Squirting Sam Peckinpah-style over the first few rows of happy-to-be-squirted-on fans. You just know these kids aren't going to wash tonight!...
Alice throttled
(Metal Hammer, 1988-05-23)
Alice Cooper had a bad experience on the last night of his Wembley dates when the safety device failed on the gallows which Alice uses to perform on stage. A shaken and shocked Alice had to be cut free from the noose which had tightened around his neck and he suffered severe bruising on his neck as a result of the accident. Needless to say the man is such a professional that he continued with the full show despite his injury....
Alice takes out the Trash
(Metal Hammer, 1989-05-29)
Alice Cooper's new record, entitled 'Trash', will be released by Epic records on July 3. Most of the album was written in the second half of last year by Cooper and Desmond Child (who also produced the record), but other co-writers included Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and Joan Jett. There are also guest appearances on the album from, amongst others, Kip Winger, Kane Roberts, Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Steve Tyler, Joe Perry, Joey Kramer, Tom Hamilton, Steve Lukather and 'hot new guitarist' Guy Mann-Dude....
Alice On His Way To Sexyland
(Metal Hammer, 1989-07-10)
And so Alice had finally escaped the twilight world of the demons, no longer followed by the dusky shadows, he was cleansed of blood and wine, and had laid down for a deep sleep underneath the tree of wisdom that stands in country called 'The Present Day'. And Alice slept for months and months, he even slept deeply for a whole year before awakening....
Alice Cooper's White Knuckle Ride
(Metal Hammer, 1989-08-21)
"I want to take the fans on a roller coaster ride".... Mr. Rock Horror show entertainer extraordinaire Alice Cooper told us some fascinating stories recently. He filled us in on some of the myths that follow him around and talked about his new LP 'Trash'. Alice: "My latest album is almost a return to the '70s I guess. My previous two albums were really angry heavy metal albums and now I have that out of my system I can go back to doing a much broader album - it has a broader sense but it's all very hard rock." ...
The Killing Of D. Mustaine
(Metal Hammer, 1989-10-16)
Musicians pour into this celebrated abode, as do actors when they arrive in Hollywood to find work in the city of the lost Angels. If they're working on records or films, they tend to stay here. Joey Tempest and Europe hung out here once! It was hot and smoggy. An open topped Ford was rolling towards the gates that cut the apartment block off from the outside world. The glass box was empty - normally there would have been a guy sitting in there keeping control of everything. There was a telephone inside and a guest list. No strangers can get in. At least in theory. In practice this was easy. There was no security man to be seen. But precautions have been taken. In an emergency, gates can be opened by a button from the car. The driver of the red car was planning to get in with the help of a little button. He is Toby Mamis, Alice Cooper's 'personal manager'. Edgar Klusener his passenger (that's me), watched and saw the wrong barrier open. So Edgar climbed over the foot-high concrete barrier onto the other side and opened the magic barrier....
Alice Auditions
(Metal Hammer, 1989-10-30)
Alice Cooper, master of gore, is touring the U.K. In December. The tour originally planned for the New Year has been brought forward in response to public demand. We spoke to Alice about his plans for the tour and why it had been brought forward. "There has been so much success with the album in Britain and Europe we thought we'd better come over soon! We were originally going to start in the States but when we saw how well it was all doing we decided to come right over with new show."...
Alice Trashes The Cathouse
(Metal Hammer, 1989-11-27)
Alice Cooper celebrated Halloween with style playing to a packed Cathouse in Los Angeles. It was something of a double celebration for the master of gore, Epic records had earlier in the day announced that his album 'Trash' had gone gold, exceeding 500,000 copies as of October 31st. The performance itself began suitably at midnight but had to be stopped at one point for appeals for calm as the crowd had been rushing the stage throughout the show. The show acted as a debut for his new band who will be touring later in the year. The line-up for the band ends months of speculation and rumours and is now made up of as follows: Guitars - Al Patrelli, and Pete Freezen, Bass - Tommy 'T-Bone' Caradonna, Drums - Jonathon Mover, Keyboards - Derek Sherinan. There were representatives from most of the big American bands present at the show including members of, Guns n' Roses, Poison, Winger, Cinderella, Ratt, Warrant, Megadeth and Bulletboys. ...
