Music review: Hollywood Vampires – 鈥楻ise鈥�
I was recently visiting Los Angeles when I heard the news that another album was forthcoming by the Hollywood Vampires. I immediately made it a priority to visit the Sunset Strip to see the legendary Rainbow Bar and Grill where Alice Cooper would regularly join notable artists like Keith Moon, Harry Nilsson, Micky Dolenz and Ringo Starr for lengthy evenings of drink and overindulgence during the 1970s that earned them the name Hollywood Vampires.
In 2015, Cooper would call his newly formed supergroup by the same name as a tribute.
The Hollywood Vampires return and welcome a new cast of characters from Cooper鈥檚 nightmarish mind on the supergroup鈥檚 second release.
With 鈥淩ise,鈥� Cooper, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry and actor-guitarist Johnny Depp deliver a searing set of original tracks as well as three engaging covers.
Depp impressively handles the lead vocals on David Bowie鈥檚 鈥淗eroes鈥� and the Jim Carroll Band鈥檚 鈥淧eople Who Died,鈥� whereas Perry takes the microphone to deliver an adequate version of Johnny Thunders鈥� 鈥淵ou Can鈥檛 Put Your Arms Around a Memory.鈥�
While these performances are entertaining, make no mistake that Cooper鈥檚 sinister vocals and commanding presence are the band鈥檚 lifeblood.
鈥淚 Want My Now鈥� opens the set with a gritty guitar introduction reminiscent of classic Aerosmith that is followed by Cooper ominously singing, 鈥淚 want a crown, I wanna reign/I wanna be a royal pain/And I want it now.鈥�
Cooper鈥檚 at his chilling best on the menacing 鈥淲ho鈥檚 Laughing Now鈥� and the villainous 鈥淭he Boogieman Surprise.鈥�
鈥淢r. Spider鈥� continues the dark and devilish themes first highlighted on Cooper鈥檚 鈥淭he Black Widow鈥� from 1975鈥檚 鈥淲elcome to My Nightmare鈥� and then again on 2008鈥檚 鈥淎long Came a Spider.鈥�
Cooper attempts to rally the disgruntled masses on 鈥淲e Gotta Rise.鈥� Sounding like a political candidate, Cooper enthusiastically returns to the campaign mode earlier unleashed on 1973鈥檚 鈥淓lected.鈥�
鈥淲elcome to Bushwackers鈥� features appearances by Jeff Beck and John Waters and aptly conveys the band鈥檚 rabble-rousing attitude as Cooper sings, 鈥淣obody tells me what to say, nobody tells me what to do/I drank your bar tab dry last night and I clipped your wallet, too.鈥�
鈥淐ongratulations鈥� closes the set and serves as an anthem of survival with Cooper confessing, 鈥淭he dark looks for me and can鈥檛 understand/How I slipped right through its fingers.鈥�
The band currently has a limited set of tour dates announced. With Pittsburgh not on the list, area fans can still catch Cooper co-headlining with Halestorm on July 19 at KeyBank Pavilion.
Clint Rhodes is the 缅北禁地 music reviewer. He can be reached at clinton43@me.com.