Alice Cooper Reflects on ‘Paranormal’ Album and Collaborating with Larry Mullen and Bob Ezrin

The legendary shock rocker also explains how Mick Jagger inspired his theatrics and how he doesn’t let stress affect him.

Alice Cooper has 27 studio albums under his belt and is an accomplished songwriter. In fact, the legendary shock rocker says that at this stage in his life, you could challenge him to write about anything, and he’d gladly accept. “I can basically write whatever you want me to write. “I try to find the punchline first and then write backwards,” he told GRAMMY.com.

Cooper’s creative process for each album is unique and influenced by the chemistry he has with his collaborators. The studio sessions for his newest album, Paranormal, were particularly productive. Cooper reformed his old Alice Cooper Band for some tracks, as well as bringing in a guest drummer, Larry Mullen from U2. He describes the outcome as “an accidental concept album” that is “very Alice Cooperish.”

Cooper spoke with GRAMMY.com about the evolution of his live presentation, how he avoids offending audiences, and his concerns about the end of the rock star era.

Walk us through the creation process of Paranormal. I’ve heard you refer to it as “an accidental concept album.”
It kind it was. In fact, we went out of our way not to pursue a concept. Bob [Ezrin] and I are well-known for our concept albums, beginning with Welcome To My Nightmare, and we wanted to do a tremendous rock and roll record this time around. Of course, after we finished writing everything, I listened back and realised that every single character had some sort of remarkable oddity, and the only word that sprang to mind was “paranormal.” The term “paranormal” literally means “next to normal,” as opposed to “normal,” and that has been my entire career. So the paranormal thing simply got stuck. It just felt so amazing. It seems extremely Alice Cooperish.

Larry Mullen, Roger Glover, and Billy Gibbons all made excellent contributions to this record. How did the collaborations come about?
When creating a song, it’s common to think of potential collaborators. This is exactly what happened. “Fallen in Love” was so Billy Gibbons that it was difficult not to include Billy. We phoned him up, and he nailed it in just two takes. Roger Glover appears on the album’s lone song with a prog vibe, “Paranormal.” The Larry Mullen situation was quite different. Bob said, “Let’s do something innovative for ourselves. Let’s go with a completely new drummer, one who wouldn’t ordinarily play with Alice Cooper,” and Larry Mullen seemed the ideal choice. I’ve never had a drummer approach me and say, “Let me see the lyrics,” since drummers typically care about what the bass player is performing. So the concept that he listened to and interpreted the lyrics struck me as particularly interesting. I really enjoyed what he ended up performing on each tune. The guy significantly altered the sound of the entire album.

You’ve released 27 studio albums. Do you have a set approach for writing and working in the studio, or has it developed over time?
I’ve collaborated with a variety of individuals, including Henry Mancini, Carole Bayer Sager, and Jon Bon Jovi. I’ve composed songs with everyone. It’s always one of those situations where you write something and then look at each other and say, “Oh yeah.” In other words, the phrase is married to the chords, and they work extremely well together. There are other times when you look at each other and say, “This doesn’t work, does it?” Okay, let us go on to something else. You can always feel when something is incorrect, but you can also sense when something is exactly right and fits perfectly. This album appeared to compose itself. It was quite simple to write. I was in the room with four other seasoned writers, so we understood when we were up against a wall and when things was going smoothly.

You had the original Alice Cooper band play on some of the songs. How did this come about? And was there instant chemistry again when you two got together?
The beautiful thing about the first band was that when we broke up, there was no bad blood. There were no lawsuits, no one was outraged, and nobody was upset with each other. It was more of a separation than a divorce, so we maintained in touch, which was quite essential. Neal Smith called me and said, “Hey, Mike Bruce is in town.” And I responded: “Well I’m writing for the new album, why don’t you guys come over and we’ll write something?” So they came over for a week to my house in Phoenix, and we composed around six or seven songs, two of which stood out as actual possible Alice Cooper songs. It was the first time I was able to have Neal, Dennis, and Mike in the studio together in Nashville, followed by myself on the mike. I said, “Listen.” Let’s record it live. Let’s not stack it. Let’s do it live. It sounded just like Alice Cooper did in 1974. The lads’ playing style has remained same. I hadn’t really changed my singing style, and then all of a sudden, it worked.

