Krokus 2006

A “Big Warm Welcome” to the return of the Swiss Rock Giant – KROKUS - was felt already at some Swiss Summer Festivals in 2002. The sheer enthusiasm from the band’s loyal fans led to a straight-up number one hit in the Swiss National Charts immediately upon the release of the latest studio album named “Rock The Block” in early 2003!

Krokus, who accomplished Gold and Platinum rankings in the “Top 100” of the American Billboard charts during the 80`s, always achieved admirable chart positions in their own country, but never a straight-up No.1 placing … up to now.

The build-up to Krokus`s successful “comeback” started in late 2001 when Marc Storace, the band’s charismatic frontman with his trademark voice, returned to join forces with old band mate and lead guitarist Fernando Von Arb. Tony Castell played in the 1999 line-up of Krokus and was simultaneously Storace’s bass player in Marc’s solo project. Dominique Favez on rhythm guitar and Patrick Aeby on drums also played in Marc’s solo project. This combination of a proven powerhouse and established foundation made it a natural decision to join forces as the new “explosive” Krokus line-up.

Full of energy and raw enthusiasm the band concentrated on song writing and studio recording. To be able to record a CD that truly “rocked”, the band headlined some summer festivals in 2002. That enabled them to get some reaction from the fans and make target corrections, if necessary. The “live” experience not only gelled the band closer but also stirred up a lot of excitement in their homeland from their fan base. The stage was set not just to “rock the block”, but also the “nation” and then the “world”!

The European tour that followed after the release of “Rock The Block” proved how powerful the band came across on stage. Marc`s unparalleled high-powered vocal performance, Fernando`s frenzied precision guitar playing with Tony, Dom and Pat creating a tight steady rock, made every concert an event.

In 2004 the band released a “live” double CD. ”Fire and Gasoline” was recorded in Sweden as well as Switzerland and captures twenty greatest hits from a career that has spanned over three decades. This CD showcases the success of the eighties and the comeback of this century. Press reactions from all over the world confirmed that Krokus earned the respect of insiders as well as fans far beyond Switzerland’s borders. A bonus DVD “Live At Montreux” is part of the European CD release of “Fire & Gasoline”. A guaranteed feast of sight and sound!

With these two recent releases, Krokus has shown that they do not just sit on their laurels. And that they are as strong as in their heydays, if not stronger. After all, Krokus have left their mark on rock history with classic rock albums/CD’s like “Metal Rendezvous”, “Hardware”, “Headhunter” and “The Blitz” in the eighties. A tribute to their talent is that hits from those recordings still stand the test of time today and sound as fresh as when they were recorded. And that “voice”.….. those unforgettable, giving chills down the spine, powerful vocal performances of the one and only Marc Storace. His voice and Krokus’s legacy with the immortal rock hits like “Heatstrokes”, “Tokyo Nights”, “Long Stick Goes Boom”, “Midnite Maniac”, “Bedside Radio”, “American Woman” and the more recent “Mad World” and “Rock The Block”, not forgetting the passionate epic ballad “Screaming In The Night”. Want proof that they stood the test of time? Listen to the “live” double CD “Fire & Gasoline” and you’ll agree.

Next stop: Revisit America. After all that’s where Krokus celebrated their greatest success and sold the majority of their 10 million plus records. That makes them Switzerland’s most successful rock export ever! Already planned, the US tour had to be postponed due to Fernando’s problems with his wrist and consequently minor surgery on his left wrist. The “forced” break during the recovery process made Fernando come to the realization that the touring was not for him anymore. Lead guitarist since practically the beginning, he single-handedly held the band together through the leaner years. Von Arb and Marc had written plenty of hits through the years. And yet he did not want to hold Krokus back. Von Arb and the band parted amicably early in 2005.

Timing is everything! Marc connected with guitarist Mandy Meyer, who was a member of Krokus and toured on the British, European & American tours in the early 80’s. Mandy is a welcome addition to the future success of Krokus, having toured worldwide with Cobra, Katmandu & Asia makes him an experienced and seasoned pro. He recently parted with another popular Swiss band called Gotthard and was up to the challenge when Marc contacted him. Not only would he be able to play live again the hits of yesterday but also create and compose the hits of tomorrow.

Krokus with Mandy on guitar followed through on their first US tour since 1988 in September and October of 2005. Starting out on the East coast and finishing on the West coast, Krokus rocked the USA! November had them rocking in Russia and in December they rocked again in Sweden.
The first week of the new year brought Krokus a new drummer by the name of Stefan Schwarzmann. He nicely rounds up the missing link in their rhythm section in time for the new album recordings. Under the watchful eye of producer Dennis Ward, Krokus started recording their follow-up album to "Rock The Block" in Karlsruhe/Germany during the months of February and March 2006. At the same time other projects featured Krokus as well. The release of the European movie "Handyman" featured Krokus with a song called "Hellraiser" (the music of which was re-recorded and became the title track for the forthcoming album "Hellraiser". Additionally, "Knightsdivine", one of the leading online-middle-age-strategy-games asked Krokus to compose a theme song for the game (for more info click on "links"). A triumphant return to Swedenrock 2006 took place in June, where Krokus performed in front of 30,000+ fans. The month of May found Krokus rocking Germany, a welcome change from the recording sessions and a chance to showcase the new line-up with German drummer Stefan and getting fan reactions on some of the freshly recorded material. Other exciting news for fans worldwide was the creation of the Krokus "Globe Club". Under the watchful eye of Peter Waelti, who knows the band and Marc in particular over 3 decades (see link "Globe Club"), our loyal fans will receive the personal attention they so much deserve. Between middle of September and latter part of October, the new album "Hellraiser" and the single "Angel of my dreams" will be released in Europe, Russia, Australia, Israel, the Americas and as far as Asia. Krokus never fails to deliver! A worldwide tour in support of the "Hellraiser" release will follow starting as early as October 2006 and going strong into 2007.


original text can be found at http://krokusonline.seven49.net/seven49.asp?IDCMainActiv=5773&CathActiv1=138&CathActiv2=675&IDCMainQueue=