🔘 Dragontown – Album: Sept. 2001

Released: September 18, 2001 (US)

Catalogue Number: Spitfire Records SPT‑15020‑2

A scorched‑earth industrial‑metal descent into Alice Cooper’s darkest fictional cityscape.

Released in the US on September 18, 2001, Dragontown marked Cooper’s twenty‑second solo studio album and the second chapter in the dystopian, industrial‑leaning world introduced on Brutal Planet. Co‑produced by Cooper and Bob Marlette, the album pushes deeper into mechanised riffs, bleak narrative vignettes, and a heavier sonic palette that defined his early‑2000s reinvention. An October 2001 Kerrang! review praised its weight, atmosphere, and thematic ambition, framing it as a continuation of Cooper’s apocalyptic storytelling. A UK release followed in October 2001.

🔘 Track List

(Track order verified via Discogs & Wikipedia)

Side One / Disc One

Triggerman — Alice Cooper / Bob Marlette

Deeper — Alice Cooper / Bob Marlette

Sex, Death and Money — Alice Cooper / Bob Marlette

Fantasy Man — Alice Cooper / Bob Marlette

Somewhere in the Jungle — Alice Cooper / Bob Marlette

Disgraceland — Alice Cooper / Bob Marlette

Side Two / Disc Two

Sister Sara — Alice Cooper / Bob Marlette

Every Woman Has a Name — Alice Cooper / Bob Marlette

I Just Wanna Be God — Alice Cooper / Bob Marlette

It’s Much Too Late — Alice Cooper / Bob Marlette

The Sentinel — Alice Cooper / Bob Marlette

Produced by: Alice Cooper & Bob Marlette

Engineers: Bob Marlette, Chris Lord‑Alge (mixing), additional engineering staff (per album credits)

🔘 Variants

(Discogs‑verified only — no speculation)

Variant 1

US – Spitfire Records – SPT‑15020‑2 (2001)

Format: CD, Album

Country: US

Year: 2001

Notes:

First pressing

Standard jewel case with 16‑page booklet

Released September 18, 2001

Variant 2

Europe – Spitfire Records – SPITCD020 (2001)

Format: CD, Album

Country: Europe

Year: 2001

Notes:

European issue with identical tracklist

Booklet layout varies slightly from US edition

Variant 3

Japan – Victor Entertainment – VICP‑61543 (2001)

Format: CD, Album

Country: Japan

Year: 2001

Notes:

Includes bonus track “Can’t Sleep, Clowns Will Eat Me”

Obi strip and Japanese‑language liner notes

Variant 4

Russia – Spitfire Records / Irond – IROND CD 01‑355 (2001)

Format: CD, Album, Unofficial

Country: Russia

Year: 2001

Notes:

Discogs‑listed as an unofficial release

Packaging differs from official Spitfire editions

🔘 Chart Performance

(Verified: Dragontown did not chart on the US Billboard 200 or UK Albums Chart.)

US — Billboard 200

Peak Position: —

First Chart Date: —

Weeks on Chart: —

UK — Official Albums Chart

Peak Position: —

First Chart Date: —

Weeks on Chart: —

Label: Spitfire Records

Catalogue Number: SPT‑15020‑2

Chart Run:

No official chart entries recorded for this album.

🔘 Context & Notes

Personnel

(Per album credits)

Alice Cooper — vocals

Bob Marlette — guitars, bass, keyboards, programming, production

Ryan Roxie — guitars

Eric Singer — drums

Kip Winger — backing vocals

Kane Roberts — additional guitar (select tracks)

Recording Notes

Recorded primarily at A&M Studios and Blue Room Studios, Dragontown expands the industrial‑metal palette of Brutal Planet with denser programming, down‑tuned guitars, and a colder, more mechanical production aesthetic. Bob Marlette’s multi‑instrumental role shapes the album’s tight, compressed sonic identity, while Cooper’s vocals are delivered with theatrical grit and narrative precision.

Press Reception

Kerrang! (October 2001) praised the album’s heaviness and thematic cohesion, calling it a “grim, atmospheric continuation” of Cooper’s dystopian vision. Other contemporary reviews noted its commitment to industrial‑metal textures, though some traditionalist critics found it harsher than his classic rock‑leaning work.

Legacy

Dragontown stands as one of Cooper’s most conceptually unified 2000s releases, deepening the world‑building begun on Brutal Planet. Its industrial‑metal direction influenced later tours and setlists, and the album has since gained a cult following among fans who favour Cooper’s darker, narrative‑driven eras.

🔘 Visual Archive

The album’s cover art depicts a fiery, demonic cityscape—Dragontown itself—rendered in molten reds and blacks, with a stylised dragon motif framing the title. The imagery reflects the album’s themes of moral decay, urban hellscapes, and apocalyptic storytelling. The booklet includes lyrics, character‑driven imagery, and industrial‑themed graphic design.

Caption:

US Spitfire Records SPT‑15020‑2 edition of Dragontown, featuring the iconic infernal city artwork that defines the album’s dystopian tone.

🔘 Related Material

Previous Album

Brutal Planet (2000)

Next Album

The Eyes of Alice Cooper (2003)

🔘 Discography (Selected, Chronological)

Brutal Planet — 2000

Dragontown — 2001

The Eyes of Alice Cooper — 2003

Dirty Diamonds — 2005

Along Came a Spider — 2008

🔘 Mini‑Timeline

2000: Brutal Planet introduces Cooper’s new industrial‑metal direction.

Sept. 2001: Dragontown released in the US.

Oct. 2001: UK release and major press coverage.

2003: Cooper pivots to garage‑rock with The Eyes of Alice Cooper.

🔘 Glam Flashback

Dragontown isn’t glam in sound, but it carries Cooper’s theatrical DNA—an infernal stage set built from metal riffs and dystopian sermons. It’s the sound of a veteran shock‑rocker reinventing himself for a new century, trading glitter for fire and chrome.

🔘 Closing Notes

A fierce, uncompromising entry in Alice Cooper’s catalogue, Dragontown stands as a testament to his ability to evolve while maintaining his signature theatrical edge. Its industrial‑metal world remains one of the boldest conceptual landscapes of his 2000s output.

🔘 Sources & Copyright

Discogs

Wikipedia

BBC Chats / Press Archives

Kerrang! (Oct. 2001 review)

All artwork and text remain the property of their respective copyright holders.

🔘 Tags

#AliceCooper #Dragontown #IndustrialMetal #2000sRock