Krokus – 鈥楧irty Dynamite鈥�
Switzerland鈥檚 most successful hard rock band delivers another explosive album, following up 2010鈥檚 all-out audio assault 鈥淗oodoo.鈥�
A guttural dog growl opens the new Krokus album indicating that there will be plenty of bite to follow, leading into the rousing rock anthem 鈥淗allelujah Rock n鈥� Roll.鈥� Having sold more than 14 million records, the Swiss rockers deliver a frenetic album filled with straightforward rock arrangements made loud to be played loud.
My curiosity with Krokus was piqued after hearing 1983鈥檚 鈥淗eadhunter,鈥� featuring the stunning power ballad 鈥淪creaming in the Night.鈥� The next album, 鈥淭he Blitz,鈥� would completely win me over with a jolting cover of Sweet鈥檚 鈥淏allroom Blitz鈥� and the Def Leppard-sounding 鈥淢idnite Maniac.鈥�
Of course, this would all eventually lead to my weekly Saturday night ritual of watching three hours of MTV鈥檚 鈥淗eadbangers Ball鈥� during my senior year of college. Good times indeed. The good times continue to roll on Krokus鈥� 17th studio album with the core of the classic lineup together with Marc Storace on vocals, Chris Von Rohr on bass, Fernando Von Arb on guitar, Mark Kohler on guitar and the return of Mandy Meyer rounding out the three-guitar attack. Storace鈥檚 voice is a dead ringer for AC/DC鈥檚 late singer Bon Scott.
During the opening lines of 鈥淕o Baby Go,鈥� it鈥檚 hard to tell the difference between the two singers as the thundering arrangement is clearly reminiscent of AC/DC鈥檚 鈥淒irty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.鈥� Oddly enough, Storace was considered as Scott鈥檚 replacement but turned down the chance to audition. Songs such as 鈥淩attlesnake Rumble,鈥� 鈥淟ive Ma Life鈥� and the title track are seasoned with bluesy rock swagger as the guitar riffs aggressively deliver a down-and-dirty tone to Storace鈥檚 raspy vocals.
One surprise contained on the album is a cover of 鈥淗elp!鈥� by the Beatles.
Perhaps the band was inspired by recording the new material at Abbey Road Studios in London as they turn the Lennon/McCartney classic into a soaring Axel Rose-style power ballad with help from German heavy metal vocalist Tommy Heart. The album closes with 鈥淗ardrocking Man,鈥� a Southern rock-tinged powerhouse complete with slide guitar as Storace announces, 鈥淲e鈥檙e gonna have a party/We鈥檙e gonna be rocking tonight.鈥�
After nearly 40 years of putting out memorable in-your-face rock music, Krokus once again lights the fuse to a long stick that goes boom.