He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)

The Zoo Crew is spinning the chilling vibes of "He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)" by Alice Cooper from his 1986 album Constrictor, and Zoo Freaks, this track has some killer stories behind it. Written as the theme song for Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, the song celebrates the return of the iconic slasher Jason Voorhees, complete with the eerie "ki-ki-ki ma-ma-ma" sound effect—often misheard as "ch-ch-ch, ha-ha-ha"—that’s a staple of the franchise. The track was a last-minute addition to the album, with Cooper himself noting it wasn’t representative of Constrictor’s overall sound but became a fan favorite, hitting #1 in Sweden. The music video, directed by Jeffrey Abelson, mixes clips from the film with original footage of Cooper performing alongside Jason, played by C.J. Graham, terrorizing teens at a midnight movie screening. Fun fact: the video wasn’t widely available until 2020, when it was included as a bonus feature in Scream Factory’s Friday the 13th deluxe box set.

Another juicy tidbit is that the demo version of "He's Back" was completely different—rockier and more upbeat—before it was reworked into the darker, New Wave-ish final cut. That original demo was repurposed into another Constrictor track, "Trick Bag", which you can hear on the four-disc retrospective The Life and Crimes of Alice Cooper. Cooper has shared in interviews, like one with Ultimate Classic Rock, that this period marked his sober comeback after years of substance abuse, and the song’s gritty energy reflected his renewed focus. Fans on Reddit’s r/alicecooper have mixed feelings about the album, with some calling "He's Back" and "Teenage Frankenstein" standout tracks, while others find the album forgettable compared to his later hits. Cooper himself has said in a Fridays With Alice post that Constrictor was his highest-energy album, channeling a belligerent, confrontational version of his classic Nightmare character.

Alice Cooper, born Vincent Damon Furnier on February 4, 1948, in Detroit, Michigan, kicked off his career in Phoenix, Arizona, in the mid-1960s. Originally fronting a band called The Spiders, Furnier and his high school pals—guitarists Glen Buxton and Michael Bruce, bassist Dennis Dunaway, and drummer Neal Smith—evolved into the Alice Cooper band by 1968, adopting the name after a supposed ouija board session suggested it. Their early gigs were chaotic, blending garage rock with theatrical antics inspired by horror films and vaudeville, which shocked audiences and earned them a cult following. After moving to Los Angeles, they caught the attention of Frank Zappa, who signed them to his Straight Records label. Their first two albums, Pretties for You (1969) and Easy Action (1970), flopped commercially, but their 1971 breakthrough Love It to Death, with the hit "I’m Eighteen", put them on the map. By 1972, School’s Out cemented their status as shock rock pioneers, with Cooper’s raspy voice and macabre stage shows—featuring guillotines, fake blood, and snakes—redefining rock performance.

After the band split in 1975, Cooper went solo with Welcome to My Nightmare, leaning harder into theatrical horror and collaborating with producer Bob Ezrin. His ability to merge catchy rock with provocative visuals influenced artists like KISS and Marilyn Manson, earning him the title "The Godfather of Shock Rock" from peers and journalists. Despite struggles with addiction in the late ’70s and early ’80s, Cooper’s 1986 comeback with Constrictor—and tracks like "He's Back"—proved his resilience. He’s since sold over 50 million records and continues to tour relentlessly, with his 2021 album Detroit Stories hitting #1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart.

Zoo Freaks can dive deeper into Alice Cooper’s world through his official website, where you’ll find tour dates, discography, and merch. Connect with him on social media via Facebook, Instagram, and X, where he shares updates and trivia, like his recent X post about spinning tracks on his radio show, Alice’s Attic. Fans can join the Alice Cooper Fans Facebook group for discussions and rare photos, or check out Alice Cooper eChive, a fan-run archive packed with gigographies and magazine clippings. Another great fan site, Fridays With Alice, explores Cooper’s music and faith journey, with approval from Cooper and his wife, Sheryl, who occasionally pops into their Facebook group.