'He's always there to listen': CO-OP frontman Dash Cooper says of his famous dad Alice

Ed Masley | The Republic | azcentral.com

Show Caption Hide Caption Rock band CO-OP talks about Alice Cooper's support Dash Cooper, son of rocker Alice Cooper, and Justin Swartzentruber of CO-OP about their self-titled debut album.

Phoenix hard-rockers CO-OP are fronted by Dash Cooper, whose father, Alice, turns up on guest vocals on one track on the debut they're releasing at this show.

You can also hear the Hall of Famer introduce the lyric video to "N.O.W." It's taken from the nationally syndicated radio show "Nights with Alice Cooper" and features Alice saying, "And I'm not just playing it because I'm his dad. It actually truly rocks."

He's right. "N.O.W." actually truly rocks with a heavy alternative-metal groove and a commanding lead vocal from Dash, whose raspy wail is the perfect vehicle to underscore the gravity of that first single's lyrics.

"We're self-inflected slaves," he sings on a chorus that channels the headbanging drama of '90s alternative-metal, "digging our own graves," letting that last word linger.

As the singer's proud father reflects, "It’s a band with some fire."

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The self-titled album, their first full-length effort, is being released by the EMP Label Group, run by David Ellefson of Megadeth.

Ellefson says, “Alice Cooper took Megadeth out on our first big tour, and we’ve always had a great relationship. Alice wrote the foreword to my book 'My Life with Deth.' So it’s been really exciting to be able to bring that relationship full circle and work with Dash.”

Cooper says he owes the deal, in part, to a piece of advice handed down from his father.

“The best advice he’s ever given me,” Cooper says, “is whenever you’re playing a show, make sure you’re always polished and ready to go because you never know who’s watching. I was playing a show, we were practiced, rehearsed and Dave Ellefson ended up seeing us. He came up and talked to us after the show.”

His father has always supported his music, both in CO-OP and his former band, Runaway Phoenix.

“He’s always there to listen,” Cooper says. “He’s always there to help. But he always does it from a distance. He’s not inserting himself in the band. I think he wants us to find our own way and I respect that about him. But he’s always there if we have a question.”

In addition to his father turning up on vocals on “Old Scratch,” the album features another member of Hollywood Vampires, Joe Perry, on guitar on a track call “Howl.”

Cooper sent him the track in Los Angeles while the Vampires were in rehearsals.

“He was like, ‘Man, I really dig this song,’” Cooper recalls. “And I’m like, ‘Hey man, if you want to lay something down on it.’ He’s like, ‘Absolutely.’ ”

Cooper laughs, then adds, “I thought, “Wow, that actually worked. That’s crazy.” I never thought he would actually do it.”

MORE MUSIC:

CO-OP Album Release Party

When: 6 p.m. Saturday, June 16.

Where: Club Red, 1306 W. University Drive, Mesa.

Tickets: $10.

Details: 480-258-2733.