Is it tougher or easier for you to write songs at this point in your career?
Well, I’ve written so many songs at this point — because I write the lyrics and a lot of the melodies for the majority of my albums — that if you came to me and said, “I’m creating a play about an elephant and a giraffe on top of the Empire State Building. Can you write a song about this? I would ask, “So, do you want it to be a love song? Would you like it to be funny? “Do you want it to be scary?” I can basically write whatever you want me to write. I think I know how to do it now. I attempt to locate the punchline first and then write backwards from there.

You have a fantastic live band, and seeing you with them adds a new dimension to some of your classic material. Tell us about collaborating with players like Nita Strauss.
Nita is fantastic; I was looking for a shredder, a girl who could truly shred the guitar. I wasn’t really looking for a girl; I just wanted a guitar player who was a little more metal than the other two guys I know, because I already have two guitar players. I was looking for someone who could truly offer me a more current sound, and when I heard her play, I said, “Whoever that is, I want that person.” She joined the team and consistently delivers every night. She’s really good. Sometimes you simply find the perfect fit, and she fit perfectly into the band. The nicest part about this live band is that everyone is close buddies. There’s never any yelling, screaming, or squabbling backstage. It is constantly simply laughing. That makes a tremendous difference when you’re on tour. It just makes things so easy, and this happens every night. If we perform 100 shows, it will be like this every night. When a group of guys form a band, their egos begin to take over, and things quickly devolve.

Can you tell us about the evolution of your live show? You always manage to combine classics like the Guillotine and Frankenstein, but you’re also always adding new components, such as the Trump and Hillary parodies for “Elected,” which you did last year. Is each tour unique in terms of how you construct your set?
Yeah, the one thing is that I know which songs I have to do. It isn’t like I have a choice. I know I need to perform “Poison,” “School’s Out,” “Eighteen,” “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” and “Under My Wheels.” Those are the songs you must perform because the audience demands them. I included “Halo of Flies” because I wanted to show off the band a little bit, with a long stretch where they just perform and show the audience that they’re excellent musicians. Then you have the straight jacket, followed by “Only Women Bleed,” “Cold Ethyl,” and “Feed My Frankenstein.” All of those things must appear in the show. The convention is to always end up executing Alice somewhere in the show, hence the guillotine song. At that point, there isn’t much place for new material, so I have to surgically implant one or two songs from the new album while ensuring that they flow with the rest of the material. The hardest part is sifting through 27 albums and attempting to please everyone. It’s simply impossible. As soon as I finish a show, everyone likes it, and then I get letters asking, “Why didn’t you play this?” “How come you didn’t play that?” It’s a fantastic problem to have, but you have to just get to the point and say, “Look.” So on this broadcast, I started rotating songs in. We do this song and this song, and then the next week we pull those two out and replace them with these two, so there are always two or three new songs in the show.

Are you ever amazed by what you can get away with on stage? You’ve always been the original shock rocker, but in this day and age, everyone is expected to be politically correct. Everyone is so eager to get on Twitter and criticise everything!
It’s funny because I’m politically incorrect; I’m politically nonsensical. So I could care less. It’s a show, and I keep asking them to “look.” It is a show. It’s a fantasy. It has no bearing on reality.” So, if you see Alice Cooper beating up a doll, remember that it is a doll, not a human. And if that doll comes to life and performs a ballet, and Alice murders the ballerina, the ballerina has every right to kill Alice back. Most folks who attend my presentation understand that I am not attempting to tell them anything. I am not attempting to be politically correct or incorrect. You’re coming to see an Alice Cooper show, to have fun, and I agree with you; I believe we’ve become so politically correct that we’re turning into a bunch of robots.

