Krokus (band)
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2010) |
Krokus | |
|---|---|
 Krokus in 2008 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Solothurn, Switzerland |
| Genres | Hard rock, heavy metal |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Labels | AFM, Arista, MCA |
| Members | Chris von Rohr Fernando Von Arb Marc Storace Dominique Favez Mandy Meyer Flavio Mezzodi |
| Past members | See Member history section |
| Website | www |
Krokus is a hard rock and heavy metal band from Switzerland. They enjoyed great success in North America during the 1980s.
Krokus was founded in Solothurn in 1975 by bassist (and original lead vocalist) Chris von Rohr and guitarist Tommy Kiefer. Former TEA vocalist Marc Storace joined the band as frontman in time for their Metal Rendez-vous album in 1979.
History
Early career (1975–1982)
Krokus was formed in 1975 as a primarily progressive rock act. Chris von Rohr, originally the drummer, 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 that 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 in 1979. With the new line-up in place, the band recorded and released the album Metal Rendez-vous in 1980, which was Krokus' first hit and brought much wider international recognition.
The 1981 follow-up album, Hardware, was recorded at the Roundhouse 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. Lead guitarist Tommy Kiefer quit the band over musical differences early into the tour supporting Hardware and was replaced by then 19-year-old newcomer Mandy Meyer (ex-BM Smith). Kiefer died on December 24, 1986.[1][2]
Rise to popularity (1982–1988)
In 1982, with new American management, Krokus recorded One Vice at a Time, which features 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 and success in the United States.
1983's Headhunter was awarded Platinum album status in the United States and hit number 28 in the 1983 Billboard 200 album chart. 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". Bassist Chris von Rohr was fired in late 1983, prior to the band's appearance at the RockPop Festival in Dortmund, Germany, with rhythm guitarist Mark Kohler switching over to bass and Patrick Mason, aka Patrick Mahassen, from the Swiss band Crown taking over rhythm guitar duties for the remainder of the Headhunter touring cycle.
1984 saw the band move in a more commercial direction with The Blitz, which featured a cover of Sweet's 1973 hit "The Ballroom Blitz". Though a commercial success, the album was panned critically. The band hit the Billboard Hot 100 with "Midnite Maniac" from that album and became the first Swiss act to do so. 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 and Screamin', as the band transitioned from Arista Records to MCA for the release of their Heart Attack album in 1988 in a desperate attempt to keep the band together which saw the return of bassist Chris von Rohr. After an intense period of recording and touring for much of the 1980s the band went on hiatus at the end of 1988.
Later years (1989–2006)
Guitarist Fernando von Arb would remain the sole original member throughout most of the 1990s as Krokus carried on with ever changing line-ups. 1995 saw a brief reunion of the classic One Vice at a Time line-up, minus von Rohr, on the To Rock or Not to Be album. In 2003, the band released Rock the Block with the new line-up of Marc Storace on vocals, Fernando von Arb on lead guitar, Dominique Favez on rhythm guitar, Tony Castell on bass and Patrick Aeby on drums. In 2004 the same line-up released the live CD Fire and Gasoline.
In 2005, longtime lead guitarist Fernando von Arb left the band because of continuing wrist problems which required surgery. Mandy Meyer, who had played with the band in the mid-1980s, replaced von Arb in the then current line-up. The new formation (Storace, Meyer, Favez, Castell and Stefan Schwarzmann) 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". Prior to the album's release date, the band already released the ballad "Angel of My Dreams" as a downloadable MP3.[3]
Reunion with "classic lineup" (2007–2011)
On November 18, 2007, the line up featuring Chris von Rohr, Fernando von Arb, Freddy 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 led to their reunion concert on August 2, 2008 (with the addition of Mark Kohler). 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 April 20, 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 August 2, 2008, the band performed live in the Stade de Suisse in Bern. Krokus performed the official anthem of the 2009 Ice Hockey World Championships, hosted by Switzerland. The song was entitled "Live for the Action".
