Released by: The End Records
Release Date: March 5th, 2013
Genre: Hard Rock
Links: http://krokusonline.seven49.net/Web/
Line up:
Marc Storace: vocals
Chris Von Rohr: bass, vocals, producer
Fernando Von Arb: guitar, vocals
Mark Kohler: guitar
Mandy Meyer: guitar
Guests:
Kosta Zafiriou: drums
Mark Fox & Tommy Heart (vocals)
Tracklist:
Hallelujah Rock ‘n Roll
Go Gaby Go
Rattlesnake Rumble
Dirty Dynamite
Let The Good Times Roll
Help
Better Than Sex
Dög Song
Yellow Mary
Bailout Blues
Live Ma Life
Hardrocking Man
The Swiss are hailed for their diligence when it comes to recycling, so does their most famous and best selling musical product Krokus. Another stereotype of the Swiss that goes well with the band is their honesty and hard work. After almost 40 years the hard-rockers from the land of chocolate still know how the deliver the goods. “Dirty Dynamite” is their 19th album since 1974.
The band was best known in the early to mid eighties when their records sold by the millions. Their 1983 album ‘Headhunter is the best selling swiss record in history. But after that milestone their success faded slowly and when the music climate changed in the nineties no one, including myself I must confess, payed attention to the band anymore. The numerous changes in line up didn’t work well either. So I was a bit surprised to hear that they were still in the game.
With the return of guitarist Mandy Meyer (but with drummer Freddy Steady leaving in 2011) this album could really be a trip back to the days of Metal Rendezvous (1980) and Hardware (1981). At least I though it could be, but Dirty Dynamite is above all a tribute to Bon Scott. Marc Storace was always known for his Bon-like vocals but on this new one he became the perfect impersonator of the original AC/DC singer and that’s a bit sad in my opinion.
I only hear a bit of the own old Krokus sound in the bluesy title track and the catchy ‘Yello Mary’. But lucky enough there is also the deviating ‘Help’ a very nice, almost unrecognizible, rendition of the classic Beatles track where guitarist Fernando Von Arb does a nice vocal job too. Maybe the band got inspired to do this one since they recorded the album in the legendary Abbey Road Studios.
Lyrically, the band also tells nothing new. ‘Ask me no questions I shoot from the hip’ sings Marc in ‘Let the good times roll’ and you’ll get an idea where we are talking about.
So a lot of recycling here, but makes this a bad record ? Absolutely not ! Krokus never scored high on originality but when it’s time to raise your fists and bang your heads the band still delivers some of the best energetic, feel-good rock ‘n roll songs you can imagine. Everything is there, from the dirty riffs and pounding rhythms to the in-your-face vocals.
The production by bassist Chris Von Rohr is solid and the fun-factor on this album is very high. Bottomline: Take off your shirt, get yourself a beer, put the disc in your stereo, rise the volume and yell : ‘Hallelujah Rock ‘n Roll’……
Written by Ruud
Ratings Ruud 8/10
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