Alice Cooper Heavy Metal Bag Lady!
(Metal Hammer, 1989-12-27)
I'd expected to have to fight through writhing masses of Alice fans to get anywhere near the Marquee tonight. Instead, Charing Cross Road still seemed surprisingly unceremonial, if somewhat cleaner than usual - apparently some kind of trash-collecting procedure was on the cards. Mr. Nice Guy was helping keep Britian tidy. The dingy corridor inside was lined with a combination of shiny black bags bulging with central London debris and black-clad bulging humans huddled on the floor. 'Billion Dollar Babies' was blaring out of the speakers by the time I geared myself into squeezing to the bar....
Wembley '89
(Metal Hammer, 1990-01-15)
Alice is Alice is Alice is Alice. I have never seen Alice give a bad show and tonight is no exception. Complete with new band including shit hot guitarist Al Pitrelli (who worked with new Purple man Joe Lynn Turner earlier this year), the years seem not to touch his performance nor the enduring addictiveness of his songs. If you like 'Welcome To My Nightmare', it was there straight jacket, nurse and all. If you like the Desmond Child stuff like 'Bed Of Nails' or 'Poison' that was there too. The paranoid whips and chains phantasms which weave like polluted innocence from the stage, have the same compulsive repulsion as watching the best and worst in splattervision. 'No More Mr Nice Guy' leaves you wondering if there was a nice guy bit in the first place. Can you really imagine Alice Cooper loving anyone enough to give them his last Rolo? Not a chance of it matey!...
Live on Stage
(Metal Hammer, 1990-01-29)
The famous 'trash collective' from Arizona arrived on stage straight from his tour bus and was welcomed with a storm of applause and the large number of American Gi's in the crowd stood up to cheer him. Alice Cooper played one of the most impressive live sets I have ever witnessed....
Trash, Sex, AIDS And Rock Among The Kangaroos
(Metal Hammer, 1990-05-21)
"I can't reach the guys anywhere, I've tried both the office and his home." Then came a crackle in the line followed by an atmospheric hissing. It was about 8.30 a.m. European time. In Australia it was already 4.30 p.m. late afternoon. Alice Cooper was sitting miles away in his hotel room in Brisbane holding the 'phone in astonishment, wondering why the caller at the other end was taking such a long time. His telephone partner was sitting at the breakfast table and nearly falling asleep. He was holding the receiver pressed firmly against right earlobe and trying hard to understand what the originally quoted message in true Aussie English could possible have to do with himself and Alice. The maestro and the journalist had talked together for ten minutes over enitire continents, connected only by a very thin cable. Then all of a sudden a surprise ghost voice interrupted the conversation and the phone connection stretching across the globe was suddenly gone. The witer used the enforced break to pour himself a cup of black coffee which was by now the third cup....
Alice Cooperman To The Rescue!!
(Metal Hammer, 1990-08-13)
It was a boiling hot day and the skies looked like something from a picture post card. Ahhh but these were the best conditions for an Alice Cooper open ir festival in the South German town Neunkirchen near the French border. Although there were only about 6,000 metal heads congregated there on a tropical Saturday (despite the fact the stadium could easily have taken 35,000 fans) the mood was elation from the start. Hundreds of scantily clad guys and gals were showing off their naked bods, there was no aggressive behaviour nor was there any excessive boozing all day - the weekend holiday sunshine mood had mellowed everyone....
Alice Cooper: Hey Stoopid!
