Classic Rock Bottom

Artist Showcase - Krokus


Krokus, a hard rock band from Switzerland, actually began in 1975 as a prog rock band, no really... Chris Von Rohr was the original lead vocalist as well as the original drummer. They enjoyed regional suggess and toured the country


After seeing AC/DC in concert in the late 70s, they decided to change their musical direction and adopted a new sound which was heavily influenced by the band. Since von Rohr possessed limited vocal abilities and was not capable of hitting the third octave, the band decided to hire a new lead vocalist. Eventually, Marc Storace, formerly of TEA and Eazy Money, was hired. With the new lineup in place, the band recorded and released a new album entitled Metal Rendez-vous in 1980, the album was Krokus's first hit and brought much wider international recognition.


So this is where will start our tour of Krokus...

PLAYLIST --> http://www.podsnack.com/CA69EFD9E8C/avh9ahut

Metal Rendez-Vous
1980

1 - Heatstrokes

Heavy on the cheese, Krokus' Metal Rendez-Vous is a fairly enjoyable record, though more than a little silly. The butt of jokes even within the mostly irony-free metal world, Krokus were major poseurs jumping from prog rock to glam metal in timely fashion as trends changed in the late '70s. They eventually stuck with the glam metal thing, milking it for all it was worth, and were quite successful. This record catches them with a little bit of AC/DC-style swagger and plenty of wanky guitar solos. The song "Tokyo Nights" for some reason features a reggae beat halfway through. The album has other surprises, like the way over-the-top power ballad "Streamer," which is incredibly ridiculous and dated. But Metal Rendez-Vous definitely has some kitsch value and, like Spinal Tap, is occasionally very funny, though in Krokus' case, it is definitely an unconscious thing. Despite that, they do know how to rock and can play their instruments better than your average poodle-haired metal dudes.

Hardware
1981

2 - Winning Man

Krokus' generic, by-the-numbers approach to '80s hard rock isn't particularly well represented here (the band would reach its apex on 1983's Headhunter), although there are a few good songs -- the album's opening and closing tracks, "Burning Bones" and "Celebration," respectively, are its best, and the steely ballad "Winning Man" (later virtually rewritten as "Screaming in the Night") is worthwhile. But stinkers like "Smelly Nelly" are just inexcusable.

One Vice At A Time
1982

3 - To The Top

The Swiss headbangers didn't start out as headbangers; they were originally a progressive rock outfit along the lines of Yes, Genesis, and ELP. But when the band didn't get anywhere commercially, it decided to cash in on metal's popularity and started emulating AC/DC. Krokus' detractors would argue that One Vice at a Time is the work of a poor man's AC/DC -- and, to be sure, this 1982 LP is formulaic and contrived. But while Krokus wasn't easy to respect or admire, it was easy to like. AC/DC-minded tunes like "Save Me" and "Long Stick Goes Boom" aren't very imaginative, but they're infectious and enjoyable nonetheless. From Krokus' own songs to a cover of the Guess Who's "American Woman," everything on this album is catchy. Is One Vice at a Time derivative and shamelessly unoriginal? Yes. But it's still a fun record and ends up being a very guilty pleasure.

Headhunter
1983

4 - Stand And Be Counted

Swiss rockers Krokus had already been around the bend a number of times by the time they scored their first (and only) American platinum success with 1983's Headhunter. Shameless bandwagon hoppers that they were (their origins lay in cheesy, late-'70s progressive rock), the band at least deserve credit for mixing their musical stew just right on this occasion. The results include the frenetic title track, a highly competent power ballad in "Screaming in the Night," and their biggest hit -- a reworking of Bachman Turner Overdrive's "Stayed Awake All Night." Mid-tempo rockers such as "Eat the Rich" and "Russian Winter" also receive energetic performances from the band, but singer Marc Storace generally makes a nuisance of himself with his grating screech, which falls somewhere between Bon Scott and Accept's Udo Dirkschneider.

