He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)
Encyclopedia
"He's Back" is a song from American
shock rock
musician Alice Cooper
's 1986
album Constrictor
, and the theme song of Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
, a slasher film
and sixth part of the Friday the 13th film series released in the same year. The song celebrates the return of the Jason Voorhees
character, after being killed off in The Final Chapter
, the fourth film, and being entirely absent from the fifth installment, Friday the 13th: A New Beginning
. Two other songs from Constrictor, "Teenage Frankenstein
" and Cooper's song "Hard Rock Summer", which did not appear outside of the Jason Lives soundtrack, are also featured in the film.
The song features the famous '"ki-ki-ki mah-mah-mah" sound effect, a trademark of the Friday the 13th series.
"He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)" was a minor success, popular among fans of Cooper's later work and enthusiasts of slasher films. It has been called "strangely New Wave
-ish" and said to "perfectly enscapulate the Friday the 13th films and the era in which they came to prominence."
A demo version of the song, with a slightly rockier and much more upbeat feel, as well as the final release version, were featured in the four-disc retrospective boxed set
The Life and Crimes of Alice Cooper
, which chronicles Cooper's career. The song was also available on a compilation album of songs from his two late-1980s MCA
albums, Constrictor and Raise Your Fist and Yell
, entitled Prince of Darkness.
The song has been covered by some other artists. Finnish
metal
band Children of Bodom
recorded a version in 2002, but it was never released, and "He's Back" has been performed live by another Finnish metal band, Lordi
. In addition, the song was covered by One Man Army and the Undead Quartet
, which was released on the Swedish death metal
group's 2007 album Error in Evolution
.
A reference to the song is made in the 2005 Friday the 13th tie-in novel Friday the 13th: Hate-Kill-Repeat; while attending a party, a character notices that the song being played is by Alice Cooper and that the premise of it involves "something about a man behind a mask".
, which combines clips from Jason Lives with original footage featuring Cooper performing the song and Jason Voorhees
(played, as he is in the film, by C. J. Graham
) menacing teenagers at a midnight showing of Jason Lives. This video is not present on any of the DVD
releases of the film, most likely due to licensing issues.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
shock rock
Shock rock
Shock rock is an umbrella term for artists who combine rock music with elements of theatrical shock value in live performances.-History:Screamin' Jay Hawkins was arguably the first shock rocker...
musician Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
's 1986
1986 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1986.-January-June:*January 23 – The first induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame takes place...
album Constrictor
Constrictor (album)
Constrictor is the 16th studio album by rock musician Alice Cooper released on September 22 1986. After retiring from the music industry after the release of DaDa, Cooper remained in seclusion for three years. He starred in Monster Dog, a horror film for which he wrote two songs. He also guest...
, and the theme song of Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives is a 1986 slasher film, the sixth film in the Friday the 13th film series. The film was written and directed by Tom McLoughlin...
, a slasher film
Slasher film
A slasher film is a type of horror film typically involving a psychopathic killer stalking and killing a sequence of victims in a graphically violent manner, often with a cutting tool such as a knife or axe...
and sixth part of the Friday the 13th film series released in the same year. The song celebrates the return of the Jason Voorhees
Jason Voorhees
Jason Voorhees is a fictional character from the Friday the 13th series of slasher films. He first appeared in Friday the 13th , as the son of camp cook-turned-murderer, Mrs. Voorhees, in which he was portrayed by Ari Lehman. Created by Victor Miller, with contributions by Ron Kurz, Sean S...
character, after being killed off in The Final Chapter
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter is a 1984 slasher film. It is the fourth film in the Friday the 13th film series. Though it was billed as "The Final Chapter," there have been many further sequels in the franchise. The popularity and financial success of the film, which grossed over $32 million,...
, the fourth film, and being entirely absent from the fifth installment, Friday the 13th: A New Beginning
Friday the 13th: A New Beginning
Friday the 13th: A New Beginning is a 1985 slasher film. It was released on March 22, 1985. It is the fifth film in the Friday the 13th film series...
