It was just a couple years ago that, in the midst of what seemed to be the untimely end of Krokus, singer Marc Storace treated us with his debut solo outing, Live and Let Live. Although only a couple songs would’ve fit in on those classic Krokus outings of the early ’80s, it was still a highly enjoyable hard rock album, with many cuts coming off as homages to the giants of Storace’s youth (i.e. Zeppelin, Humble Pie, etc.). In the two and a half years that have passed since, surprise, Krokus is back (not that we’re complaining)! However, Storace’s namesake solo vehicle is proving to be more than a one off, flying through your stereo like an eagle with their second album, Crossfire.
Joining Storace for this second chapter is Tommy Henriksen of Alice Cooper and Warlock fame. Henriksen handles both production and co-writing duties, the latter of which also sees contributions from former Krokus drummer Pat Aeby. At the forefront, of course, is Storace himself, who at 73 manages to scream, shout, and shriek his way through a rock n’ roll album without breaking a sweat. Together, these hard rockin’ veterans have crafted an album that, for all purposes, could be the missing link between the straightforward heavy rock barrage of One Vice at a Time (1982) and commercialized arena-friendly fare of The Blitz (1984) with Crossfire.
Whereas Live and Let Live boasted a mere handful of Krokus moments, Crossfire is LOADED with them, wasting no time at all with the high octane “Screaming Demon”. With its pummeling power chords and those iconic sound barrier-shattering vocals of Storace at the forefront, we know we’re in for a hell of a ride. Honest to goodness bangers like “Love Thing Stealer”, “Let’s Get Nuts”, and “Hell Yeah” leave me with a big dumb smile on my face, absolutely walloping with its old school power. It’s as if the boys revisited Metal Rendez-Vous (1980), Hardware (1981), and the aforementioned Vice and said, “Let’s do that!”
Melodically inclined listeners will be drawn to arena metal anthems like “Rock This City”, “Adrenaline”, and “Thrill and a Kiss”. Indeed, even Krokus fell prey to the Def Leppard bug (What traditional metal/hard rock band didn’t?). While that era can best be described as hit or miss in retrospect, nuggets like these are more entertaining than anything, recalling the hook-laden maneuvers of classics like “Our Love” or “Midnite Maniac”. There aren’t many moments that recall the metallized assault of Headhunter (1983), but the broodingly heavy “Sirens” comes close, treating us to Storace’s fieriest vocal performance on the entire album.
If you plan on picking up Crossfire, and any self respecting rocker should, be sure to wear a pair of mitts, because this bad boy is HOT. Quick and to the point, Crossfire is a high volume, high energy, no BS celebration of four on the floor drumming, raucous riffage, and the man of the hour, Mr. Marc Storace. Whether or not we’ll get one more studio outing from Krokus remains to be seen. Until then, Crossfire is the next best thing. Get it while it’s hot!
7 out of 10
Label: Frontiers Records
Genre: Hard Rock
For fans of: Krokus, AC/DC, Def Leppard
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