On March 3, 2010, the album Hoodoo including a cover version of Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild" and ten other songs, was released.[4] It came in a regular and limited edition, the latter containing a DVD featuring concert footage.[5]
In May 2011, drummer Fready Steady announced he was leaving the band.[6]
Reunion with Mandy Meyer and beyond (2012–present)
In December 2012, it was announced guitarist Mandy Meyer was once again rejoining the band after having filled in for an ailing Fernando von Arb at the Loud Park Festival in Japan in October 2011.[7][8] Krokus released their seventeenth studio album Dirty Dynamite on February 22, 2013.[9]
On April 21, 2013, it was reported that former drummer Dani Crivelli, who played on the band's 1988 Heart Attack, had died.[10] According to the German language Swiss daily Blick, Crivelli fell off a bridge in Trimbach, Canton of Solothurn, and did not survive the fall.[11]
Swiss drummer Flavio Mezzodi joined Krokus in May 2013 and played on their "Dirty Dynamite Tour".[12] The band sold out an unprecedented 4 shows at the Kofmehl (House of Rust) in their hometown of Solothurn. The concerts were recorded for an upcoming "live" album and the 4th concert was released as "Long Stick Goes Boom - Live From Da House Of Rust" in 2014.[13]
In April/May 2015 the band returned for some dates in the United States, where they had not performed since 2005. Fernando von Arb was not be part of that tour, as he cannot travel for long distances and Krokus performed as a 5-piece band. This was another reason why Mandy Meyer was brought back into the fold in 2013 as 2nd lead guitarist. Mark Kohler also needs to take longer leaves of absence from the band and in his place Dominique Favez will play once more rhythm guitar.[14] Dominique recorded on the 2003 Rock the Block album, 2004's Fire and Gasoline and 2006's Hellraiser and is no stranger to Krokus fans.
Origin of band name
The band name Krokus is German for crocus, a flower common throughout Europe. Early in the spring of 1975, band founder Chris von Rohr observed a field of these flowers while traveling by train. He was returning from L'Ecole des Chefs located in France after an aborted career in the culinary arts, and it was around this time the idea for the band was formed. The band members stated that it was the perfect name, since it featured "rok" in the middle.
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Certifications | Peak Chart Positions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Krokus | ||
| 1977 | To You All | ||
| 1978 | Painkiller / Pay It in Metal | ||
| 1980 | Metal Rendez-vous | Switzerland: 3×Platinum[15] | US No. 201 |
| 1981 | Hardware | Switzerland: Gold[15] | US No. 103, UK No. 44[16] |
| 1982 | One Vice at a Time | US No. 53, UK No. 28[16] | |
| 1983 | Headhunter | US: Gold[17] | US No. 25 UK No. 74[16] |
| 1984 | The Blitz | US: Gold[17] | US No. 31 |
| 1986 | Change of Address | US No. 45[18] | |
| 1988 | Heart Attack | US No. 87[18] Switzerland No. 5 | |
| 1990 | Stampede | Switzerland No. 18 | |
| 1995 | To Rock or Not to Be | Switzerland No. 5 | |
| 1999 | Round 13 | ||
| 2003 | Rock the Block | Switzerland: Gold[15] | Switzerland No. 1 |
| 2006 | Hellraiser | Switzerland: Gold[15] | US No. 200, Switzerland No.2 |
| 2010 | Hoodoo | Switzerland: Platinum[15] | Switzerland No. 1 |
| 2013 | Dirty Dynamite | Switzerland No. 1, Germany No. 17, Greece No. 29, Sweden No. 41, Austria No. 46, France No. 139 |
Live albums
- Alive and Screamin' (1986) US No. 97[18]
- Fire and Gasoline (2004)
- Long Stick Goes Boom: Live from da House of Rust (2014)
Compilation albums
- Early Days '75–'78 (1980)
- Stayed Awake All Night – The Best (1989)
- The Dirty Dozen (1993)
- Definitive Collection (2000)
- The Collection (2000)
- Best Of (2000)
- Headhunter Blitz (2002)