In the beginning, there were only complaints because I was causing problems for everyone. I believe that now when people look at what I produce, they recognise the sense of humour behind it. At the same time, there are a number of things in the program that are really pointed and make a statement that makes you say, “What? I’m not sure if you’re permitted to say that or do that,” and I may say, “Hey, Alice can do whatever he wants.”

How vital is it for a frontman to entertain such a large crowd? And does it annoy you that so many of today’s performers appear to stand on stage and act as if they are too sophisticated to move around up there?
When I saw Mick Jagger, I realised what it was like to get on stage and strut. You have to have a lot of ego up there to be a rock star; you get up there and flaunt your stuff while being attractive, humorous, cool, and rock. You have to be a bit of an outlaw; the entire point of being a rock star was to be an outlaw. I believe this generation is terrified to stand out. Everyone wants to fit in, but I never wanted to fit in; I always wanted to be unique. So did Bowie, Jagger, and Jim Morrison. We didn’t want to be like everyone else; we wanted to develop our own identity up there. It’s a little concerning that so many teenagers are terrified to be teens.

So, what advice would you give them in terms of how to engage an audience?
I would suggest recognise that when you are on stage, you are larger than life. I’m not trying to turn everyone into a theatrical character, but being on stage transforms you into somebody other than yourself. I couldn’t be more different from Alice Cooper. When I’m on stage, I play this arrogant villain, and if I was simply up there saying, “Hey everyone, Nice to see you tonight. People would look at Alice and go, “Oh, that’s not cool.” Alice is intended to be something other than human, thus I never address the audience. I sort of let what happens onstage speak to the audience.

Between your solo work and the Hollywood Vampires, you appear to be touring more than ever these days. What’s your secret to staying energised and producing high-quality shows while so many of your colleagues appear to be slowing down?
I honestly believe one of the best aspects is that I am not stressed about anything. Everything in my life is in order—I’ve been happily married for 41 years, I’m financially and spiritually secure, and I enjoy what I do. I can’t image being in a band and just standing up there singing songs. That would bore me to death, but the fact that I’m doing exactly what I want to do is probably the reason I’m still doing it. I’ve also never smoked cigarettes, and I believe that not drinking or smoking has a significant impact on your longevity. I probably have the vigour of a 30-year-old, not a 69-year-old, when many guys my age are spent after a show. I feel amazing after a show!

Alice Cooper Reflects on ‘Paranormal’ Album and Collaborating with Larry Mullen and Bob Ezrin

When Alice Cooper released Paranormal in 2017, it was more than just another album in his long and storied career. It was a sonic exploration that blended eerie storytelling with some of the most talented collaborators in the rock world. In a recent conversation, Cooper opened up about the creative process behind Paranormal, and how working with U2’s Larry Mullen Jr. and legendary producer Bob Ezrin helped shape the album’s unique identity.

Paranormal marked Alice Cooper’s 27th studio album and arrived during a time when many of his contemporaries had slowed down or faded from the spotlight. For Cooper, it was a reinvention of sorts, a way to revisit the horror-rock theatrics he’s best known for while also evolving his sound with fresh energy.

One of the standout aspects of the album is the presence of Larry Mullen Jr., the powerhouse drummer from U2. Cooper said the collaboration came about in a surprising, serendipitous way. “Bob Ezrin had this idea,” Cooper recalled. “He said, ‘What if we brought in someone who’s not from your world but who gets rhythm in a totally different way?’ And Larry was at the top of that list.”

Mullen brought a percussive sharpness to the recording sessions that invigorated the album’s grooves. His approach wasn’t just technically brilliant—it was also wildly different from what Cooper’s music had been built on in the past. The U2 drummer’s minimalistic style, rooted in discipline and atmosphere, brought out a haunting, hypnotic rhythm in tracks like “Paranoiac Personality” and “Holy Water.”