(Metal Hammer, 1991-00-00)
"HEY STOOPID!" If you hear that aggressive shout echoing down the streets for the next few months, don't go looking for a fight. It's only Alice Cooper, hitting back with a provocative new anthem that threatens to re-enact the glories of past hits like 'School's Out'. 'Hey Stoopid' is the anti-teenage suicide song that is the title track off a new album that is packed with guests stars like Slash from Guns N'Roses, and Nikki Sixx and Mick Mars from Motley Crue. It's a great, exciting performance as we heard when we met the man at the Hollywood studio where he has been working hard with top session players and producer Peter Collins for the past few months....
Alice Cooper on Censorship and Politics
(Metal Hammer, 1991-06-00)
When my sensational and gory shows first appeared in the seventies, they featured me hanging, being decapitated, and hacking up baby dolls! But I never really ran into strong opposition or the kind of censorship that now threatens rock, particularly in the States....
Hey Stoopid
(Metal Hammer, 1991-08-00)
Welcome to my nightmare. I naively hoped that Alice would have forgotten about the Child-ish choruses of 'Trash' and gone back to being the nasty Alice we all knew and revered. But of course he wasn't going to turn down the chance of emulating the massive success of 'Trash' was he? Ooooh, nooo... Looking at the writing credits for most of the material on this album, you can see why 'Hey Stoopid' sounds like a cheap imitation of what Alice should be. On all the songs except 'Dangerous Tonight', three or more writers have been used, all the way up to six on 'Snakebite'. The net result of this is a watered down soup of cliche-ridden American rock music with the added bonus of Alice Cooper's distinctive voice growling over the top. Lest we forget of course, there is the additional incentive for punters to buy the album of having a sprinkling of rock's royalty guesting on various songs: Ozzy Osbourne, Slash, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Vinnie Moore and Mick Mars, Nikki Six (plus a cast of thousands)... ...
Operation Rock 'n' Roll
(Metal Hammer, 1991-09-00)
The stormtroopers of the Rock world marched into Salt Lake City carrying enough equipment to make any army nervous quartermaster proud. Metal Hammer was there in Salt Lake City and Los Angeles when the first shots were fired on 'Operation Rock 'n' Roll - The mother of all tours.'...
Alice Cooper Live Loaded
(Metal Hammer, 1991-10-00)
Alice Cooper issued a warning to Death Metal bands, analysed his own power to shock and talked about jamming with Heavy Metal heroes in a revealing interview with Tom Russel just before another 'Operation Rock'n'Roll' show with Judas Priest and Motorhead on their power packed U.S. tour....
Quote
(Metal Hammer, 1991-11-00)
ALICE COOPER "I used to think that the banning years were over. I don't really get any more and I kinda miss it. I wish we would get banned! Parents still hide their children in airports, which I'm proud of. Being notorious is great. I'd much rather be a villian than a hero!."...
News Report
(Metal Hammer, 1991-12-00)
Alice Cooper kept himself busy on his recent visit to the UK shores we understand. Apart from attending various fashion shows on the look-out for interesting lines in leather jackets, he apparently insisted on going to visit the Cadbury's chocolate factory, as he's a big fan of their wares. Does this mean that we can expect a range of Alice related sweeties? Can you imagine biting into some Alice Yum Yums or some fruit and snake chockie bars?...
The Six Card Hammer
(Metal Hammer, 1992-01-00)
Alice Cooper is the godfather of rock, but is he the baby killing danger to mankind of legend? He's certainly a mean poker player, as Metal Hammer's Peter Burtz found out - on the road in Germany with Alice. 22 October. In the late afternoon the security guards at the airport raise their eyebrows. A suspicious character clad in black leather jacket and denim, his long hair hidden under a baseball cap, is passing through customs. One glare from this guy and small children run to their mums. Alice Cooper has landed! If we didn't know better we'd expect to see this sinister creature in a coffin during daylight hours instead of a brightly lit airport lounge. ...
