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“Alive and Screamin’” (Re-Issue) KROKUS |
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After having toured for a decade with a relatively stable lineup, there were a few changes here and there, KROKUS had achieved worldwide recognition for themselves and their music. Marc Storace and Fernando Von Arb were right there with Jon Bon/Ritchie, Don Dokken/George Lynch and any other metal singer guitarist team you could name in the mid eighties. As a reward to themselves and in
order to cash in on all the success of their recent studio albums, “HEADHUNTER”
and “THE BLITZ” are truly essential KROKUS, the band recorded
several shows on their North American tour and released them as “ALIVE
AND SCREAMIN’” “ALIVE” features a representative cross
section of a typical KROKUS set The sound is immaculate as far as the recording but you do have the pleasure of the full live experience when one of the band members hits a bum note now and again. The bands biggest number in America, “Ballroom Blitz” is oddly missing but nearly everything else is here. “Eat the Rich,” “Screaming in the Night,” “Midnight Maniac” and “Headhunter” are pretty close to the studio versions with occasional bits and pieces added to distinguish them but the composite of it all is bright, energetic and enough to have you sing along to every track, classic KROKUS at their peak. The soloing on “Stayed Awake All Night” could be the definitive showcase of the period. Had KROKUS been in the spotlight for a wee bit longer then this would have been a full double live record but one disc is still a treasure worth having. Released by Spitfire Records. Review By David Lee |
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“THE BLITZ” (Re-Issue) KROKUS |
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KROKUS had managed to record some very good albums up until 1983, “HEADHUNTER” being the best of the bunch, but in 1984 the band issued something that was so far above the rest that anything else just doesn’t compare very well. “THE BLITZ” was written perfectly, timed perfectly, produced perfectly and brilliantly performed and it will forever baffle me as to why it wasn’t a much bigger hit commercially. I mean it is a platinum record but it should have done much more, maybe this second chance will push the total sales up a bit closer to where they should be. “THE BLITZ” is practically the bands “Best of” with “Midnight Maniac,” “Our Love,” “Ballroom Blitz” and “Rock the Nation” all competing to be the listeners favorite track. Dee Snider can’t do one of his retro-shows without playing one of these numbers and what is more, he shouldn’t! Less recognized as being the gems they are, are “Out of Control” and “Hot Stuff” each showcasing not only great performances by Marc Storace and Fernando Von Arb but incredible lyricism the likes of which was completely lost on most of the Metal bands that came later in the decade. The record ends, albeit temporarily because you can’t listen just once, with the live sounding “Ready to Rock” which is strange because it was actually “Ballroom Blitz” that was recorded live and in one take for this album. `For trivia buffs, this record also has a track co-written by a soon to be famous Bryan Adams, “Boys Night Out.” After listening to this track a couple of times you have to wonder what kind of Metal-Head Bryan Adams really must be under all that pop-rock makeup. A timeless record for any generation to latch onto, the quality and plain rockabillity of “THE BLITZ” can not be overstated. If you don’t have this disc already, why the hell not? Released by Spitfire Records. Review By David Lee
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“Round 13” KROKUS |
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This is KROKUS with Fernando Von Arb as the sole surviving member from the mid-eighties glory days still, it is patented KROKUS even without Marc Storace. The record begins with a Native American styled chant that is ridiculously catchy. You simply can’t listen to the thing and not pick up the chant. “Heya” may not be the most politically correct track in the world but it is one of the most fun to sing that KROKUS has ever done. From “Heya” we move onto a somewhat bitter look at the music business, “Money Back.” “Break Free” has an AC/DC kind of vibe to it, quite nice.” “Guitar Rules” is probably the best track on the disc and lives up to every implication of its name. The bass is enough to shake the screws from any arena barricade allowing the fans to storm the stage just so they can get close enough to feel the fullest force of the number. It is a similar story with “Suck My Guitar” a few songs later. “Gipsy Love” is almost funky, in a Stevie Ray Vaughn kind of way. Classic Blues based hard rock that slides into a firm Heavy Metal base. The basic theme with “ROUND 13” is simply to continue on doing what KROKUS was best known for, kick ass rock and roll as loud as is legally permissible, mission accomplished. The especially neat thing about records on Angel Air is that they all come with great packaging. Here there is a full band discography included so that you can be sure to go back through the recorded history of the band chronologically and see how it all culminated in “ROUND 13.” Released by Angel Air Records: http://www.angelair.co.uk/ Review By David Lee |
