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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
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│ + Krokus - Change Of Address + │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
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│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.Feb-06-2015 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │
│║ Genre........Hard Rock Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........1995 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........09 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.krokusonline.com ║ │
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│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Krokus Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : Change Of Address Label : BMG ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ I could potentially go into massive detail with ║ │
│║ this review, but whoÆs going to read the damn ║ │
│║ thing anyway? So IÆll try keep it brief(ish). ║ │
│║ Krokus are a commercially successful band that ║ │
│║ capitalized on the (largely local) success of ║ │
│║ the Æ81 album æHardwareÆ and gained a string of ║ │
│║ record contracts with large company Arista, ║ │
│║ which lead to fairly big-budget efforts, and ║ │
│║ decent promotion, and the band having ║ │
│║ considerable record sales with especially ║ │
│║ æHeadhunterÆ but also æThe BlitzÆ and æOne Vice ║ │
│║ at a TimeÆ. Though always a fairly hard rock, ║ │
│║ commercial orientated band, playing a style ║ │
│║ often very similar to Australian titans ACDC ║ │
│║ (especially in æOne ViceàÆ, and at their hardest ║ │
│║ Saxon, Krokus has far more talent, and have ║ │
│║ released a much greater array of materials then ║ │
│║ many of the other bandwagon pop-star wannabe ║ │
│║ bands that played a similar style.not only that, ║ │
│║ but Krokus in an early incarnation was formed as ║ │
│║ early as Æ74, not only explaining their talent ║ │
│║ by the time the æ80s rolled around, but also ║ │
│║ their working class hard rock style, and why ║ │
│║ theyÆre far more respectable than the ║ │
│║ bandwagoniers of the mid-late 80Æs like ║ │
│║ Cinderella etc. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The aforementioned label deal with Arista did ║ │
│║ have itÆs downsides though, and this came here ║ │
│║ in the form of label company pressure. While the ║ │
│║ band had more freedom earlier own, from what I ║ │
│║ understand, and came out with the top-selling ║ │
│║ æHeadhunterÆ their opus effort, with far more of ║ │
│║ a heavy metal style (including guest appearance ║ │
│║ by Rob Halford), but afterward came under ║ │
│║ increasing pressure from Arista, to shape their ║ │
│║ sound according to the commercial clap-trap that ║ │
│║ was selling in the United States; which included ║ │
│║ watered down rock/glam metal with obnoxious ║ │
│║ production by bands like Autograph, Giuffria, ║ │
│║ Fate, Firehouse, Poison, Tuff, Tyketto etc. ║ │
│║ Though some of these bands were great, it was ║ │
│║ not really where KrokusÆ allegiances lied; they ║ │
│║ were a veteran band that had defined their sound ║ │
│║ with æOne ViceÆ and æHeadhunterÆ but since that ║ │
│║ had to increasingly commercialize their sound at ║ │
│║ the behest of record company execÆs. Not only ║ │
│║ here, but also in æThe BlitzÆ this had a big ║ │
│║ effect on the sound. For these reasons, this ║ │
│║ album was largely watered down, and panned by ║ │
│║ longtime fans of this band. It has been referred ║ │
│║ to as their ôworst album to dateö. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Exhaustive history aside, this album is a bit ║ │
│║ worse than their other æ80s material, and ║ │
│║ features some pretty throwaway material, such as ║ │
│║ the lame æHard Luck HeroÆ with itÆs candy-ass ║ │
│║ riffage, lame lyrics and pathetic subject ║ │
│║ matter. This song epitomizes whatÆs wrong with ║ │
│║ the album, and points clearly to record ôexecu- ║ │
│║ botö interference (to quote Futurama. Krokus ║ │
│║ themselves state that this commercially ║ │
│║ acceptable masterpiece took them the longest ║ │
│║ production time out of any of their works to ║ │
│║ this date, and puts the onus on Tom Werman, ║ │
│║ producer, as well as the company as a whole. You ║ │
│║ can hear when listening to the song, the ║ │
│║ passionless, defeated tone in Marc StoraceÆs ║ │
│║ voice, and the whimpering, cowardly sound of ║ │
│║ Fernando von Arb and Marc KohlerÆs guitars, who ║ │
│║ have crafted some excellent stuff in the past, ║ │
│║ especially with their strong rhythm section, who ║ │
│║ is as tight as SaxonÆs at times. Anyway, this is ║ │
│║ the worst song, and itÆs not all bad, but ║ │
│║ basically itÆs the record companies fault. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The simplistically opener æNowÆ is pretty ║ │
│║ decent, and while being commercially infused, it ║ │
│║ has some balls to it, at least. The production ║ │
│║ job on this album is really commercial, spacey ║ │
│║ and complex, as was the style, but it does make ║ │
│║ for some cool guitar tones in the solos, though ║ │
