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Album Review: Alice Cooper - Welcome 2 My Nightmare - Female First

12 September 2011

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Shock-rock legend and pioneer Alice Cooper is back with Welcome 2 My Nightmare, a wonderfully camp and theatrical album with the Cooper bite we've come to expect.

The album sees Alice really embrace the character he created, leaving his tongue firmly in cheek for tracks like the cabaret-influenced 'Last Man On Earth'.

It's camp, but still packs a punch with tracks like 'Runaway Train', carried by Cooper's undeniable charisma.

His humour couldn't be clearer from song titles like 'Disco Bloodbath Boogie Fever' and 'Bite Your Face Off'.

The former is a brilliant satirical take on the current club-scene.

Yet, these songs still have an edge to them, and Welcome 2 My Nightmare is a fitting sequal to its 1975 namesake.

The album is as diverse as it is catchy, managing to be a fantastic record without taking itself too seriously.

Known for his outrageous live show, Welcome 2 My Nightmare gives some of that experience on record, a testament to the energy of these tracks.

Songs like 'Ghouls Gone Wild' is a great punk-influenced tune with a Beach Boys-esque melody tying it all together.

The album is also noteworthy for a couple of appearances from the original Alice Cooper Band.

Perhaps the strangest guest spot goes to KE$HA, who Cooper has publically praised.

As far as these kinds of collabrations go, it's not on the same level as Slash and Fergie's partnership on 2010's 'Beautiful Dangerous', but it doesn't stick out as offensive or too out of place.

The standard version of the album ends wonderfully on an epic note with 'The Underture', a glorious instrumental track that manages to be grand and engaging.

A cover of The Animals' 'We Gotta Get Out of This Place' and two live recordings from this year's Download Festival round off the Deluxe Edition in a decent way.

Welcome 2 My Nightmare is another exciting chapter in Alice Cooper's illustrious career.

More than anything, this is a fun,, theatrical?album that backs it up with brilliant and diverse song-writing.

It's impressive that, after so long, Alice can still surprise people and put out an album of such a high quality.

Female First - Alistair McGeorge