๐ฐ๏ธ 52 Years in the Making: The Coop Calls the Originals Back from the Crypt
โWhatโs occurring?โ you ask. Well, mun, Alice Cooper just broke the internet (and probably a few eyeliner pencils) with the announcement that heโs recording a brand-new album with his original band โ the same twisted crew that dragged shock rock kicking and screaming into the mainstream back in the early โ70s.
Thatโs right โ Michael Bruce (guitar), Dennis Dunaway (bass), Neal Smith (drums), and of course Alice himself (vocals, theatrics, blood-splattered top hats). For the first time since Muscle of Love in 1973, these four will be back in the studio together, summoning riffs from the grave. ๐ชฆโก
Itโs been a long road: five decades of solo success, guillotines, golf courses, Hollywood Vampires, and eyeliner thicker than a Greggs sausage roll. But somehow, in 2025, weโre about to get the sequel nobody thought possible. And fans? Weโre tamping with excitement! ๐
๐ถ A Brief (and Bloody) History of the Original Alice Cooper Band
Before Alice became the golf-playing, eyeliner-rocking solo icon, he was fronting a proper band called Alice Cooper โ a bunch of misfits from Phoenix who wanted to out-weird the hippies and out-rock the Stones.
- Early Days (1964โ1968): Originally calling themselves The Earwigs, then The Spiders, then The Nazz (before Todd Rundgren nicked the name). They were a high school garage band with more eyeliner than budget.
- Becoming Alice Cooper: By 1968, the lads rebranded as Alice Cooper. And yes, contrary to myth, Alice isnโt a real witch from Salem โ it was a name they thought sounded innocent and creepy at the same time. Tidy idea, actually.
- Frank Zappaโs Embrace: Signed to Zappaโs Straight Records, their first albums (Pretties for You and Easy Action) wereโฆ letโs be kindโฆ experimental. Think more psychedelic chaos than the shock rock theyโre known for.
- Breakthrough: The game-changer came with producer Bob Ezrin and 1971โs Love It to Death, featuring โIโm Eighteen.โ Suddenly, Alice wasnโt just scaring your nan โ he was storming the charts.
By 1973, the band were megastars, dropping โSchoolโs Out,โ โNo More Mr. Nice Guy,โ and โBillion Dollar Babiesโ like they were sweets at a Bridgend funfair. Their stage shows? Guillotines, snakes, blood, baby dolls โ a pantomime of pure chaos.
Only in rock โnโ roll, munโฆ ๐ฉธ
๐ The Split: When Alice Went Solo (Without Really Going Solo)
Hereโs the kicker: The band didnโt break up in flames โ more like in eyeliner smudges. After Muscle of Love (1973), things got messy. Touring burned them out, egos clashed, and Alice โ with Bob Ezrin and manager Shep Gordon โ leaned into going โsolo.โ
Exceptโฆ when Alice Cooper โwent soloโ in 1975 with Welcome to My Nightmare, he still had Ezrin, Gordon, and basically the same creative DNA. It just didnโt have the original band lads backing him.
From then on, Alice was Alice Cooper the person, not Alice Cooper the band. And while Alice thrived, the OG members pursued other projects:
- Dennis Dunaway jammed with Blue Coupe.
- Neal Smith drummed in Billion Dollar Babies.
- Michael Bruce played guitar in various outfits.
All talented. All a bit overlooked compared to Aliceโs solo superstardom.
โก The Reunion Sparks: Small Flames Before the Fire
This isnโt the first time Alice has flirted with the Originals since the split.
- 1997: The original lineup reunited for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.
- 2010s: Alice started bringing them onstage for select shows. Neal, Dennis, and Michael even appeared on a few tracks across albums like Paranormal (2017).
- 2020s: Every so often, rumours swirled. Fans whispered: โWill we ever get a proper Alice Cooper BAND album again?โ
Well, buttโฆ the whispers just got turned into screams. ๐ค
๐ฉ The Big Announcement: 2025 Brings the Band Back from the Dead
Alice officially announced that he and the original band are recording a full-length album together. Not just one or two tracks. Not just a cheeky cameo. An album.
He teased that it will:
- Blend the classic Alice Cooper theatrical sound with new twists.
- Feature brand-new songs (not dusty demos from the โ70s).
- Be โdangerous, funny, and very, very Alice.โ
Imagine Billion Dollar Babies having a pint with Welcome to My Nightmare, and youโre halfway there. ๐ท๏ธ
๐ค Why This Matters: Shock Rockโs Full Circle
For fans, this isnโt just nostalgia. Itโs history catching up with itself. The Alice Cooper band didnโt just make music โ they invented the template for every theatrical rock act to follow.
- KISS? They nicked Aliceโs blood-and-theatrics playbook.
- Marilyn Manson? Straight out of Aliceโs horror-punk nursery.
- Ghost? Swap the makeup for ghouls and youโve got the same DNA.
Having the Originals back in the coffin (so to speak) ties the bow on a story 52 years unfinished.
And letโs face it โ how many bands can say theyโve gone half a century before making a sequel? This is basically the Blade Runner 2049 of rock โnโ roll.
๐ง Fan Hopes: What Could Be on the Album?
Hereโs what fans (and us at The Riff Report) are dreaming of:
- Raw Garage Rock Energy: Back to the basement vibes of Love It to Death.
- Creepy Storytelling: Think Killer and Welcome to My Nightmare.
- Modern Production, Old Soul: With Bob Ezrin rumoured to hover around, it could be both slick and sinister.
- A Live Tour? Dare we dream the Originals on the road again? Alice has hinted at special shows, but at their age (and Aliceโs golf schedule), weโll see.
Either way, expect riffs, guillotines, and a few raised eyebrows from confused grandkids: โGrandad, whatโs with the snake?โ ๐
๐ด The Riff Report Verdict: Proper Job, Coop!
Only Alice Cooper could pull this off. Half a century later, heโs giving us one last slice of OG shock rock history.
As we say in Wales: โTidy!โ This isnโt just an album โ itโs a time machine. The eyeliner is thicker, the riffs nastier, and the stories wilder.
Alice once sang โSchoolโs Out Forever.โ Turns out, schoolโs back in session โ and class is in blood-splattered session. ๐ฉ๐
๐ค Final Shout: What Do You Think, Rockers?
Are you buzzing for the Alice Cooper Bandโs first album in 52 years? Which classic should it live up to โ Killer, Schoolโs Out, or Billion Dollar Babies? Or do you just want to see Alice swinging a guillotine at 77 years old?
Drop your thoughts below, butt โ this oneโs for the history books. ๐ค๐
