Krokus – Hoodoo (2010)
Krokus is back with their sixteenth (gasp!) studio effort, Hoodoo.
The band has reunited with their classic lineup of Chris von Rohr, Fernando von Arb, Freddy Steady, Mark Kohler and Marc Storace. The end result is a CD that shows the band firing on all cylinders.
Marc Storace doesn’t attempt to those high-pitched screams like he did in the eighties, but the music is so good, I doubt you will miss them. Fernando Von Arb and company seem to be playing with a renewed vigor, and Hoodoo shines as a result of it.
The opening song “Drive It In” feels a whole lot like an AC/DC tune. Nonetheless this song flat-out rocks and gets Hoodoo started on the right pace.
The first single from the album, “Hoodoo Woman” is a good tune with a ZZ Top like vibe to it. ( Check it out in the video below.) I like the song, but it is far from the best song on Hoodoo.
I am not sure why the band chose to cover the Steppenwolf classic, Born to Be Wild. Countless bands (i.e. The Cult, Hinder, Raven) have covered this one already. A minor guitar tweak on this song by Fernando Von Arb gives this song a fresh feel, and I like this cover version the best out of all of them.
I must admit that I thought the lyrics of “Rock’n Roll Handshake” were kind of silly at first, but the more I hear this song, the more I want to sing along with it. It is a very catchy tune.
When I first listened to the intro on “Too Hot”, the Foreigner song “Hot Blooded” immediately came to mind. It starts off in a similar fashion. Overall, I felt that song was fairly ordinary, but the guitar fills from Fernando Von Arb take it up a notch.
“In My Blood” is a hard rockin’, foot-tapper that helps kick Hoodoo back in gear. I absolutely love the bluesy rocker “Dirty Street”. “Keep Me Rollin” is one of the faster tunes on Hoodoo, and is another great one!
In my opinion, Krokus saved the best for last with their scorcher “Firestar”.
Every time I finish listening to Hoodoo, I want to hit repeat and play it again. Krokus has turned out their best album since the classic ’84 album, The Blitz. You gotta get this!
You can check out the band’s 9-minute video press kit for the new album here.
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Drive It In
- Hoodoo Woman
- Born To Be Wild
- Rock’n Roll Handshake
- Ride Into The Sun
- Too Hot
- In My Blood
- Dirty Street
- Keep Me Rollin
- Shot of Love
- Firestar
Krokus is:
Marc Storace – Lead Vocals
Chris Von Rohr – Bass, Vocals
Fernando Von Arb – Guitar, vocals
Mark Kohler – Guitar
Freddy Steady – Drums
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I’ve been a Krokus fan since Hardware (1980) and it’s great to have the classic Krokus lineup back. Krokus follows their same formula (AC/DC styled boogie woogie Hard Rock) and they do it well. I agree, the album sounds familiar but fresh…..the only thing missing is a couple really uptempo songs with a little more crunch to them. A solid record.
I should have a review of this album up at Heavy Metal Addiction today.
Sorry……..Hardware was released in 1981!
I found this album very enjoyable. Yes part of these songs sound very familiar yet fresh at the same time. Without duplicating entire songs they create new ones without making rip-offs. Good songs, great production, and easy to enjoy. Good job, Krokus!
THE PAST IS BACK TO KICK OUR ASS… AND IT’S KROKUS!!
Stone