. Two other songs from Constrictor, "Teenage Frankenstein
Teenage Frankenstein
"Teenage Frankenstein" is the second single by American rock musician Alice Cooper from his 1986 album Constrictor. Though the single failed to chart, it helped to make Constrictor into Cooper's highest charting album since 1980's Flush the Fashion....
" and Cooper's song "Hard Rock Summer", which did not appear outside of the Jason Lives soundtrack, are also featured in the film.
The song features the famous '"ki-ki-ki mah-mah-mah" sound effect, a trademark of the Friday the 13th series.
"He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)" was a minor success, popular among fans of Cooper's later work and enthusiasts of slasher films. It has been called "strangely New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
-ish" and said to "perfectly enscapulate the Friday the 13th films and the era in which they came to prominence."
A demo version of the song, with a slightly rockier and much more upbeat feel, as well as the final release version, were featured in the four-disc retrospective boxed set
Boxed set
A box set is a compilation of various musical recordings, films, television programs, or other collection of related items that are contained in a box.-Music box sets:...
The Life and Crimes of Alice Cooper
The Life and Crimes of Alice Cooper
The Life and Crimes of Alice Cooper is a 4-CD box set by Alice Cooper. It includes select tracks from every studio album released up until then, plus many B-sides, unreleased songs, and other rarities....
, which chronicles Cooper's career. The song was also available on a compilation album of songs from his two late-1980s MCA
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
albums, Constrictor and Raise Your Fist and Yell
Raise Your Fist and Yell
Raise Your Fist and Yell is the 17th studio album by rock musician Alice Cooper released on September 5th 1987. It features the track "Prince of Darkness", which is featured very briefly in the John Carpenter film of the same name, in which Cooper has a cameo as a murderous vagrant. The song can...
, entitled Prince of Darkness.
The song has been covered by some other artists. Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Children of Bodom
Children of Bodom
Children of Bodom is a Finnish heavy metal band from Espoo. Formed in 1993, the group currently consists of Alexi Laiho , Roope Latvala , Janne Wirman , Henkka Seppälä , and Jaska Raatikainen...
recorded a version in 2002, but it was never released, and "He's Back" has been performed live by another Finnish metal band, Lordi
Lordi
Lordi is a Finnish hard rock/heavy metal band, formed in 1996 by the band's lead singer, songwriter and costume-designer, Mr. Lordi. The band is known for wearing monster masks and using pyrotechnics during concerts...
. In addition, the song was covered by One Man Army and the Undead Quartet
One Man Army and the Undead Quartet
One Man Army and the Undead Quartet is a death/thrash metal band from Sweden. The band was formed by vocalist Johan Lindstrand after the breakup of The Crown. After two albums on Nuclear Blast Records, they moved to Massacre Records...
, which was released on the Swedish death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
group's 2007 album Error in Evolution
Error in Evolution
Error in Evolution is the second album by Swedish death/thrash metal band One Man Army and the Undead Quartet.-Track listing:# "Mine for the Taking" – 3:53 # "Knights in Satan's Service" – 3:14...
.
A reference to the song is made in the 2005 Friday the 13th tie-in novel Friday the 13th: Hate-Kill-Repeat; while attending a party, a character notices that the song being played is by Alice Cooper and that the premise of it involves "something about a man behind a mask".
Music Video
The song is well-known for its music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, which combines clips from Jason Lives with original footage featuring Cooper performing the song and Jason Voorhees
Jason Voorhees
Jason Voorhees is a fictional character from the Friday the 13th series of slasher films. He first appeared in Friday the 13th , as the son of camp cook-turned-murderer, Mrs. Voorhees, in which he was portrayed by Ari Lehman. Created by Victor Miller, with contributions by Ron Kurz, Sean S...
(played, as he is in the film, by C. J. Graham
C. J. Graham
C. J. Graham is an actor who became one of many actors/stuntmen to play Jason Voorhees in the sixth film of the Friday the 13th film series.-Career:...
) menacing teenagers at a midnight showing of Jason Lives. This video is not present on any of the DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
releases of the film, most likely due to licensing issues.