│║ often the riffs (which in the chorus here are ║ │
│║ actually quite cool) are softened up, and turned ║ │
│║ down. Incredibly catchy, this one is a wee bit ║ │
│║ closer to the classic Krokus sound, with an ║ │
│║ overall sound that is more inline with their ║ │
│║ direction, but a production/mixing job that ║ │
│║ tries to ôglam it upö a bit, making it sweeter, ║ │
│║ and more inline with current trends. Storace ║ │
│║ proves he still has a great voice, and the band ║ │
│║ as a whole shows they still have a knack for ║ │
│║ crafting catchy as hell hooks. His pitch changes ║ │
│║ are as smooth as a babyÆs behind, and he ║ │
│║ executes with balls in the gutsy chorus. The ║ │
│║ problem is the interference in production; drums ║ │
│║ sound candy-ass, like a drum machine, and are ║ │
│║ incredibly quiet, even if the pyrotechnic ║ │
│║ explosions are cool. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Though æNowÆ is less-forced but with totally ║ │
│║ obnoxious production, others are not so lucky. ║ │
│║ æHot Shot CityÆ, though featuring some of the ║ │
│║ classic Krokus style ACDCish guitar, has pretty ║ │
│║ lame lyrics, reminding me of a lame version of ║ │
│║ their party anthem from æHeadhunterÆ æStayed ║ │
│║ Awake all NightÆ. Basically this is the record ║ │
│║ company trying to copy æDancing in the StreetÆ ║ │
│║ by Van Halen, but in the style of Giuffria. Some ║ │
│║ cool guitars, but you canÆt hear them over the ║ │
│║ intrusive keyboards and thinned out, turned-down ║ │
│║ production. On of the shittier efforts along ║ │
│║ with æHard Luck HeroÆ. I donÆt mind this style ║ │
│║ of music when itÆs done well by band who from ║ │
│║ the start were commercial endeavours (which you ║ │
│║ donÆt take as seriously), but when itÆs done by ║ │
│║ a band that can a) rock hard, and b) is ║ │
│║ obviously not their sound and more obviously ║ │
│║ record company interference, itÆs just no good. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ æLet the Love BeginÆ sounds like KISSÆ ║ │
│║ early/late æ80s material, and is a ballad that ║ │
│║ features a very locked in, tight rhythm section ║ │
│║ and guitars, that while technical, would be nice ║ │
│║ sounding if the production job didnÆt have their ║ │
│║ greasy mits all over them. Storace is on form, ║ │
│║ and vocal phrasing in the chorus is ok, but the ║ │
│║ chorus is a little saccharin, with female backup ║ │
│║ vocals and lame lyrics. Guitars here again ║ │
│║ drowned out by keys, and the solo feels like it ║ │
│║ doesnÆt fit with the music; like the guitars ║ │
│║ were forced to write something quick and ║ │
│║ commercial, rather than the awesome, passionate ║ │
│║ solos you get from Iron Maiden that are like ║ │
│║ climaxes organically developed with the song as ║ │
│║ a whole, and pushing forward the themes and ║ │
│║ meaning. Some of the other songs are catchy and ║ │
│║ okay, but often sound forced and watered down. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ In summation this album is a victim of record ║ │
│║ ôexecu-botsö. Many of the songs are just plain ║ │
│║ not where Krokus would want to go. Sure, after ║ │
│║ æHeadhunterÆ they had been getting cleaner and ║ │
│║ more commercial, but this just crosses the line. ║ │
│║ The subject matters often seem forced, like ║ │
│║ ôright a song about thisö and ôno, no, we canÆt ║ │
│║ write about thatö and the production, though ║ │
│║ fine for bands like Giuffria or Kick Axe, here ║ │
│║ is just intrusive. This is the biggest example ║ │
│║ of producer interference I can think of, and ║ │
│║ itÆs no wonder it disappointed many long time ║ │
│║ fans, especially when you consider many were ║ │
│║ mature rockers by this time. It didnÆt sell well ║ │
│║ like the company hoped, and instead marred the ║ │
│║ bands reputation, which they would take some ║ │
│║ time (arguably to the turn of the millennium) to ║ │
│║ repair. Largely avoidable, considering how large ║ │
│║ their catalogue is, and how much better their ║ │
│║ earlier works were. I wouldnÆt hold it against ║ │
│║ the band though; youÆre locked into a contract, ║ │
│║ and we all know how badly these producers ║ │
│║ behaved, and how it is nearly impossible to ║ │
│║ weasel out of a record-contract without being ║ │
│║ sued for millions, or unable to record under ║ │
│║ that name. A sad chapter in KrokusÆ history. ║ │
│║ ║ │
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│║ ║ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 01 - Now [04:23] │
│ 02 - Hot Shot City [03:49] │
│ 03 - School's Out [03:17] │
│ 04 - Let This Love Begin [05:02] │
│ 05 - Burning Up The Night [03:46] │
│ 06 - Say Goodbye [05:18] │
│ 07 - World On Fire [06:13] │
│ 08 - Hard Luck Hero [04:13] │
│ 09 - Long Way From Home [05:07] │
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│ Total Length : [41:08 minn │
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│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
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│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
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