Alice Cooper - Along Came a Spider - CD

quot;Along Came a Spiderquot; is Alice Cooper's 30th album and is a classic Cooperesque quot;love storyquot; about Spider, a serial killer. His trademark is wrapping his victims in silk, and his victims are specifically chosen to feed his hunger to kill. But, upon meeting his (possibly) last victim, he falls in love with her and cannot kill to complete his plan. That could be his demise. Co-producers Danny Saber and Greg Hampton have also co-written several of the album's songs with Alice; Danny Saber, best known for his role as member & producer of Black Grape, has also worked with many artists including the Rolling Stones, Ozzy Osbourne, David Bowie, and Madonna. Additionally, several songs on the album were co-written by Alice and his band. Features guest performances by Ozzy Osbourne and Bernard Fowler (backing vocals for the Rolling Stones).

Alice Cooper and the word SUBTLE do not usually go together. The widely appointed king of heavy metal horror is as well known for his eye shadow and over-the-top theatrical concerts as he is for classic rock songs like "No More Mr. Nice Guy." It's therefore something of a surprise that Cooper titled his latest project Along Came A Spider, making a sly reference to the fact he once fronted a band called the Spiders way back in the 1960's. On this new album Spider acts as Cooper's alter ego (which itself is an alter ego for the real life Vincent Furnier) and serial killer, who can only sate his bloodlust by singing about the torment of his soul. "There'll be no rest until my work is done" quips Cooper on "Catch Me If You Can," a deliciously devilish rock romp with Danny Saber and Greg Hampton providing guitar riffs and Eric Singer tearing it up on the drums.

Each song on Along Came A Spider can be consumed individually but taken as a whole as they tell a story, starting with the ironically pop friendly "I Know Where You Live" and ending with the confessional "I Am the Spider." As deeply disturbed as the underpinnings of this album are, Cooper still calls himself "a bigger fool with a bigger heart to break" on the softly strummed "Killed By Love," suggesting that only heartbreak can truly unleash a maniacal psychopath.

Cooper's songs are just as theatrical as his live show, only pulling back the curtain a little to reveal the man behind Spider, preferring as he has for almost all his career to live vicariously through his protagonist's behavior. "I'm Hungry" could be a metaphor for cannibalism or sex, and Cooper revels in the double entendre, never letting you decipher which is his intent. It's that wit and self-deprecating humor which has kept Alice Cooper alive through the decades as a cult rock star, along with his occasional cameos in wrestling events and comedy films. Whether as Vincent Damon Furnier, Alice Cooper or as Spider himself, there's little doubt in 2008 that "We're still not worhty."

By Jason Seifer