Concert Review
(Metal Hammer, 1992-02-00)
After riding the long Jubilee Line tube to Wembley Park and running the gauntlet of ticket touts and fans desperate to buy our tickets, we got to Wembley Arena in time for a good position, a couple of rows away from the stage. The Almight ripped into their set fairly impressively, with Ricky's storming vocals blazing the trail, but it soon became clear that their style needs more work. They need more variety in their songs before they can show off their obvious talents to better effect. ...
The Last Temptation Of Alice
(Metal Hammer, 1994-05-00)
Legendary goremeister Alice Cooper makes his return to the scene with the release of a new album, 'The Last Temptation', through Epic Records on June 6. It's his first album since1991's 'Hey Stoopid'. A Single, 'Lost In America', will be released on May 16. Described by Cooper as 'bare bones Stooges', 'Lost In America' tells of the dissolution of American society. "This guy hasn't got a girl because he hasn't got a car, and he hasn't got a job because he hasn't got a car, and he hasn't got an education because he hasn't got a gun and he'd not feel safe in school with out one," says Cooper. "What a statement on America that is!"...
Oh fuck... It's Alice!
(Metal Hammer, 1994-06-00)
THE title of Alice Cooper's new album, 'The Last Temptation', is an apt one on this particular occasion. Video shoots are invariably tedious events to attend, and the growing temptation is to do a runner from the soundstage where Alice is shooting the video for 'Lost In America', the track that is to mark Alice's re-emergence after almost three years out of the spotlight. Having taken the opportunity to arrive at the early hour of 10 am in the hope of beating the press posse to the draw and getting out early, having initially defer to the video crew is the start of what stretches out into a long and increasingly frustrating wait....
Tape That!
(Metal Hammer, 1994-08-00)
1.The Beach Boys 'I Get Around' "When I was a kid, that was the ultimate dream - to have your own car, have your friends and just cruise the streets. There are certain songs that still stand up after all these years. You hear them on the radio and you just turn it up, really crank it. What I judge a song on is that if I get in the car and hear it on the radio, I turn it up. 'I Get Around' is one like that."...
News Report
(Metal Hammer, 1995-07-00)
That enduring rocker and one-man sustainer of the eyeliner industry Alice Cooper has split from his record label, Epic, and is rumoured to be set to sign a new deal with Hollywood Records, whose company president is Alice's old A&R man from Epic. Meanwhile, work is continuing on the three-disc boxed set being put together in conjunction with his original label, Warner Bros. Alice (or Vincent Furnier as he is named on his passport and his old school reports) will also be contributing a track to a forthcoming tribute album to deceased one-time Beatle John Lennon....
Classiks
(Metal Hammer, 1995-11-00)
With someone whose been making music - ranging from great, through indifferent to downright dreadful - for 25 years, it can't have been easy to put together this Best Of collection, more because of what to leave off it than what to put on it. Sadly, the compilers appear to have taken an easy route; the hot singles of recent years ('Poison', 'Hey Stoopid', 'Love's A Loaded Gun') are here at the expense of lesser-known but far more classic Cooper tracks; and his most familiar songs - arguably the real classics, from the '70s; ( 'Under My Wheels', 'Billion Dollar Babies', 'School's Out' ....) - are represented by live versions that tend to suggest that in most cases the term 'classic' applies to the track (ie a particular recording of a song) rather than to the song itself. ...
Letter From Los Angeles
(Metal Hammer, 1996-06-00)
Alice Cooper has just been confirmed as opening act for the Scorpions' US tour, marking the first time Alice has accepted an opening slot for many years. It also signifies how insecure the Scorpions are feeling, when they have to take on a support act of the stature of Alice Cooper, who will obviously have made demands on a much greater scale than any new band desperate for a chance to open for the Scorps, and will have had them granted or he wouldn't have accepted the slot....
