Over the last year, Crossbone Skully, the band formed by Alice Cooper and Hollywood Vampires guitarist Tommy Henriksen, have released half an album's worth of videos. Those songs – and another seven – all feature on the band's debut collection, Evil World Machine, which is released this week.
It's a big album, in the way that albums used to be big, back in the day when super-producer Mutt Lange walked the earth and AC/DC and Def Leppard sold more albums than Taylor Swift. And that's because Mutt Lange came out of retirement to work on the album, while Leppard guitar man Phil Collen and Mötley Crüe man Nikki Sixx add further glitter.
Below is Henriksen's track-by-track guide to a concept album that tells the story of Crossbone Skully, avenging superhero from outer space.
1. Evil World Machine
I wanted to make an intro for the record that was in the style of David Bowie's Future Legend and Mötley Crüe's In the Beginning, with Skully telling the tale of the Evil World Machine and how we must all come together to destroy what is evil.
2. The Boom Went The Boom (feat. Phil Collen of Def Leppard)
The Boom Went The Boom is about how politicians and evil-doers lie in the face of humanity and how all their lies will blow up in their faces. And that is The Boom Went The Boom, the lies that they tell!
3. Money Sex Or God
Money, sex or God: it’s the choices and priorities of what truly brings happiness and meaning to people. Pick your poison!
4. Flip The Bird
Flip The Bird is a song for all those anonymous keyboard warriors who like to spread hate and hurtful comments and never wanna own up to it! It’s about flipping the bird to every keyboard-shadow out there! Fuck You!
5. Everyone’s On Dope
This song highlights society's issues with addiction, escapism, selfishness and its sense of disillusionment with modern life.
6. The Sin Eater
The Sin Eater is a song about Crossbone Skully coming back to earth to consume all your sins and guilty complexes. He’s not Jesus Christ, but he’s close to it!
7. Ima Bone Machine
With Ima Bone Machine I wanted to show some appreciation to all the exotic dancers, and the song is basically about the stripper pole – that being the bone machine.
8. Let’s Bust The Trust
Let's Bust The Trust is about integrity and honesty, and maintaining connections and challenges when that trust is compromised. It’s about turning the bad around.
9. High On You (feat. Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe)
High On You captures the essence of young love and that first kiss, and how love can be a drug and make you high. Love is an everlasting drug.
10. I Am The Wolf
It's about Skully going down to Hell and eating the Devil, and if God gets in his way he’ll burn the heavens down. It’s about good over evil once again, and Skully being the wolf, and how that can signify a journey of self-empowerment!
11. I’m Unbreakable
I’m Unbreakable is a song about resilience and strength, embracing both personal growth and empowerment. The lyrics serve as an affirmation of our ability to withstand hardships and not give up! Ultimately it’s a celebration of tenacity and overcoming life's obstacles.
12. The Last Night On Earth
For The Last Night On Earth, I wanted to write a song about making every moment matter with loved ones in the face of finality.
13. Misfits Of The Universe
Misfits Of The Universe is a song about how we are all broken in some form or another. It's about diversity and embracing each other's differences. Being a misfit is welcome in Skully's world, it’s about belonging to a group of people who want to do right by other humans. We are not left, we are not right, we are for what is right!
