Hollywood Vampires – the supergroup rock outfit comprising Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp and Aerosmith guitarist, Joe Perry – have announced their new album, which is titled Rise, will arrive on June 21st. The band have released the first single, “Who’s Laughing Now” from the 16-track LP. Listen below:
Opening with ominous fuzz bass, the track instantly feels like you’ve been sucked into the set of a horror movie. Alice and Johnny share vocal duties in the verses under Perry’s climbing riffs, while the lyrically cryptic and relentlessly rhyming buzz words paint an appropriately bleak picture that places this track squarely on the dark side of hard rock. With Alice at the helm, we’d expect nothing less!
Rise follows on from the Hollywood Vampires’ 2015 self-titled debut and will consist of mostly originals but will feature covers of David Bowie’s “Heroes”, Johnny Thunders’ “You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory”, and the Jim Carroll Band’s “People Who Died”. The original track “Welcome to Bushwackers” features guest spots from guitar legend Jeff Beck and filmmaker John Waters.
“Rise is not only a totally different animal than the first Vampires album, it is unique to anything I’ve ever been a part of,” Cooper said in a statement [via Rolling Stone]. “I approached it very differently than I usually do when working on an album. Each of us; Joe, Johnny, Tommy and myself have written songs on this album. What is different though is that I didn’t try to change any songs to be more ‘Alice-like.’
“Because each of us has different influences, the sound of this album is very cool,” Cooper continued. “I think that with this album, we are establishing what the Vampires’ sound really is, whereas with the first album we were more tipping our hats to our fallen rock & roll brothers.”
“Rise came from pure creative energy, which is just like playing live with the Vampires. The record showcases everyone doing what they do best without anyone looking over our shoulders,” Perry added in a statement. “There was no pressure or deadlines, allowing us to write and record an album that is one of the freest and most honest sounding records I’ve been part of. I can’t wait to perform some of these tunes live for our fans.” [via Rolling Stone]
An original architect of theatrical rock, Alice Cooper has been at the helm of shock for over five decades. Our I Like: Alice Cooper playlist is stacked with the best of cleverly ironic anthems that have influenced everyone from The New York Dolls to Mötley Cre.
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