Alice Cooper – A Paranormal Evening at The Olympia Paris
earMUSIC
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Rating: A-

Demented theatricality has always been part and parcel of the Alice Cooper concert experience. In a live setting, it’s the jaw-dropping visuals – considered shockingly deviant in days of yore, but cartoonish, if still horrifically violent, these days – combined with spirited, gritty rock ‘n roll bombast and savagery that make for such a wildly entertaining spectacle.

The hellish circus that was the “Paranormal” tour, undertaken in support of Cooper’s 2017 album of the same name, pulled into Paris on Dec. 7, 2017 for a night of bloody sonic mirth and mayhem. Even without all the campy imagery and clever stagecraft, the concert album A Paranormal Evening at the Olympia Paris – available digitally, as a 2CD digipak or a 2LP gatefold, with red and white vinyl – is electrifying, a thrilling document of an energetic, full-throttle performance that captures every little nuance with visceral clarity and definition. In other words, the sound is spectacular. The heavy, pounding grind of “Brutal Planet” is amplified, as is the rumbling menace, the dizzying psychedelia and the thundering gallop of a 10:57 “Halo of Flies,” while sneering, feral versions of “No More Mr. Nice Guy” and “Under My Wheels” sound as mean and vicious as ever. Cooper and company are just getting warmed up.

Packing an enormous punch, the guitar armada of Nita Strauss, Tommy Henriksen and Ryan Roxie surgically stitch together dazzling, intertwining six-string harmonies, uncork gnarly, nasty riffs and tear through blazing solos, as bassist Chuck Garric and drummer Glen Sobel provide all the necessary muscle. Enormous swells of melodic metal glory, “Feed My Frankenstein” and a slithering “Poison” rise like massive waves, and a frenetic “The World Needs Guts” charges ahead with serrated six-string jabs that cut deep. It’s easy to get swept up in the big hooks and dramatic pull of “Department of Youth” and “Billion Dollar Babies.” The crowd’s celebratory exuberance is infectious, as Alice’s name is chanted loudly before a tender reading of “Only Women Bleed” that is more relevant than ever. Closing out the set, explosive remakes of “I’m Eighteen” and “School’s Out” revel in the audience’s hunger for rebellion, and newer material such as “Paranoiac Personality” also benefits, sounding fully fleshed out and impactful.

As the villainous master of ceremonies, Cooper is still a great showman and his commanding vocals remain razor sharp. Leave it to Alice Cooper to make one of the great live albums of this era at his advanced age. Now, where did he leave that guillotine …

TRACK LISTING:
CD1:
1. Brutal Planet
2. No More Mr. Nice Guy
3. Under My Wheels
4. Department of Youth
5. Pain
6. Billion Dollar Babies
7. The World Needs Guts
8. Woman of Mass Distraction
9. Poison
10. Halo of Flies
CD2:
1. Feed My Frankenstein
2. Cold Ethyl
3. Only Women Bleed
4. Paranoiac Personality
5. Ballad of Dwight Fry
6. Killer/I Love the Dead themes7. I'm Eighteen
8. School's Out

By Peter Lindblad