Rock Around The Block

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Wednesday 15 Nov 2006 (Michael Bugeja - The Malta Independent)

Ahead of the upcoming live concert by Swiss hard rockers Krokus in Valletta on 25 November, I copped a listen to the band’s latest album, Hellraiser, primarily to get an earful of what they are up to these days but also to prepare myself for their long-awaited Malta performance.

While there’s no question about the loyalty of their global fanbase, locally, the band commands a more particular respect, a lot of it down to their rock ‘n’ roll quotient but a good portion of it because we, the Maltese hold the band’s singer Marc Storace in high esteem! And rightfully so too because in all the years that Malta has had a rock scene, he is the only local artist to make it on a global scale. Now, for Marc and Malta’s rock fans alike, ‘the dream’ is finally coming true! In a way, we are lucky to get this chance at all, as Marc had left Krokus a few years back to pursue other projects. It is thanks to one of these projects, involving bass player Tony Castell that Marc again teamed up with guitarist Fernando Von Arb in 2001. The chemistry, as the cliché goes, was still there and Krokus mounted a comeback that peaked with the release of the ‘Rock the Block’ album, which entered the Swiss charts at No.1 before it was actually released!

With Von Arb having to quit due to a severe wrist injury last year, following up Rock The Block wasn’t going to be easy. In fact, the line-up on Hellrasier features a few new faces (including two guitarists to replace Von Arb), but that aside, the album lives up to expectations, with Marc clearly still at the top of his game and the rock still as powerful and punchy as ever. There are no surprises as far as style goes - the old school metal blueprint is still the order of the day. Then again all Marc ever wanted to do was rock, and Hellraiser packs 55 full minutes of it, balancing the party rock of the title track and closer Rocks Off against the radio-friendly AOR of Angel of My Dreams and Love Will Survive, the only exception being the pummelling grinder Spirit of the Night around the halfway mark. Fifteen studio albums and three decades down the line, Krokus are still banging out some of the best old school rock around. And while their commercial peak came long before the new millennium kicked in, Hellraiser is a sure sign that rock ’n roll never dies – it just grows stronger!

Krokus will be performing at the Old Power Station at the Valletta Waterfront on Saturday 25 November. Local bands Fire and Boys Next Door will be supporting. Tickets are available from all Exotique outlets, Simon’s Pub (Sliema), Rookie’s (Bugibba), Knight Music (Hamrun), Olimpus Music (Gzira), Elements Rock Café (Paceville), Wave Music (Floriana), Ministry of Music (B’Kara), Sunshine Bar (Gozo) or online at www.chooseaticket.com. The concert is being organised by Classic Rock Promotions.

Krokus website