Album Review: Alice Cooper - Constrictor

Alice Cooper - Constrictor

MCA - 1986

9.5/10

From 1969 through 1983, we would find only two single years that didn’t see a studio album from Alice Cooper. With the longest break in his career, three years would see a complete redefinition after years of what’s to come being anybody’s guess. Sobering up, getting back to the heavy metal roots, and dipping into the glam pool, Constrictor would resurrect the shock rocker with all of the spooky tropes the fans loved, under a stylistically new umbrella. While there have been drastic changes since, I do believe this is where the Alice Cooper character cemented itself into what we think of today in 2022.

While it isn’t something I’d call a full-on glam metal record, the use of pop-oriented riffs under harder aesthetic and raspier vocals is impossible to not notice. The keyboards, while being all over his discography, take on that bright feeling that they didn’t really contain before. The classic song written for Jason Lives should basically tell you everything you need to know; “He’s Back (The Man Behind The Mask)” cakes on every one of these descriptors the hardest. Pop rhythms, heavy metal soloing, catchy lines, synthesizers, and the lyrics on a horror film of the time can be representative of all of this in some way or another.

And that’s why Constrictor is so great, because while leaning into the times, nothing is overdone. You get a little bit of sexual thrill, little bit of horror, little bit of real life, and a raw enough production to give it an identity. Frankly though, I think the songs with the less-welcoming tones are my favorites. Opener “Teenage Frankenstein” lets in heavier energy and more sinister vibes to contrast the accessibility. The triple attack of “Life And Death Of The Party,” “Simple Disobedience,” and “The World Needs Guts” roll in with serious attitude while all standing apart. The first of those dials back the energy a bit in exchange for something more somber, while “Simple Disobedience” hearkens to the doomier edge cast on earlier discs, adding some impressive percussion. To the opposite point, “The World Needs Guts” flips things to a speed metal delivery, and this whole combo flows beautifully.

The brighter songs still hold plenty of weight. “Crawlin’” and “Trick Bag” are a dual combo of rampant sexual energy, utilizing the poppier glazings to the highest amount here. The former hits melody and gang vocals harder than anything on the album, which is almost everywhere anyway. Then on the front side, there’s “Thrill My Gorilla” and “Give It Up,” two that probably hold the least weight but manage to stick in my head every time. If there’s a lyrical outlier, it’s “The Great American Success Story,” but its energy is as clean and upbeat as all of the warmer songs, so it fits in wonderfully.

Taking a couple years off (and sobering up) is the best thing Cooper could have done for his music career. Redefining himself here proved to be a wonderful step, and while I’m a bit biased being a huge glam fan, I truly think this is a perfect record. Even if a couple songs may sound like fillers, they fill in the gaps wonderfully and still show some evidence of thought. Besides the few hits that came of it, I’d almost go as far as to call this one overlooked.