Krokus ... they are an institution in the Rock-genre, not only in Switzerland, also internationally. After beeing 40 years in the business Krokus still deliver what they can do best: typical riff-oriented old-school Rock'n'Roll with lots of groove, tons of stunning guitar solos and crispy vocals in the vein of AC/DC and Status Quo.
First thing to mention on "Dirty Dynamite" is the return of guitarist Mandy Meyer. After beeing busy with Unisonic last year, Mandy found the time to join his old band and it all sounds like he has never left Krokus. Now we have three (!) guitarists on here and they all fit together very well. The guitar sound is earthy and clear. The great production by Chris Von Rohr gives each instrument enough space to shine. I've rarely heard such a tight musicianship in the last few months. Shouter Marc Storace sounds still like the little brother of Brian Johnson and delivers perfect vocal performances with his raspy voice.
But what about the songs? The opening track "Hallelujah Rock'n'Roll" shows Krokus in top form: great riffs, great hooks and a chorus line, which animates you to sing along. What do you want more? It's the same with "Go Baby Go" and "Rattlesnake Rumble".
"Dirty Dynamite" is the first single and it sounds so wonderfully old-school. Imagine you're sitting in a bar with a cold beer in your hands, talking to your friends and the girls are dancing to this song, which is played by the jukebox. Amazing track, that makes you shake your asses.
"Help" is a Beatles-cover song and a real good one. It's not just a cover ... it sounds like a completly new song. Krokus made it a fantastic power ballad with guest vocals by Tommy Heart.
"Dög Song" seems to be the little brother of "Highway To Hell" and "Bailout Blues" sounds a lot like the classic "All Night Long". "Yellow Mary" has also a terrific chorus.
The only weak moment on this album is "Live Ma Life" - average song with no highlights in it.
Ok if you want to search for critical points you will also find them: Krokus copy a lot ... in fact mostly they copy from themselfs. Some songs sound way the same and on every corner this album reminds you at a certain iconic band from Australia. I've criticized this very hard in my Voodoo Circle Review (sounds way too much like Whitesnake), but Krokus have the advantage that they've coined this style of music alongside AC/DC forty years ago. So I can overlook these similarities.
So in conclusion I can only say that "Dirty Dynamite" is the AC/DC - album we've all been waiting for, but which they have never written in the last 20 years. Every 70's Rock'n'Roll-fan should be pleased with this record! It's so much fun to listen to, I've always had a smile on my face while listening. It makes you move, jump, playing air guitar ... and sing along. Buy it!
9/10
Tracklist:
01. Hallelujah Rock'n'Roll *
02. Go Baby Go *
03. Rattlesnake Rumble
04. Dirty Dynamite *
05. Let The Good Times roll
06. Help (The Beatles-Cover) *
07. Better Than Sex
08. Dög Song
09. Yellow Mary *
10. Bailout Blues
11. Live Ma Life
12. Hardrocking Man
* best tracks
This is SCREAMIN'. On most of the tracks one would mistakenly think this is a new AC/DC they hadn't heard before. Fucking good!
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