Alice Cooper
Constrictor

THE REVIEW

If we have Marilyn Manson in the world, we somewhat owe it to Alice Cooper. He was the prototype of musical irreverence, he, the most famous snake charmer in the world, was the first to use death as a mockery.

This "grotesque demon", especially in the '70s and '80s, without taking anything away from the works from the '90s to today, has gifted the world many albums, convincing and disappointing, scandalizing everyone and everything. A rock 'n' roll, halfway between hard and commercial heavy, which at times recalls the sounds of the late AC/DC, at times those of Bon Jovi and Van Halen. A simple and immediate musical formula.

We are in the full '80s, and the boom of heavy metal seems to consign Alice to the oblivion of forgotten artists. During this period, we recall "Special Forces" and "Zipper Catches Skin", which didn't take off much in front of the ever-advancing Metal beast. "Constrictor" represents a partial recovery, where Alice explores classic Heavy sounds, without ever losing his Rock 'n' Roll vein and his proverbial irreverence, tangible from the album's artwork.
Credit for the album's success also goes to the guitarist-bodybuilder Kane Roberts, who composed much of the final work. Alice is in perfect sync with these new sounds, fully demonstrated by tracks like "Teenage Frankenstein", "Give It Up!", and "Thrill My Gorilla". Granite riffs, simple and immediate choruses. "Life And Death Of The Party" is almost a semi-ballad, which doesn't stray too far from the previously adopted patterns. An enjoyable track, enhanced by the use of acoustic interludes. "Simple Disobedience" sounds like a '70s disco dance song, and perhaps for this reason, it doesn't excite too much, remaining anonymous. The pace picks up with the subsequent "The World Needs Guts", where we have a simple and sharp riffing. "Trick Bag", "Crawlin'", and "The Great American Success Story" do not present particular innovations, enjoyable tracks without too much musical exploration, effective in their commerciality. The album closes with the theme of the sixth film in the "Friday The 13th" series, namely "He's Back (The Man Behind The Mask)", more electronic than the others, heavily reminiscent of '70s dance (as with "Simple Disobedience").

A good album for a band, or an artist if you like, that, for better or worse or both, has given great moments, almost always remaining at the center of attention thanks to a winning and effective formula. After all, this is "The worst band in Los Angeles".