Artist: Cooper, Alice
Label: Eagle Records
Release: 2000
His first album with his new label Eagle/Spitfire Records, the first album of the new millennium, the first album to come after 30 years of making music, the first album set in the future, sci-fi, or rather the brutal future of our planet (hence the album’s title), the first album recorded digitally, the first with an industrial metal sound, and an album that continues the trilogy begun in 1994. Definitely an album packed with novelties and surprises, and one that left a big, positive mark on his career.
Brutal Planet, the opening track of the self-titled album, is the perfect song to sum up the whole record. A punchy hard rock tune with futuristic lyrics about our cruel planet. The lyrics of the next track, Wicked Young Man, keep the darkness going, with passages that have even more metal patterns and vocals to match. Sanctuary is another great track with a bit more emphasis on the lyrics and vocals, but with a killer, hard-hitting backing. Tracks like Blow Me A kiss, Eat Some more, Pessi-Mystic and Cold Machines carry on the album’s trend. For all the brutality, the album doesn’t lack a Cooper-style ballad, and that’s Take It Like A Woman. Only Gimme was released as a single, which doesn’t differ much from the other tracks, but it was inspired by the film Devil’s Advocate, which you can see in the music video too. The video shows the greed for money and fame in the guise of miserable boy bands. Pick Up The Bones is one of the album’s better tracks, just as metal-tinged as the rest, the kind of song that gives you goosebumps when you crank it up, thanks to both the melody and the lyrics. The song went down great at the concerts, just like the others, but for me at least it was the best one.
The success of the tour was further helped along by It’s The Little Things, a fast-paced song that was getting radio play at the time. It’s one of four tracks, along with Brutal Planet, Gimme and Blow Me A Kiss, that managed to make it onto the airwaves, though here at home we’d be happy with just one.
An album of 11 tracks (plus a PC screensaver) is definitely one of his better ones and rightfully carries the title Brutal Planet. It seems that his brutality and metal grow with the years, and his knack for writing great lyrics and putting on live shows remain areas where nobody else comes close.
Lineup
Alice Cooper – vocals
Ryan Roxie – guitar
China – guitar
Phil X – guitar
Eric Singer – drums
Bob Marlette:
Guitar, bass guitar, keyboards
Production
Bob Marlette
Track list
1. Brutal Planet
2. Wicked Young Man
3. Sanctuary
4. Blow Me A Kiss
5. Eat Some More
6. Pick Up The Bones
7. Pessi-Mystic
8. Gimme
9. It’s The Little Things
10. Take It Like A Woman
11. Cold Machines
Album length: 48:06
