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Krokus

A typical mid-'80s Euro-metal band from Switzerland, Krokus formed back in the '70s as a symphonic rock outfit modeled on the likes of Yes and ELP, switching to metal when the band's former direction proved unprofitable.

Members: 5
Latest Activity: Aug 5, 2010

Krokus is a heavy metal band from Switzerland. They enjoyed moderate success in North America during the 1980s.



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Krokus was founded in Solothurn in 1974 by bassist (and original lead vocalist) Chris von Rohr and guitarist Tommy Kiefer. Former Eazy Money vocalist Marc Storace joined the band as frontman in time for their Metal Rendez-vous album in 1980.

Krokus was formed in 1974 as a primarily prog rock act. Chris von Rohr, originally the bassist, switched to lead vocals in the late 1970s and with that formation Krokus was successful in Switzerland, touring throughout 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, bringing much wider international recognition.
The 1981 follow-up album, Hardware, was recorded at the Hammersmith Studios in London and featured such songs as "Easy Rocker" and "Rock City", which are still a part of the band's live repertoire today.
In 1982, with new American management, Krokus recorded One Vice at a Time, which featured the hits, "Long Stick Goes Boom," and the Guess Who cover, "American Woman". Chris von Rohr described the album at the time as "the album AC/DC never made", as the influence of the Australian band is difficult to ignore. The comparisons actually cast doubt on the creativity of the band, as many listeners now began to regard Krokus merely as AC/DC imitators. Nevertheless, Krokus became increasingly popular in Europe and began to receive attention in the United States.

1983's Headhunter was awarded platinum album status in the United States and hit number 25 in the 1983 album charts. The album was Krokus' most successful album to date, both commercially and critically. It boasted the hit power ballad "Screaming in the Night", which saw heavy rotation on MTV and would become one of the band's most recognizable songs. Judas Priest's Rob Halford contributed backing vocals on the song "Ready to Burn".
1984 saw the band move in a more commercial direction with The Blitz, which featured a cover of Sweet's 1973 hit song The Ballroom Blitz. Though a commercial success, the album was panned critically. Capitalizing on the wave of success enjoyed by heavy metal in the mid-1980s, the band then released Change of Address in 1986, which featured a cover of the Alice Cooper standard School's Out. The album was a commercial and critical failure. Krokus then released a live album entitled Alive & Screamin' as the band transitioned from Arista Records to MCA.


In 2005, longtime lead guitarist Fernando von Arb left the band after continuing wrist problems required surgery. Mandy Meyer, who had played with the band in the mid-1980s, replaced von Arb in the lineup. The new formation recorded the studio album Hellraiser in 2006, which went to gold in Switzerland on the first day of sales. It generally received very good reviews. In an interview in 2008, Marc Storace stated that Krokus was becoming more and more "metal".

On 18 November 2007 the line up featuring Chris von Rohr, Fernando von Arb, Fready Steady and Marc Storace reunited to play a medley ("Tokyo Nights", "Bedside Radio" and "Heatstrokes") during the TV show Die grössten Schweizer Hits on Swiss television. This event broke the ice between the members of the 1982 formation and led to their reunion concert on 2 August 2008.

Krokus's cover of Sweet's "The Ballroom Blitz" also appeared in the 2007 game Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s.

It was announced on 20 April 2008 that the classic lineup of Chris von Rohr, Fernando von Arb, Freddy Steady, Mark Kohler and Marc Storace had reunited and would be releasing a new studio record in 2010 with a supporting world tour.

On 2 August 2008 the band performed live in the Stade de Suisse in Bern.

Krokus will perform the official anthem of the 2009 Ice Hockey World Championships, which are hosted by their home country of Switzerland. The song is entitled "Live for the Action".

As of March 3, 2010 their latest album, Hoodoo including cover to Steppenwolf's classic "Born To Be Wild" and more ten songs, is available in stores (at least in Switzerland). It comes in a regular edition and also in a what they call "limited" edition (even though it is unlikely to be "limited" in the regular sense, but rather just a "special version") that comes packed with a (most likely exclusive) DVD featuring concert footage.

Studio albums

* Krokus (1976)
* To You All (1977)
* Painkiller / Pay It In Metal (1978)
* Metal Rendez-vous (1980)
* Hardware (1981) UK #44
* One Vice at a Time (1982) US #53, UK #28
* Headhunter (1983) US #25, UK #74
* The Blitz (1984) US #31
* Change of Address (1986) US #45
* Heart Attack (1988) US #87
* Stampede (1990)
* To Rock or Not to Be (1995)
* Round 13 (1999)
* Rock the Block (2003)
* Hellraiser (2006) US #200
* Hoodoo (2010)

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Comment by Niels (Mod) on July 28, 2010 at 7:06am
Well, I guess my favorite album was "Hardware", and my favorite song was "Tokyo night". I don't listen much to Krokus these days, but I've added a playlist, so I can refresh my mind and anybody else can listen to some old european heavy rock.
Comment by Jon on July 27, 2010 at 5:28pm
Yeah, me too Niels. Then I kind of shyed away from them after "The Blitz" came out. Not a good followup to "Headhunter" (which, to me, is their definitive album).
Comment by RJhog (Admin) on July 27, 2010 at 3:33pm
I don't really know their music, but I liked the stuff Scott put in the NMC.
Comment by Niels (Mod) on July 27, 2010 at 3:27pm
I was a minor Krokus-fan around 1981-1983, and I bought Metal Rendez-vous, Hardware, One vice at a time and Headhunter.
 

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In Memory Of

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

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