Bob Ezrin, Cooper’s longtime collaborator and a titan of rock production, served as both guide and instigator throughout the making of the album. Ezrin has been instrumental in many of Cooper’s biggest successes, including Welcome to My Nightmare, and his presence during the creation of Paranormal was both a return to form and an open door to experimentation.

Cooper praised Ezrin’s ability to challenge him creatively, never allowing him to get too comfortable. “Bob knows how to get the best out of me,” Cooper said. “He’ll say, ‘That’s good, but you can go weirder. You can go darker.’ He pushes you to that line where things start to get really interesting.”

The album itself is a wild ride through Cooper’s twisted musical mind. It blends elements of classic rock, hard rock, and theatrical flair, all wrapped in his signature macabre storytelling. Songs like “Dead Flies” and “Genuine American Girl” offer a mix of satire and horror, playfully dissecting society with a devilish grin.

Beyond the musical arrangements, Paranormal also marked a brief reunion with members of the original Alice Cooper band, including Dennis Dunaway, Neal Smith, and Michael Bruce. These tracks add a nostalgic yet revitalized tone, reminding fans of the raw energy that launched Cooper’s career in the early ’70s.

Mullen’s involvement in these sessions was crucial to finding the balance between classic and contemporary. “Larry didn’t just show up and play drums,” Cooper explained. “He brought ideas. He challenged the arrangements. He wanted to know the story behind each song, the emotion I was trying to convey.”

That kind of investment from a guest musician is rare, especially one coming from a different musical background. Yet Mullen’s presence helped create an album that felt cohesive despite its many influences. The rhythm section on Paranormal is crisp and menacing—like a heartbeat in the dark, pulsing beneath Cooper’s signature snarl.

Working with such seasoned collaborators also reinvigorated Cooper’s performance. Known for his elaborate stage shows, he approached the studio recordings with a similar theatrical mindset. He described the vocal sessions as “stepping into different characters,” with Ezrin directing each performance like a scene from a play.

Ezrin’s production is sleek and layered, creating a sonic landscape that’s both familiar and eerie. He plays with space and silence just as much as sound, allowing each instrument—and Cooper’s voice—to breathe and menace at the same time. There’s a cinematic quality to the album that stands out even within Cooper’s discography.

Lyrically, Paranormal walks a fine line between introspection and absurdity. While some tracks delve into supernatural themes, others reflect real-world paranoia and cultural commentary. “We live in strange times,” Cooper said. “And I’ve always felt like rock and roll is the best way to tell the truth, even if it’s wrapped in fantasy.”

The album’s success proved that Cooper still had his finger on the pulse of rock. Critics praised Paranormal for its energy, songwriting, and unexpected collaborations. Longtime fans embraced it as a return to form, while younger listeners discovered an icon refusing to fade quietly into legend.

Beyond the music, the experience of creating Paranormal left a lasting impact on Cooper himself. He expressed deep admiration for both Ezrin and Mullen, calling them “two of the most brilliant minds I’ve ever worked with.” Their commitment to quality and innovation reminded him why he fell in love with music in the first place.

Alice Cooper’s willingness to evolve, even after decades in the industry, sets him apart. Paranormal isn’t just another record—it’s a statement of creative vitality. And with collaborators like Larry Mullen and Bob Ezrin by his side, Cooper has proven once again that the godfather of shock rock still has new tricks up his sleeve.

Looking ahead, Cooper hinted that more collaborations may be on the horizon. “This album opened doors,” he said. “When you bring in artists from different worlds, the possibilities become endless. You start thinking beyond what rock has always been.”

As Alice Cooper continues to tour and perform, Paranormal stands as a testament to his enduring legacy—not just as a performer, but as a fearless artist who thrives in collaboration and innovation. The album is more than a collection of songs; it’s a haunted house of sound, built by masters of their craft.

In the end, it’s clear that Paranormal is far from the end of Alice Cooper’s story. If anything, it’s a new chapter—one filled with shadows, stories, and the sound of rock and roll refusing to die.