KILLER: 50 Years Later (Album Review) by Various Artists

Release Date: November 27th 2021. Record Label. Pale Wizard. Format: DD/CD/Vinyl

KILLER: 50 Years Later - Tracklisting

1.Green Lung - Under My Wheels 02:48 video

2.The Grand Mal - Be My Lover 03:11

3.Sergeant Thunderhoof - Halo of Flies 08:39

4.Ritual King - Desperado 04:40

5.1968 - You Drive Me Nervous 03:34

6.Trippy Wicked & the Cosmic Children of the Knight - Yeah, Yeah, Yeah 03:01

7.Mos Generator - Dead Babies 05:42

8.Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell - Killer 06:54

9.Alunah - I'm Eighteen - Bonus Track 03:15

10.Suns of Thunder - Billion Dollar Babies - Bonus Track 04:08

11.Possessor - Muscle of Love - Bonus Track 03:52

12.Sound of Origin - Sick Things - Bonus Track 06:06

Review

Releasing a tribute album to one of Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Outrageous Personalities such as Alice Cooper was always going to be full of surprises. Pale Wizard Records have gathered some of the best underground Stoner Rock bands around to perform on a tribute album of KILLER: 50 Years Later. With the original album being a Hard Rock/Glam Rock/Garage Rock classic from 1971, bringing the album up for a modern day release then a tribute album is the best way to go.

This record is more Doom Rock/Stoner Rock orientated compared to the original but still maintains the original record’s gloriously rebellious sound with Alice Cooper’s music shining through once again. You have artists such as Green Lung, Alunah, Mos Generator, Sergeant Thunderhoof and Possessor appearing among many others. Each of the bands bring their own style and interpretation of the song whilst remaining quite close to the original.

Opening up the album is rising Doom/Stoner Rockers Green Lung performing Under My Wheels and I would never have thought about putting Green Lung to work on this song. It’s a gloriously epic performance with Green Lung not being themselves and playing a subdued Hard Rock/Glam Rock style of music with elements of Doom Rock here and there.

Up next is The Grand Mal who revel and bring raw party going excitement on Be My Lover. A seedy and romantic offering which is almost as good as the original. Spiky vocals and frantic instrumental work make this another winning track.

Pale Wizard Records owners or should I say Sergeant Thunderhoof take the longest track with perhaps my favourite track on the original album - Halo Of Flies. A Psychedelic and Murky Stoner Rock makeover that sees the guys make the song truly one of their own compositions. An alternative feel with the vocals and synths make this the best cover on the record. As it’s quite progressive and offers emotional depth when the slower parts of the song appear.

I’m not going to have time to review every band that appears but all of the bands who perform on this album bring their “A” game even being given one song each. Mos Generator, Ritual King and Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell are my other favourite performances from the album with things becoming quite frantic, freaky and wonderfully psychedelic. 

The original KILLER was ahead of its time back in 1971 and it’s good to see 50 years later the record still has the power to delight and entertain different generations of music fans. This tribute album is one of the best I’ve experienced in years and it shows a different style of Doom Rock and Stoner Rock with Alice Cooper not associated with those genres of music. 

KILLER: 50 Years Later is top-tier entertainment and I persuade you all to go over listen to this and purchase a copy. If you’re a fan of Alice Cooper and this classic album then this is a must have purchase. Awesome stuff.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Dan from Pale Wizard Records and Memphia Music PR and Management for the promo. 

KILLER: 50 Years Later is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Pale Wizard Records

Links

BandCamp

Pale Wizard Records launch kickstarter for exciting project: Alice Cooper - Killer - 50 years later.

 

Pale Wizard Records launch kickstarter for exciting project; 

Alice Cooper, Killer - 50 years later.  

 Green Lung, 1968, Ritual King, Mos Generator & More collaborate on the project.

November 27th 2021. 50 Years Later. To the day. Pale Wizard Records pays tribute to Alice Cooper’s classic Killer record, the first in an exciting new series of albums entitled 50 years later.

Alice Cooper’s 4th album, Killer, was released on November 27th 1971 and has gone on to become one of the most loved albums in his whole discography. 50 Years Later, Pale Wizard Records brings you an exciting line up featuring some of the most renowned bands in the underground scene today paying homage to Killer in their own contemporary styles. 

Not just any tribute record, 50 Years Later artists are handpicked by the staff at Pale Wizard Records to get the upmost out of each classic track. The 8 original songs are brought to life here by 8 of the absolute best the modern hard rock, stoner and psych underground has to offer. 

The lead single in ‘71 was ‘Under My Wheels’ which is brought to life 50 Years Later in dramatic style by Green Lung. Other highlights include The Grand Mal tackling ‘Be My Lover’, Sergeant Thunderhoof’s daring take on ‘Halo of Flies’ and Pale Wizard favourites Mos Generator with ‘Dead Babies’. But that is not all… the album also features 1968, Trippy Wicked and the Cosmic Children of the Night, Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell and Ritual King. 

Killer: 50 Years Later is a potent mixture of the best of today’s bands and one stone cold classic album from years gone.

The Kickstarter campaign will be live on Friday 12th March.

Alice Cooper, Killer - 50 Years On is released November 27th 2021 and will be available on CD, Vinyl and all major platforms.

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On November 27th 1971, the original Alice Cooper band released an album that would define a generation and inspire countless more. It was the second LP they released that year, coming hot off the heels of 'Love it to Death' in March which contained the unlikely teenage anthem 'I'm Eighteen'. 

Alice Cooper were finally living up to the expectations and potential they had shown on their first two psychedelic tinged records released through Frank Zappa's label the previous years.

But the band still had its detractors. There were many in the music industry that couldn't see past the shock, make-up, theatrics and headline grabbing scandals. With 'Killer', you can hear a band at the top of their game but also with a point to prove. 'Killer' contains eight of the most visceral, hard hitting, refined and shocking songs of their career. Backed by the superb production talents of Bob Ezrin, many consider this album to be the creative pinnacle of the Alice Cooper catalogue.

About Pale Wizard:

Pale Wizard Records is a labour of love for it's co-founders Tim Hilleard and Dan Flitcroft. They release music that they love and find interesting. Dan has been a die hard Alice fan since the early 90's after his Dad bought 'Billion Dollar Babies' on vinyl at a car boot sale. When Dan realised that 'Killer' was turning 50, he got on the blower and started speaking to a bunch of great bands that he had come across on his travels with his own band Sergeant Thunderhoof. Those initial conversations garnered a very positive reaction from all involved and it was decided that they would attempt to recreate the album, in full, with each band having complete creative license to do what they will with it.

Who's involved?

Green Lung:  https://greenlung.bandcamp.com/

1968:  https://1968band.bandcamp.com/music

Sergeant Thunderhoof:  https://sergeantthunderhoof.bandcamp.com/

Mos Generator:  https://mosgenerator.bandcamp.com/

Ritual King:  https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/ritual-king 

The Grand Mal:  https://thegrandmal.bandcamp.com/album/the-grand-mal 

Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell:  https://riseaboverecords.com/artists/riseaboveartists/admiralsircloudesleyshovell/ 

Trippy Wicked & the Cosmic Children of the Knight: https://trippywicked.bandcamp.com/album/three-leaves

Kickstarter URL: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/palewizard/alice-cooper-killer-50-years-later

Label - Pale Wizard Records: www.palewizard.co.uk

Cover art: Sara-Jane Swettenham - https://www.facebook.com/sarajaneart

Video Trailer: https://youtu.be/-ZHLqQ9JmMk

Kickstarter Rewards: