Swiss rockers
Krokus had already been around the bend a number of times by the time they scored their first (and only) American platinum success with 1983's
Headhunter. Shameless bandwagon hoppers that they were (their origins lay in cheesy, late-'70s progressive rock), the band at least deserve credit for mixing their musical stew just right on this occasion. The results include the frenetic title track, a highly competent power ballad in
"Screaming in the Night," and their biggest hit -- a reworking of
Bachman Turner Overdrive's
"Stayed Awake All Night." Mid-tempo rockers such as
"Eat the Rich" and
"Russian Winter" also receive energetic performances from the band, but singer
Marc Storace generally makes a nuisance of himself with his grating screech, which falls somewhere between
Bon Scott and
Accept's
Udo Dirkschneider. Though their ridiculous attempt to emulate the pop-metal posturing of the day (guitarist
Fernando Von Arb's incessant pouting remains an especially horrifying image) would do them little good,
Headhunter, at least, remains
Krokus' finest moment. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia
