Alice Cooper
Dragontown

THE REVIEW

If “Brutal Planet” (2000) had effectively showcased the atrocities of a world left orphaned without values and feelings, “Dragontown” takes on more intimate connotations: while employing elaborate technologies, this album stands out for a passionate and immersive sound close to the superb “The Last Temptation” (1994).

With this album, Alice takes us by the hand and guides us to discover the city of the dragon, the beating heart of the brutal planet, a place where our anxieties, fears, and apprehensions take shape, confronting us face to face. Listening to “Dragontown” we delve into the deepest depths of the human soul, in search of the creatures that have turned this planet into a sphere of hatred adrift in the geometries of the universe. The fresco painted by Alice, therefore, assumes the grandeur of works buried by time like “Welcome to my Nightmare” (1975) and “From the Inside” (1978), projecting its ironic and ghostly spirit into a future populated by an artificial humanity. The well-oiled Ezrin–Marlette duo in the control room offers us a clear sound and an impeccable rendering of the instruments, trimming down the technological baggage and giving more space to guitar and drums.

“Triggerman”, another potential hit-single crafted by the illusionist from Detroit, is simply magnificent: the filtered vocals in the opening and the guitar interplay of Ryan Roxie and Wayne Swinny perfectly enhance the entire melodic structure of the composition. The dark atmospheres of “Deeper” open the doors to “Dragontown”, the title track and yet another jewel crafted by our artist; followed closely by the decadent tableau painted by “Sex, Death and Money” which outlines a sharp songwriting, linking back to what the American rocker proposed in “Billion Dollar Babies” (1974). The subsequent “Fantasy Man” recalls the golden era of platters like “Trash” (1989) and “Hey Stoopid” (1991), while “Somewhere In The Jungle” is enjoyable but doesn’t leave an indelible mark on the listener.
Continuing further, one can further appreciate the genius of this artist who is all too underrated: from Alice’s sick mind emerges the cyber–boogie “Disgraceland”, a unique, magical, simply exceptional piece in which Mr. Furnier sarcastically pays tribute to the rock n' roll icon Elvis Presley. Moving on, we encounter another song of remarkable depth like “Sister Sara”, characterized by a rather unsettling rap interlude, and an ideal continuation of what Cooper said in “Nurse Rozetta”, a song from the “From The Inside” album from 1978. “Every Woman Has a Name” is the indispensable delicate and persuasive ballad, while “It's much Too late” draws heavily from the '70s repertoire, approaching the style of the more carefree John Lennon. “I Just Wanna Be God”, on the other hand, takes on the disturbing connotations of a devastating remnant of the blind fury unleashed in “Brutal Planet” (2000), to which the concluding “The Sentinel” is also connected. By the end of listening to this album, the urge to start over is very strong…

In 2002, the artist from Detroit is still one of the few musicians who can astonish audiences without disrespecting them: ”Dragontown” represents the contemporary Alice Cooper, one of the few rockers around with the courage to renew himself without distorting his origins or lying to himself. (Enrico Rosticci)

TRACK LIST:

01) TRIGGERMAN
02) DEEPER
03) DRAGONTOWN
04) SEX, DEATH AND MONEY
05) FANTASY MAN
06) SOMEWHERE IN THE JUNGLE
07) DISGRACELAND
08) SISTER SARA
09) EVERY WOMAN HAS A NAME
10) I JUST WANNA BE GOD
11) IT’S MUCH TOO LATE
12) THE SENTINEL