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The first thing you notice
gawking at Alice's new album is the "black" is back…
as in the black face paint he first made famous all those years
ago. This creation that is "Alice Cooper" who
paved the way for so many of those artistically inclined showmen
to follow shows no signs of slowing and in fact one of the few
who've actually intensified with age, redefining himself, his
work and all the nightmares and bizarre images that go with it.
"Dragontown" is a
place… a dark place reserved for the fallen angels and those
martyred from habitual deceit, bred from idol worship, and yet
many names and faces held dear to so many for so long, well,
nothing's ever as it seems in Alice's world.
The latest in the trilogy
first begun with 1994's "Last Temptation," followed by
the unlikely bombast of "Brutal Planet" several years
later, "Dragontown" paints the final portrait in jet
black, the final piece of the concept born of violence, vice and
corruption in a material world gone awry. The tale begins and
ends here while the journey draws you in, as a listener, still
in awe of the capabilities by this man possessed. Where
"Brutal Planet" was a pulverizing mix of riff-driven
explosiveness, "Dragontown" employs elements of both,
considerably darker, deeper and more tempestuous.
"Triggerman,"
begins the tale of woe in an immediate downward spiral,
rhythmically, lyrically-self-explanatory and half the fun is
following along the words, but for our abbreviated purposes, the
chorus will do: "I am the Triggerman, I am the underhand,
I'm full of dirty tricks, I'm twice as smart and certainly twice
as sick…" In its entirety, "Triggerman" offers
an impressive opening, is surprisingly up-tempo, throws catchy
arrangements and inarguably, the perfect song to lock your doors
to.
"Deeper" churns
along in a much eerier manner, completely offsetting the agility
of its predecessor. This one will give you nightmares
before you've had even a moment to raise your hands in prayer…
"Dragontown" as
the title track is among the most impressive, starting off with
an apocalyptic approach. You might well convey an image of
purgatory the further along this one plays -- and here's where
the concept, loosely based as it may be, unfolds, and like a
quick strike of the sword, it's upon us…
Sound-wise, the production on
this record is more refined than the last, the formula remaining
in a much clearer mix -- noteworthy of the production job of
industry vets Marlette and Ezrin -- the electronic stimulus
continues its sinister handiwork giving extra emphasis to this
parallel universe Mr. Cooper so aptly conjures.
"Dragontown's" another
inspired creation from a twisted mind never at rest, never at
peace, still capably shocking, purposefully relevant and oddly
mistakable-see "Disgraceland's" Rockabilly
"tribute" to the vaulted one during the latter
stages-"Dragontown," an album destined for greatness
and appreciable longevity.
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| Artist |
Alice Cooper |
| Title |
Dragontown |
| Label |
Spitfire
Records |
| Reviewer |
Vinnie Apicella |
| Rating |
 |
|
 |
| website |
Alice
Cooper Home Site |
| win stuff |
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