Alice Cooper welcomes his influence on death metal: ‘They’re yelling at God. I think he can take it’

Alice Cooper has reflected on his influence on extreme metal, saying he welcomes the theatrical elements that death metal musicians have developed from earlier generations of hard rock. Despite his Christian faith, Cooper says he has no problem with the provocative imagery associated with the genre.

In a new Metal Hammer interview, the shock rock pioneer describes death metal as a continuation of guitar-driven rock, albeit with a different attitude and a more extreme presentation.

“Death metal is still hard rock,” Cooper says. “It’s still guitar-driven hard rock, with a different attitude.” He adds that many performers are playing characters onstage rather than necessarily living the lifestyles their songs and imagery suggest.

For Cooper, that distinction is familiar. His own career has been built around a theatrical persona that allows him to explore horror and unsettling imagery without presenting the character as his everyday identity.

The singer, who became a born-again Christian in the early 1980s, also explains why he does not take offence at death metal bands using Satanic or anti-religious themes.

“Hey, they’re yelling at God. I think he can take it,” he says when asked how his faith shapes his reaction to those artists.

Cooper’s influence can be traced through multiple generations of heavy music. Finnish melodic death metal band Children Of Bodom covered his song “Bed Of Nails” on their 2004 EP “Trashed, Lost & Strungout”.

Late Death founder Chuck Schuldiner frequently named Kiss as his favourite band. Kiss, in turn, drew inspiration from Cooper’s elaborate theatrical presentation and stage makeup.

The exchange of influences also works in the opposite direction. Cooper’s longtime guitarist Nita Strauss has described Swedish melodic death metal band In Flames as a formative musical influence, praising the chord progressions and guitar arrangements that attracted her to heavier music.

The complete Cooper interview appears in the latest issue of Metal Hammer.