By the time 1980 came around, Krokus had already released four albums. Still, despite the perceived AC/DC ‘rip-off’ notoriety, these guys were actually pretty good, and ‘Metal Rendez-vous’ became their ‘big break’ in the international market.
Written by: gdmonline
ARTIST: Krokus
ALBUM: Metal Rendez-vous
LABEL: Ariola
SERIAL: ARL 5056 (UK), OL 1502 (USA)
YEAR: 1980
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Switzerland
LINEUP: Marc Storace – vocals * Tommy Kiefer – guitars * Fernando Von Arb – guitars * Chris Von Rohr – bass * Freddy Steady – drums
TRACK LISTING: 01 Heatstrokes * 02 Bedside Radio * 03 Come On * 04 Streamer * 05 Shy Kid * 06 Tokyo Nights * 07 Lady Double Dealer * 08 Fire * 09 No Way * 10 Back Seat Rock ‘n’ Roll
WEBLINKS: Site Link
Background
By the time 1980 came around, Krokus had already released four albums. From Switzerland, these guys changed horses like some guys change their cars. Krokus started life out as a prog based outfit during the mid-70’s, then diverted to a metal sound, with more than a headshake to the heroes of the time AC/DC.
Still, despite the perceived AC/DC ‘rip-off’ notoriety, these guys were actually pretty good, and ‘Metal Rendez-vous’ became their ‘big break’ in the international market, though it wasn’t until ‘Headhunter’ was released some years later that they truly broke in the US market. From about this album through to 1984’s ‘The Blitz’ LP, the band were regular producers of quality boogie/metal through the mid 80’s.
The Songs
One can’t help feeling that ‘Metal Rendez-vous’ has more than an ounce of riffarama, a la AC/DC, Status Quo, though perhaps a shade heavier than both of them. However, there are some memorable moments onboard, namely the pairing of the superb ‘Fire’ and the power-ballad ‘Streamer’. The more commercial efforts of ‘Heatstrokes’, ‘Bedside Radio’ and ‘Tokyo Nights’ are passable, though admittedly, Krokus’ songwriting skills did gradually improve over time.
In Summary
The bands output is worth checking out, though at a passing glance ‘Headhunter’ is a definite contender for your collection, while ‘One Vice At A Time’ and ‘Hardware’ are Ok though not compulsory. Krokus still continue to pump out great albums, and surprisingly, the band’s lineup circa 1982 reunited for 2010’s excellent ‘Hoodoo’ album.
Krokus on Video
Click to go to YTM album page.
