Album Review: HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES - Rise

01. I Want My Now
02. Good People Are Hard To Find
03. Who's Laughing Now
04. How The Glass Fell
05. The Boogieman Surprise
06. Welcome To Bushwackers (feat. Jeff Beck & John Waters)
07. The Wrong Bandage
08. You Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory (Johnny Thunders cover)
09. Git From Round Me
10. Heroes (David Bowie cover)
11. A Pitiful Beauty
12. New Threat
13. Mr. Spider
14. We Gotta Rise
15. People Who Died (Jim Carroll cover)
16. Congratulations

For those unfamiliar with Hollywood Vampires, it was originally going to be an Alice Cooper album celebrating his 'dead drunk friends' with some classic covers, a handful of original tracks, and of course, plenty of guests. I think it was a smart move on his part to make Hollywood Vampires a band in its own right and having a core membership of Alice, Aerosmith's Joe Perry, and Hollywood legend Johnny Depp has clearly increased the general public's interest. This is particularly apparent on this, their second record, as there are only three covers this time, and this original material casts a spotlight on its members.

All Rock fans will be familiar with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry, so eyes seem to be on Mr Depp who really shines throughout Rise. He is a seriously good guitarist, lyricist and singer too. His lead vocals on the David Bowie cover, Heroes, are nothing short of superb. 

Rise is an overall good album. It all sounds vintage but has a contemporary twist that keeps it from sounding like a rehash of the artists who clearly influenced it. There are some poor moments such as the utterly nauseating We Gotta Rise which sounds like that Fat Les song Vindaloo (yes, that awful football chant thing), but with some very inoffensive political lyrics.

There are plenty of gems on here such as the dark and vengeful Who's Laughing Now, the Pink Floyd vibed Mr. Spider, and the cynical opener I Want My Now, making Rise a must for Alice Cooper fans to check out.