The Ol’ Black Eyes is Back Tour celebrates Alice Cooper’s 50 years using his stage name. He’d been around under other names before 1969 but Alice Cooper – originally the title of the band rather than the man – achieved success as the Seventies began by combining trash-glam drag with stompin’ riffy music. He’s famed for his theatrical shows but needed to be on especially fine form tonight to match support acts who are both riveting.

There’s something in the dichotomy of Babymetal that I just can’t fathom. Cutesy J-pop meets heavy metal. Sheeny bubblegum-bounce dance routines to thrash. Sweet teen vocals over shredding.

The Hollywood Stars were not shy.

Welcome to the latest edition of theartsdesk on Vinyl, the monthly online musical resource that knows no genre boundaries as it treks through every release on plastic that it can find. This time round we’ve everything from death metal to obscure jazz to electropop, sounds for almost every musical taste. Dive in!

South-coast four piece Grenades’ debut album is that most unlikely of musical outings, an ecological grunge-punk concept album. This is no wafty, feel-good affair, though, its environmental concern is akin to the eco-parable shock tactics of rough’n’ready Eighties exploitation flicks such as Cannibal Holocaust and Green Inferno.

The well-spring of certain musical genres and hometowns of certain influential musicians have long been a source of civic pride – and a boost to the tourist industry – in many clued-in parts of the world. One only has to think of the co-opting of Bob Marley’s life and influence in attracting tourist dollars to Jamaica or the raising of the Beatles to mythic status – bus tours and all – in Liverpool.

In metal circles, Volbeat are a phenomenon. For almost 20 years the Danish rockers have been filling venues with their iconic combination of bulldozer riffs and hip-shaking Elvis swagger. It's the tension between these two contrasting influences that underpins their success. Or, at least, so far. Now, the recipe has changed: the tension has gone. The flavours have merged. It all sounds a lot softer. 

Fans won't be altogether surprised. Songwriter Michael Poulsen's music has been getting progressively lighter for years. What really strikes you is how mainstream it now feels. Other than the occasional obligatory rockabilly-metal number, the album is split between soft and contemporary rock.

The soft rock tracks fare the best. "The Last Day Under the Sun", about Johnny Cash, is a real windows-down, wind-in-the-hair West Coast rocker. "Cheapside Slogger" is an invigorating glam stomp. The rockabilly/psychobilly numbers aren't half bad either. "Die to Live" has a rich aroma of Brylcreem and engine oil. "Sorry Sack of Bones" feels almost like King Kurt. But, "Pelvis on Fire", the Presley pastiche, is way over the top.

The album's most lacklustre moments come where the boys flirt with a more contemporary rock sound. "Rewind the Exit" ends up sounding like Snow Patrol. "Leviathan" and "7-24"  are colourless and uninspired. The limpest song on the LP, "When We Were Kings", could practically be by The Fray. 

It's curious, then, that the band gave the album the title Rewind, Replay, Rebound which sounds like an attempt to evoke the early days. The LP is certainly not that, or even close. And yet, it's not a bad album either. It may be patchy, with frequent excursions into almost unpardonable blandness, but at its best, there's also the air of consummate musicians cutting loose. That, more or less, redeems it.

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@russcoffey

Overleaf: Volbeat's video for "The Last Day Under the Sun"