Retro Album Review: Krokus – Headhunter

Krokus was one of those bands that as a kid you just kinda had to like. They were metal. They were loud, they were fast, and their singer Marc Storace could sing his fucking ass. I’m talking banshee screams from the depths of hell. While these guys sounded awesome, they were without a doubt one of ugliest bands in metal. I mean, they all looked like busboys as the local Italian restaurant or something. I mean, just look at these guys:

Yeah, I know right. Well, who gives a fuck what they look like. These guys were fucking rad as fuck. Twin guitar harmonies, kick ass vocals, double bass drums and lyrics like:

Don’t give me politics
Don’t give me public schools
Just keep your cops and t.v. priests
We’re breaking all the rules
I am the raging bull
No fear, No Sympathy
Sex and drugs and rock and roll
That’s my cup of tea.

Well, lemme tell ya. At 40 those lyrics to “Headhunter” look pretty fucking ridiculous but at 12 years old, I was pumping my fist and saying, “Right on dude! You know it!” I mean, in all reality if you think about it, this music wasn’t necessarily made for the mature thinking individual. So much of metal back in the day was about appealing to the rebellious youth. Even the 2nd song “Eat the Rich” sounded a bit ridiculous to my 40 year old ears but at the same time, it made me smile while riding a wave of nostalgia song after song. “Stand Up and Be Counted” is another anthem for the youth and this is a great song. It’s nowhere near as over the top and corny as “Headhunter” and it’s actually really a cool tune. It almost sounds like it could’ve been an Alice Cooper song ala Constrictor or something.

This album is pretty rad and there are some really cool tunes on it but the masterpiece of this platter is without a doubt “Screaming in the Night.” “Screaming in the Night” is pretty much the song that Krokus is best known for and I have to say that this is a great thing. In my opinion, “Screaming in the Night” is one of the greatest metal songs of all time. Everything about it is just perfect in my opinion. It’s got so many cool layers to it and Storace’s voice is absolutely out of this fucking stratosphere.

Headhunter was a fun album to revisit but in all honesty, I have to say that I’d like to leave it where it belongs and that’s in 1983. It’s a great piece of nostalgia but it’s no wonder why Krokus never went on to be a long staying metal band. I really enjoyed Krokus as a kid and they were a big piece of my childhood. I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to listen to a Krokus album these days but I still stand by the fact that “Screaming in the Night” is one of the single greatest metal songs in existence. That song will continue to make lists and mix discs for as long as I’m around. It’s just a shame that nothing else they ever did managed to match the greatness of that single song.

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