Sep 22, 2011 By Clint Rhodes 2 min read

For the master of shock rock, the nightmare continues. Thirty-six years later, Alice Cooper and legendary producer Bob Ezrin are united once again as they cleverly deliver the sequel to 1975’s multi-platinum “Welcome to My Nightmare.” Also returning is guitarist Steve Hunter, who played on the original concept album and is currently part of Cooper’s touring band. “I’m a little tired and feeling hazy/I just need to rest my eyes/But I won’t go to sleep because it’s crazy/What happens to me in the night,” sings Cooper ushering in the menacing sequence of harrowing events on “The Nightmare Returns.”

Staying true to the theatrical theme of his first solo album, Cooper delivers an over-the-top series of arrangements that capture the restless anxiety of the fears festering in the shadowy depths of Cooper’s mind. Always the showman, Cooper throws a morsel of everything into his musical madness. Guitar-driven rock is prevalent on the Cheap Trick-esque “The Congregation” and the high-octane punch of “Caffeine.” A touch of vaudeville can be heard on “Last Man on Earth,” while Cooper’s tongue-in-cheek humor is deliciously offered up on “Disco Bloodbath Boogie Fever” and “Ghouls Gone Wild.” “When Hell Comes Home” is a hauntingly disturbing arrangement that packs a punch similar to the classic “Only Women Bleed” from the original album.

Guest performers include Rob Zombie providing backing vocals on “The Congregation” and Vince Gill on guitar for “A Runaway Train” and “I Gotta Get Outta Here,” while Kesha joins Cooper for a sizzling duet on “What Baby Wants.” The first single, “I’ll Bite Your Face Off,” is a rousing number that I had the good fortune to see Cooper perform during his latest tour.

“Welcome 2 My Nightmare” is a wild ride that Cooper navigates at full speed with no hands on the wheel as he harnesses the vibe he unleashed earlier in his career.

Only Cooper could make nightmares this entertaining, witty and troubling all at the same time.