First Scorpions, then Priest, now...Krokus!

Dang, the old bands are dropping like flies. Now Krokus are planning to release a final album, followed by a farewell tour, in 2012.

KROKUS Planning 'One More Great Album', Followed By Farewell Tour - Mar. 23, 2011

Rob Cavuoto of Guitar International recently conducted an interview with KROKUS bassist Chris von Rohr. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Guitar International: What prevented you from coming to the U.S. to support "Hoodoo"?

Chris von Rohr: Because everyone in the U.S. was in financial trouble at the time. In 1984, you could get your flight and hotels paid for and then get money from the gig. With all the financial issues now, we can't go there to lose money or pay to play. KROKUS is not big where we can make a lot of money off ticket prices or merchandise. It doesn't make sense for us. In Europe we can fill up stadiums and make some money to survive. The only thing that would come close, is to go on tour with three other bands from that era and tour the U.S. We're missing the States. Even though we aren't the biggest of the big now, we still want to come back to the states and make up for the lost time. Hopefully the whole situation in the U.S. gets better soon, because the fans deserve to hear how this band rocks nowadays, there's no old fart bullsh*t here.

Guitar International: What does the future hold for KROKUS?

Chris von Rohr: To tell you the truth, if you wanna make God laugh, tell him your plans! We wanna make one more great KROKUS album to say goodbye. To do something that ends the legacy with pride and a good feeling. We started that with "Hoodoo" and plan to do one more, which will come out mid or end of 2012. Then a farewell tour to finish off our careers with pride. At the moment, we're just as good as we were in the "Headhunter" days. Marc [Storace, vocals] is hitting the high notes and singing his ass off. The band is tighter than ever and we're still having lots of fun. We want to close with something big and positive. Maybe a great live album and a DVD of all the classics plus some new stuff. Who knows, maybe we can make it in the U.S., because we miss the country that brought us rock 'n' roll, hot babes and coke a cola!

I could have sworn Krokus broke up in 1987 or so.

Face it man, we're ooooooooooooooooooooooold.

'Hoodoo' is a great album that continues in the grand tradition of previous Krokus albums by being as original as a Xerox copy but who cares because the album is fun, I doubt they will make it to the States which is a shame

wow - all we will be left with is nu-metal soon...

We're all getting old!

When grunge and nu-metal are considered old... the 80's is seen as ancient.

detuned wrote:

I could have sworn Krokus broke up in 1987 or so.

They were for a while, but have been active (mostly in Europe) since the mid 90s.

Scorps, ok. Priest. I get it. But now Krokus? That just smells like a cheap publicity stunt to drum up some interest in the band. I guarantee someone either in the band or at their record company is setting this up.

And really, what's the downside to all this? Lets say it works. They put out another album and tour and by some miracle this announcement works. They sell more than the dozen or so Hoodoo sold and they pack the clubs with folks clamoring to see Krokus "one last time". Success!! Drinks & blow for everyone!!

But wait. After that last album & tour, they decide that "the fans want this" so they send out the press release that they are coming out of retirement "for the fans" and put out another album and tour. The 100 or so fans that stuck with them this long won't mind. It's another Krokus album and tour! Yipee!! Success!! Drinks & blow for everyone!!

It's a win-win situation.



Jeebus, how did I get so cynical?

I'm glad Maiden are still around! Once all the old bands are gone it will be sad...

Troublezone wrote:

I'm glad Maiden are still around!

(Captain Kirk voice)
But for...how...LONG, Troublezone? For...HOW...LONG?

They did name their last album The FINAL Frontier. Maybe a little foreshadowing? Perhaps? Maybe? Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge, knowwhatImean.

Fat Freddy wrote:

Troublezone wrote:

I'm glad Maiden are still around!

(Captain Kirk voice)
But for...how...LONG, Troublezone? For...HOW...LONG?

A couple...more...albums. Hopefully.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

They did name their last album The FINAL Frontier. Maybe a little foreshadowing? Perhaps? Maybe? Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge, knowwhatImean.

Conquering a frontier can take awhile.

SAD SAD SAD because they were still making great albums every two years or so, like HOODOO or ROCK THE BLOCK.

Great band.

HEADHUNTER is an all time favourite.

Too bad, but everyhting comes to an end.

Luckily, bands like UDO, ACCEPT and MEGADETH are still around.

As for maiden, if they're gonna come out with more final frontier albums, no thanks...

Another one bites the dust ? That's too bad. It's a shame to see them go but I honestly haven't listened to anything by them since Change Of Address (the less said about that one,the better).

I really like the "Hoodoo" lp

and "yes", I'd throw down a couple of Benji's to go and see them if they returned to the US.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

But wait. After that last album & tour, they decide that "the fans want this" so they send out the press release that they are coming out of retirement "for the fans" and put out another album and tour. The 100 or so fans that stuck with them this long won't mind. It's another Krokus album and tour! Yipee!! Success!! Drinks & blow for everyone!!

It's a win-win situation.



Jeebus, how did I get so cynical?

please dont let them be the Brett Farve of rock bands...

Or the KISS / The Who / Ozzy of Farewell Tours

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Or the KISS / The Who / Ozzy of Farewell Tours

you are correct!!

TheNazgul wrote:

Face it man, we're ooooooooooooooooooooooold.

thanks dude..... like I needed ANOTHER reminder!!!!

ultmetal wrote:

We're all getting old!

I'm only verging on 22 and a lot of my favourites seem to be nearing their end. I think I might be a bit of an old soul. Oh well, at least we've still got Alice Cooper. When Jagger retires, we'll still have six years of Cooper - I'll take solace in that.

As for Maiden - still a cracking live act, but the mix of compilation releases and painfully average albums is a bit grating. Especially when the subsequent tours are so new material heavy that some fans are left in the lurch. I've seen Maiden twice now and have yet to see 'Run To The Hills'. I've got tickets to see them in August and judging by the set lists for this tour so far, I'm never going to see 'Run To the Hills'. That's a bit wrong.

Smindas wrote:

I've seen Maiden twice now and have yet to see 'Run To The Hills'.

I didn't get to hear "Run To The Hills" till my 3rd Maiden show. Have faith.

Fat Freddy wrote:

Dang, the old bands are dropping like flies.

We're next. Bummer.