A Fistful Of Alice
(Metal Hammer, 1997-07-00)
Rock legend Alice Cooper has announced his first UK tour since 1991 to promote a recently released, new, live, greatest hits record called 'A Fistful Of Alice', which features appearances from Rob Zombie (singing on 'Elected' and 'Feed My Frankenstein'), ex-Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash (who plays on 'Under My Wheels') and former Van Halen vocalist Sammy Hagar, who owns theCabo Wabo club in Mexico where the album was recorded....
Concert Review: Glasgow Barrowlands
(Metal Hammer, 1997-09-00)
So Alice returns... again. With this, the latest in a long line of stunning resurections, rock's greatest golfer and Vincent Price obsessive is back in business for the umpteenth time, but now with a decidedly notable twist in the tail, as the godhead of theatrical rock takes his 'strictly no frills' show on an intimate tour of Blighty's smaller halls. So, no gallows, no guillotine and no electric chair, but by and large, it's a ploy that plays off handsomely, meaning that the close-up capacity crowd are more than up for whatever delights the master cares to lay on them. ...
Concert Review
(Metal Hammer, 1998-07-00)
Roll up! Roll up! Witness the circus macabre - marvel at the slick showmanship, gasp at the cod theatrics and thrill at the unmitigated spectacle of one of rock's great drama queens playing demon ringmaster in a real rock and roll extravaganza. Rumour had it that this sinister circus concept had actually little changed from last year's appearance at the Astoria, when the faithful turned yo by the thousands to worship at the temple of Alice. According to various sources, however, those performances were positively minimalist compared to the excess on show now....
Life and Crimes of Alice Cooper Album Review
(Metal Hammer, 1999-06-00)
Ageing rock stars used to contend themselves with staring bleary-eyed into the remains of last night's bourbon, perennially reminding the barflies that they once meant something somewhere. But times have changed. Old rock stars now make continual comebacks and release box sets. Well, it helps prop up the pension fund. Now, let's be honest. Most box sets either don't do the artist in question justice, or else show that the subject has, in fact been over-valued. But with 'The Life And Crimes.' neither is the case. This is just stunning. ...
Humanary Stew Album Review
(Metal Hammer, 1999-08-00)
DO people actually buy tribute albums? Or are they all far too happy listening to the real thing? It's one question I've never been able to figure out, but given the abundance of the things that have appeared of late, I guess there must be something to it. One problem with tribute albums is frequently the players themselves (i.e., too paltry a selection of nobodies). That's not the case with this Alice Cooper tribute....
Alice Gets Brutal
(Metal Hammer, 2000-01-00)
Alice Cooper will appear in upcoming psychological horror movie The Attic Expeditions. He will star alongside Jeffrey Combs, Ted Raimi, Seth Green, Beth Bates and Shannon Hart Clearly in the movie, which will be directed by Jeremy Kasten. ...
The Brutal Truth
(Metal Hammer, 2000-07-00)
A legend on the rock scene for over 30 years, Alice Cooper ain't done yet. As he tell Daniel Oliveire, with new album 'Brutal Planet' he aims to prove he still has that essential hunger. "We're the true dinosaurs," says rock legend Alice Cooper, comparing himself to Steven Tyler, Ozzy Osbourne, Gene Simmons and other rock legends. "And I don't mind being a dinosaur. When people say: 'Alice is a dinosaur.' I go: 'Great!' Dinosaurs were pretty nasty. Dinosaurs were still killing people until the very last day!"...
The Story Behind...
(Metal Hammer, 2010-08-00)
IT WAS 1975. The year Led Zeppelin released Physical Graffiti, Thin Lizzy rocked things up with Fighting and UFO released Force It. It was the year that Motorhead and the Sex Pistols formed. And with glam rock an ever-fading force, Alice Cooper went solo and recorded the album of his career. ...
Got Any Make-Up Tips?
(Metal Hammer, 2021-03-00)
FOR THE BUSIEST man in rock, the past year has been a testing time. Forced to stay at home away from the touring cycles he's spent 50 years in, Alice Cooper has used COVID quarantine to craft his new album, Detroit Stories...