Alice Cooper Road is the twenty-second solo and overall twenty-ninth studio album by American rock musician Alice Cooper, released through Earmusic on August 25, 2023. it is recorded live in the studio by Cooper and his touring band—guitarists Nita Strauss, Ryan Roxie and Tommy Henriksen, bassist Chuck Garric and drummer Glen Sobel. Alice Cooper Road was announced on June 14, 2023, alongside the release of the lead single “I’m Alice” which was followed by the album’s second single, “White Line Frankenstein” (featuring Tom Morello), on July 19, 2023, and the album’s third single, “Welcome to the Show” on August 8, 2023. Cooper will promote the album with a tour of US stadium shows supporting Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard in August, followed by a co-headlining tour with Rob Zombie into September.
On the Road Again
Not surprisingly, when you hear about the release of new material from Alice Cooper you assume the songs will be well-crafted, executed, recorded and mixed. You assume also the songs will possess tons of catchy melodies and hooks and plenty of the raw wit and “sobering observation” we’ve come to expect from the Cooper exegesis.
Furthermore, Cooper always surrounds himself with the best rock musicians (and longtime friend Bob Ezrin) in the world. If guitar phenom Nita Strauss isn’t enough, you’ve got Ryan Moxie and Tommy Henriksen on guitars, and Chuck Carric on bass. And drummer extraordinaire Glen Sobel (who has played with Impellitteri) has been with Cooper for how many years now? His playing is dynamic, explosive and precise.
As to Road, it is all those things and more, yet this one has many throwback moments to the ‘70’s and 80’s material – with the exception of a few songs, Road is a good ‘ole fashioned Rock ‘n’ Roll, tongue-in-cheek record. However, the thread of more “day-to-day” elements of “life on the road” winds through all these tracks. Even the cover song of The Who’s “Magic Bus” is a fitting “encore” of sorts.