The Blitz
1984

5 - Midnite Maniac

Stylistically, The Blitz pretty much picked up where Krokus' breakthrough, Headhunter, left off. But ultimately, it failed to equal its predecessor's platinum sales, grinding to a halt just past gold status. A shambolic cover of the Sweet's "Ballroom Blitz" (which didn't sound all that great in its original version) is especially painful, and tepid rockers like "Out to Lunch" and "Hot Stuff" simply fail to excite. Still, "Midnite Maniac" was arguably the band's best single ever, and "Our Love" their most accomplished power ballad so far. Other cuts like "Rock the Nation" and "Out of Control" actually show some promise, but with clichéd titles like these, how could they ever expect to stand out?

Views: 203

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

What are "Heathstrokes"?????

Nice that you got this idea from my list of what I've been listening to recently.

"Metal Rendez-vous" is a pretty good album, especially "Streamer" and "Tokyo Nights". Of course they're not included here, but it is what it is.

As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, "One Vice At A Time" was the first Krokus album I ever bought and it was all because of "American Woman" which was played a lot on the radio. Then came their opus, "Headhunter", which was played A LOT but good ole me. 

So, coming off two really good albums, you would think that the next album would be really good, right? Nope. "The Blitz" was bad. So bad that I basically gave up on Krokus until years later when I bought the "Heart Attack" album thru the Columbia House Record Club. it was alright, but they really had lost all my good will towards them with "The Blitz".

I had "Metal Rendez-vous" on vinyl at some point, must have been after "Headhunter'. Don't think I had "Hardware" on vinyl.

Now, if I were to rank these albums, it would be thusly:

1. Headhunter

2. One Vice At A Time

3. Metal Rendez-vous

4. Hardware

5. The Blitz

Currently I'm 4/5 and that won't change.

If one were to buy a Krokus album or two, I would recommend Headhunter and either Metal-Rendez-vous or One Vice At A Time...

Other than "Hardware", I believe I have all of these on vinyl or cassette. Not sure why, because, quite frankly....a poor mans AC-DC is an apt description of their music. Saw them live several times, because they were always opening for somebodies tour. (Hey, they should have hooked up with Cheap Trick, and done a "We never headline" tour). "Midnight Maniac" is the best song here for me.

The best Krokus listen I have personally? Its not really even Krokus. It was Marc Storace and some other guys, releasing "Hellraiser" in 2006. This is easily the best I've heard from Krokus. It was good enough that I then bought the follow up, "Hoodoo" in 2010. Some of the original guys were back, and yep...."Hoodoo" does not get played very often at all.

But.....this is a very interesting idea, no matter who thought of it.....artist showcase.

Awesome feedback!  And another suggestion for a cool playlist - "We Never Headline" playlist....

I'm afraid to ask what this GIF is supposed to mean...

Can't say I'm a fan, but I really dig these showcases.  Here are my thoughts:

1.  Heatstrokes - This is kind of a cheesy song, but the guitars are very rocking.  I don't care for it vocally.

2.  Winning Man - Very cool vibe for the start of the song.  It's definitely reminiscent of Screaming In The Night, which is a good thing.  It's better vocally, except when he tries to reach too high.  More nice guitar work.

3.  To The Top - This one has a serious AC/DC vibe.  I mean serious.  I actually like this one.  Best song so far.

4.  Stand And Be Counted - Lead riff reminds me just a bit of Exciter by Kiss (which also just happened to be released in 1983).  But where that song is fantastic, this one is cheesy and contrived.

5.  Midnite Maniac - The only song here that I've heard before.  The vocals are better here.  The verses aren't bad, but the choruses aren't good.  The transition from verse to chorus is the best thing about the song.

I don't own any Krokus.  Possibly never will.  In my opinion, especially after listening to this, they are very much a cut rate AC/DC.  I don't mean to sound like they have no value, but they just don't move me.  Yet I still enjoyed this post.

RSS

Question Of The Week

CRB Features (Click photo to visit)

Birthdays

There are no birthdays today

CRB Staff Members

 

In Memory Of

Norma Jean Fox
(11/30/1945-9/7/2010)

Photos

  • Add Photos
  • View All

Videos

  • Add Videos
  • View All

Badge

Loading…

© 2024   Created by RJhog (Admin).   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service