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Studio Report - Alice Cooper

Alice Cooper releases a new album, 'Brutal Planet' on June 5 (through Eagle). An apocalyptic vision that propels the godfather of rock theatre into a new millennium, as Alice told Classic Rock: "It's an absolutely Godless world, a place where it's just desolate and horrific."

Let's hope so. Cooper and producer Bob Marlette co-wrote all the music, while 70s svengali Bob Ezrin returns to the fold in an executive producer capacity. The result, says Cooper, is "a high-energy album which is heavy, heavy, heavy."

Song titles include 'Wicked Young Man', 'Sanctuary', 'Take It Like A Woman', 'Blow Me A Kiss, Then Blow Me Away', and 'Pessimystic' - a lyric the singer claims, "throws something at the psychics!" The 11 sings are "just relentless", while the intriguingly title, 'Can't Sleep, Clowns Will Eat Me' is set to be a bonus track.

His first studio album since 1994's 'The Last Temptation', the line-up includes ex-Kiss drummer Eric Singer, multi-talented Marlette (Black Sabbath, Sheryl Crow, John Wetton) plays bass, with guitars by China, Ryan Roxie from Cooper's road band, and Rob Zombie acolyte Phil X. Cooper's choice of guitarists reflected a desire, he says, "to move away from the Steve Vai's and Joe Satriani's of this world and go more towards the next guys."

Basic tracks were cut at A&M Studios in Los Angeles before the action moved across town to the producer's totally digital home studio. For Alice, who made his debut a staggering 31 years ago, this was the first time he'd recorded with no tape involved.

"Bob told me my album was floating about in cyberspace, so I said [adopts outraged tone], 'Well, get it back here!'"

The whole process took a scant four months - and the same time, he claims, Metallica take to get their drum sound! He also likens 'Brutal Planet' stage show he'll be bringing to Europe this summer to his notorious 1975 extravaganza 'Welcome To My Nightmare'.

"It's going to have much more production than we've done in a long time because now the subject demands it," he says ominously.