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“Stampede/ To Rock or Not To Be” (Re- Issue) KROKUS |
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To get two KROKUS records in the same package for the same price as a regular single disc is recommendation enough for purchase but when you are talking about some of the bands better recorded work you are far into “get this or give it all up” territory. Disc one is the entire “STAMPEDE” album, which was originally released in 1990. “STAMPEDE,” though it bore the name KROKUS, was a Fernando Von Arb solo record. Von Arb probably wouldn’t appreciate me saying this but when you have no original members and the voice of Marc Storace is absent, what else can you say? Still, it is an incredibly good album in the KROKUS style. Another stranger than strange aspect of this record is that the band’s lead guitarist, Von Arb, doesn’t play guitar on the album! He is listed as the bands bass player leaving the guitars to Many Maurer and Tony Castell. Highlights abound but the brightest ones are easily found in “Electric Man,” “In the Heat of the Night” (a beautiful and peerless song in terms of pure emotive effect) and “Rhythm of Love” which would have had panties hitting the concert floor in the first few notes if it had only been released a few years earlier. There are a pair of bonus tracks here “Wastland” which burns for over seven minutes making me wonder why it wasn’t on the original version and then the classic “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet” (by Bachman Turner Overdrive in case you didn’t know). The second disc is from the 1994 re-union record with Marc Storace, Mark Kohler, Many Maurer, Freddy Steady and Fernando Von Arb back on guitar. The title says it all, “To
Rock or Not To Be” and the band definitely decided to be. This is
classic KROKUS circa 1985 and the band references those days frequently
throughout the disc. The fans had not forgot either as the record sold
well and the accompanying tour boasted full houses so much more impressive
is that this was during the height of the The writing is some of the group’s best with the title track acting as the bands combined manifesto and foot in the ass of the naysayers. Another brilliant track is the drivingly moody “In the Dead of Night” which itself is deserving of some kind of separate distinction, maybe a maxi-single CD? Naw, too late for that. “Natural Blonde” speaks of Pearl necklaces, the kind groupies collect and musicians can always afford at each stop on the tour where “Doggy Style” satisfies the needs of the rest of the female fans who don’t want their hair inadvertently messed. As with the first disc there are two bonus tracks and, hey, guess what? One of them is yet another version of “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet.” The other is “Stormy Nights.” These two discs are historical landmarks now but vital Metal music nonetheless and at a price that can’t be beat. The liner notes are still another bonus with period photos that you are not likely to find anywhere else. Released by Angel Air Records: http://www.angelair.co.uk/ Review By David Lee
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“Headhunter” (Re-Issue) KROKUS |
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For most died in the wool KROKUS fans “HEADHUNTER” is the best that the band got and that was damn good as far as anyone else should be concerned anyway. Produced by Tom Allom, who was in the middle of his stint as JUDAS PRIEST’s producer, this record boasts a twin guitar assault that is only slightly less lethal than the one that Allom coaxed from Tipton and Downing on their “SCREAMING FOR VENGEANCE” record. Marc Storace is more of a middle ground singer than Rob Halford still there is justifiable comparison there as well. The title track was a concert favorite for year after its release and would have its “Sex drugs and Rock and Roll now that’s my cup of tea” line repeated by anyone who had ever heard the name KROKUS. “Eat the Rich” appeared here a few years before the MOTORHEAD song of the same name and is constantly being confused for the latter by journalists who should know better. I love you to Lem but I like this one better anyway. Remembering that this is 1983 and the “Power Ballad” hasn’t really made much of a name for itself yet it was a pretty bold move for KROKUS to feature what would be considered pretty soft music by a lesser band with the epic “Screaming in the Night” I say epic because this was no mear three minute ditty, “Screaming” ran on for better than six minutes. I mean, for Christ’s sake the entire disc only runs for thirty-seven minutes and you wanted to spend six of ‘em on a ballad? Damn right you do and it is the best song on a considerably well written disc, certainly one of the best of the band's career as well. More Dudes banged chicks named Lisa and Jennifer to this song over the next year or so than ever since. This was a masterpiece of writing and performance that will get you slapped if you ever even thought of ranking it amongst other ballads of the era. The rest of the disc
is almost anti-climactic after its beginning trio. Maybe “Screaming”
should have been put at the end of the disc so as to better enjoy the
fire and smoke of “Ready to Burn and “Russian Winter,”
another title appropriated by countless other Metal bands, so here is
a suggestion, start on track four and go from there Released by Spitfire
Records. Review By David Lee |