Alice Cooper – Brutal Planet (2000): Album Review, Tracklist & Fun Facts
Released in June 2000, Brutal Planet is Alice Cooper’s seventeenth solo studio album and marks a return to a heavier, darker sound. Produced by Alice Cooper and Bob Marlette, the album blends industrial rock, alternative metal, and hard rock, offering a modern, aggressive take on Cooper’s signature shock-rock style.
Album Overview
Brutal Planet reflects a more socially conscious and darker thematic approach than many of Cooper’s previous albums. Lyrically, it explores topics like corruption, societal decay, moral decline, and human cruelty, making it one of Cooper’s most thematically serious works.
Musically, the album incorporates heavy, downtuned guitars, aggressive drumming, and industrial textures, creating a hard-hitting sonic experience. The album’s contemporary metal style marked Cooper’s adaptation to the heavier sounds of the late 1990s and early 2000s while retaining his theatrical persona.
Tracklist – Alice Cooper: Brutal Planet (2000)
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Brutal Planet – 4:38
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Sister Sara – 4:12
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Take It Like a Woman – 3:55
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Blow Me a Kiss – 3:40
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It's the Little Things – 3:50
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Primeval – 3:25
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Pick Up the Bones – 4:00
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Petrified – 4:05
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Sex, Death and Money – 3:48
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The Verdict – 4:15
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Pick Up the Pieces – 3:55
Note: Tracklists may vary slightly in different editions.
Album Review
Brutal Planet showcases a heavier, industrial-influenced Alice Cooper. The opening track, Brutal Planet, sets a dark, dystopian tone, featuring grinding riffs, aggressive vocals, and a socially critical message. Tracks like Sister Sara and Take It Like a Woman mix hard rock with melodic hooks, demonstrating Cooper’s ability to balance heaviness with accessibility.
Primeval and Petrified deliver high-energy, industrial-metal textures, while Sex, Death and Money highlights Cooper’s signature blend of dark humor and social commentary. The production by Bob Marlette emphasizes punchy guitars and layered vocals, giving the album a modern and aggressive sound without losing Cooper’s theatrical edge.
Brutal Planet was praised for its thematic ambition and heavier sound, establishing Cooper as a relevant figure in the metal scene of the new millennium. It also laid the groundwork for his follow-up, Dragontown (2001), which continued exploring darker themes and industrial-metal textures.
Fun Facts, Trivia & Did You Know
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• Fun Fact: Brutal Planet marked Alice Cooper’s first fully industrial-metal influenced album, reflecting trends in early 2000s rock and metal.
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• Trivia: The album’s lyrics focus heavily on societal corruption and moral decay, making it one of Cooper’s most serious thematic works.
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• Did You Know? Bob Marlette co-wrote and co-produced several tracks, contributing to the album’s modern industrial sound.
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• Fun Fact: Brutal Planet was supported by a world tour, featuring heavy use of theatrical props, lighting effects, and a darker stage persona.
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• Did You Know? The album received praise for revitalizing Cooper’s relevance in the hard rock and metal scenes after a quieter 1990s.
Brutal Planet stands out as a darker, heavier chapter in Alice Cooper’s career, combining industrial-metal influences, socially conscious lyrics, and theatrical shock-rock. It demonstrates Cooper’s adaptability and continued relevance as a rock innovator into the 21st century.
