Alice Cooper – Dragontown (2001): Album Review, Tracklist & Fun Facts
Released in June 2001, Dragontown is Alice Cooper’s eighteenth solo studio album and a direct follow-up to his 2000 release Brutal Planet. Produced by Alice Cooper and Bob Marlette, the album continues the darker, industrial-metal-influenced sound of its predecessor, exploring themes of evil, corruption, and societal decay with a heavier, theatrical edge.
Album Overview
Dragontown features a modern heavy metal style, blending hard rock riffs, industrial textures, and theatrical storytelling. Thematically, the album focuses on darker aspects of human nature, morality, and temptation, making it one of Cooper’s most conceptually cohesive albums of the 2000s.
The album marks a period where Alice Cooper fully embraced a heavier, modernized sound while maintaining his signature shock-rock identity, combining aggressive instrumentation with cinematic arrangements and haunting vocal performances.
Tracklist – Alice Cooper: Dragontown (2001)
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Sex, Death and Money – 3:42
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Sister Sara – 4:05
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Disgraceland – 3:55
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The Saga of Jesse Jane – 4:10
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Something Wicked This Way Comes – 3:55
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The Other Side – 4:05
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Every Woman Has a Name – 3:50
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Dragontown – 4:12
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It’s the Little Things – 3:45
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Here’s to the Mourning – 4:00
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Pick Up the Bones – 3:55
Note: Tracklists may vary slightly depending on edition or region.
Album Review
Dragontown is a heavy, aggressive album that builds on the industrial-metal elements introduced in Brutal Planet. The opening track, Sex, Death and Money, immediately establishes the dark, cynical tone, combining downtuned guitars with Cooper’s gritty vocals.
Tracks like Sister Sara and The Saga of Jesse Jane feature tight riffs, melodic hooks, and theatrical storytelling, while Something Wicked This Way Comes and the title track, Dragontown, showcase Cooper’s dark humor and penchant for narrative-driven songs.
The production by Bob Marlette emphasizes heavy guitars, precise drums, and layered vocals, creating a modern, metallic sound while retaining Cooper’s theatrical edge. The album balances aggression with melody, appealing to both longtime fans and listeners of contemporary metal.
Dragontown also stands out as one of Cooper’s most cohesive thematic albums of the 2000s, with each track contributing to an overarching narrative of temptation, evil, and societal decay.
Fun Facts, Trivia & Did You Know
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• Fun Fact: Dragontown is considered a spiritual continuation of Brutal Planet, further exploring dark, industrial-metal themes.
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• Trivia: Bob Marlette co-wrote and produced the album, helping craft a modern, heavy sound tailored to 2000s metal audiences.
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• Did You Know? The song The Saga of Jesse Jane tells a story inspired by dark fairy-tale motifs and cinematic storytelling.
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• Fun Fact: Dragontown features heavier guitar riffs and industrial textures than any previous Cooper album, emphasizing aggression and mood.
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• Did You Know? The album received praise for its thematic consistency and mature approach to storytelling, making it a standout in Cooper’s early 2000s catalog.
Dragontown solidifies Alice Cooper’s place in 21st-century rock, combining industrial-metal aggression, dark theatrical storytelling, and socially conscious themes. It represents a period of artistic reinvention while remaining true to the shock-rock essence that defined his career.
