Tag: Chris Von Rohr
5 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
0 Krokus – Metal Rendez-vous (Release Year – 1980)
Metal Rendez-vous may have been Krokus’ fourth offereing, but it is easily one of their most important releases. This album marked the debut of singer Marc Storace with Krokus. It is the voice of Storace that helped change the sound of the band, and got them on the road to success.
The big hits from Krokus would come later in their career, but that is not to say that Metal Rendez-vous isn’t worth a look. This album boasts some pretty good rockers that deserve some plays today. “Heatstrokes”, “Come On” and “Back Seat Rock ‘N’ Roll” are probably the best of the rockers on this album. “Streamer” is one of the better slow 
tracks in the entire Krokus catalog.
Metal Rendez-vous has some very solid axe work by Tommy Kiefer (R.I.P.) and Fernando Von Arb. At times they offer up some bluesy bar room guitar, and on songs like “Come On” they absolutely shred.
One listen to Marc Storace, and is easy to tell how his voice had such an impact on this band. He kicks ass on this disc, as he does on so many other of Krokus’ albums.
Die hard Krokus fans probably already own this disc. New fans should certainly check this disc out. I enjoy this from time to time, and I think you will too.
For more information on Krokus, check out their website at this link. You can purchase Metal Rendez-vous here.
Rating:
Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Heatstrokes
- Bedside Radio
- Come On
- Streamer
- Shy Kid
- Tokyo Nights
- Lady Double Dealer
- Fire
- No Way
- Back-Seat Rock’N’Roll
Krokus is:
Marc Storace – Singer
Tommy Kiefer – Guitars
Fernando Von Arb – Guitars
Chris Von Rohr – Bass
Freddy Steady – Drums
Juerg Naegeli – Keyboards