- Long Stick Goes Boom: The Anthology (2003)
Singles and EPs
- "Tokyo Nights" (1980)
- "Heatstrokes" (1980)
- "Bedside Radio" (1980)
- "Winning Man" (1981) No. 26 US Rock
- "Burning Bones" (1981) No. 46 US Rock
- "Rock City" (1981)
- "Long Stick Goes Boom" (1982) No. 22 US Rock
- "American Woman" (1982) No. 53 US Rock
- "Save Me" (1982)
- "Bad Boys Rag Dolls" (1982)
- "Stayed Awake All Night" (1983) No. 31 US Rock
- "Screaming in the Night" (1983) No. 21 US Rock
- "Eat The Rich" (1983) No. 33 US Rock
- "Midnite Maniac" (1984) No. 71 Billboard Hot 100, No. 10 US Rock
- "Ballroom Blitz" (1984)
- "Our Love" (1984) No. 22 US Rock
- "School's Out" (1986) No. 67 Hot 100
- "Screaming in the Night (Live)" (1987)
- "Let the Love Begin" (1987)
- "Let It Go" (1988)
- "Wild Love" (1988)
- "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" (1994)
- "I Want It All" (2003)
- "Angel of My Dreams" (2006)
Videos & DVDs
- The Video Blitz (1985, VHS & LaserDisc)
- Fire And Gasoline (2004, Bonus DVD)
- As Long As We Live (2004, DVD)
Members
- Current members
- Chris von Rohr - drums (1975-1977), lead vocals (1977-1979), bass (1979-1983, 1987-1989, 2008-present)
- Fernando von Arb - guitar (1976-2004, 2008–present)
- Marc Storace - lead vocals (1979-1988, 1994-1996, 2002-present)
- Mandy Meyer - guitar (1981, 2004-2007, 2012–present)
- Mark Kohler - guitar (1982-1988, 1994-1996, 2008-present)
- Flavio Mezzodi - drums (2013–present)
- session members
- Dominique Favez - guitar (2003-2006, 2014–present)
- Former members
- Daniel Debrit - lead vocals (1975-1976)
- Remo Spadino - bass (1975-1976)
- Tommy Kiefer - guitar (1975-1981) lead vocals (1976-1977)
- Freddy Steady - drums (1977-1982, 1994-1996, 2008–2011)
- Steve Pace - drums (1983)
- Tommy Keiser - bass (1985-1986)
- Dani Crivelli - drums (1987-1989)
Line-up history
| Album | Personnel |
|---|---|
| 1976 Krokus |
|
| 1977 To You All 1978 Pain Killer |
|
| 1979 Metal Rendez-Vous 1981 Hardware |
|
| 1982 One Vice At A Time |
|
| 1983 Headhunter |
|
| 1984 The Blitz |
|
| 1986 Alive And Screamin' 1986 Change of Address |
|
| 1988 Heart Attack |
|
| 1991 Stampede |
|
| 1995 To Rock Or Not To Be |
|
| 1999 Round 13 |
|
| 2003 Rock The Block 2004 Fire And Gasoline Live! |
|
| 2006 Hellraiser |
|
| 2010 Hoodoo |
|
| 2013 Dirty Dynamite |
|
| 2014 Long Stick Goes Boom: Live from da House of Rust |
|
Timeline
References
- ^ "KROKUS online – Tommy Kiefer biography page".
- ^ The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars: Heroin, Handguns, and Ham Sandwiches.
- ^ "New Single "Angel Of My Dreams"".
- ^ "Hoodoo" at exlibris.ch-online store
- ^ "Limited edition" CD/DVD
- ^ "Krokus official Homepage – News – DRUMMER FREDDY STEADY DECIDES TO LEAVE KROKUS". krokusonline.seven49.net. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Mandy Meyer returns to Krokus".
- ^ "Krokus official Homepage – News – MANDY MEYER REJOINS KROKUS". krokusonline.seven49.net. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Krokus: New Album Track Listing, Artwork Unveiled". BlabberMouth.
- ^ "Former KROKUS Drummer DANI CRIVELLI Dies".
- ^ "Drama um Krokus: Schlagzeuger tot!".
- ^ "Krokus Introduces New Drummer" on Blabbermouth May 6, 2013
- ^ "Long Stick Goes Boom - Live From Da House Of Rust".
- ^ "Krokus Official Home Page DOMINIQUE FAVEZ".
- ^ a b c d e "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Krokus')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
- ^ a b c Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 308. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ a b "American album certifications – Krokus". Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^ a b c "Krokus Album & Song Chart History | Billboard". Billboard. Retrieved April 24, 2011.
External links
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| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
