Artist: Krokus  
   Title: Hellraiser
   Label: AFM Records

Krokus are a band who over the years have seen more than their fair share of band member changes since their arrival on the rock scene back in 1974.  With band members coming and going throughout the years, the one constant factor has been the band never surrender attitude in whatever form they took.

Now in 2006 the band return with Mark Storace on vocals and with Fernando Von Arb finally calling it a day, it was Mandy Meyer who once again got the call up to join Storace in this latest chapter in the Krokus story.  Completing the line-up are Dominique Favez on guitar, Tony Castell on bass and Stefan Schwarzmann on drums.

With a new record deal signed to AFM Records, the band have their eye on European conquest with a welcome return to form in the form of this new release ‘Hellraiser’.

The album opens up in typical Krokus style with the title track ‘Hellraiser’, a real hard rocker with that definite feel good factor that just does what it says on the label.  No frills rock n' roll as it should be, this vein is continued with 'Too Wired To Sleep'. 

But it's the likes of ‘Angel Of My Dreams’ that really show the world once again the splendour of Storace’s vocals, and those guitars of Meyer and Favez sound simply superb.  This is the Krokus I remember, great hard rock from a great hard rock band.

The rock just keeps on coming with the hard-edged ‘Fight On’ before things take the gentler road with ‘So Long’.  Then it's time to really get things going with the twin guitar assault on ‘Spirit Of The Night’.

The album continues with ‘Midnite Fantasy’, a real classic Krokus style song that carries all the trade mark touches that made the band.  Once again Storace’s unmistakable vocals and Meyer’s guitars dominate the track.

Things get rocking once more with a couple of my favourite tracks off the album, the up tempo ‘No Risk No Gain’ and ‘Turnin Inside Out’, two tracks that remind me of Krokus of old and happy days as a young lad watching them perform live in concert.

Things slow down to more moderate pace with ‘Take My Luv’, the excellent ‘Justice’, and the Zeppelin-esque feel of ‘Luv Will Survive’, before the band leave us with wanting more with the album closer ‘Rocks Off!’.

The obvious Bon Scott resemblances have always been part of the Storace legacy but this shouldn’t be a problem for the band.  With this album as there is enough differing content to show what a real return to form Krokus have with this their latest release.

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