PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
To say the least, it was a sad day for me when Krokus retired but it didn’t last long when I heard that their lead vocalist Marc Storace had formed his own band Storace at the beginning of 2021, writing and producing Crossfire in 2023/24, a studio album chock full of twelve supreme songs via Frontiers Music SRL.
Maltese born, Swiss musician Marc Storace started his career in 1970 with the Swiss cult progressive band Tea. He became the voice of Krokus in 1979, the most successful hard rock band from Switzerland. After their first album with Marc, Metal Rendezvous, they played several World tours, sold over fifteen million records and won many gold and platinum awards.
Crossfire opens up with ‘Screaming Demon’, all heavy metal heaven right from the first hard and heavy riff. It’s a chugging headbanger to but the spotlight is stolen by that trademark broken glass chewed lead vocal, still roaring away after all these years.
‘The New Unity’ is an unnerving, short instrumental piece as a helicopter sample and keyboard swathes make for an interesting listen.
‘Rock This City’ is an anthem in the making as the sturdy main riff is the foil for some unashamed cliches that never fail to impress. Huge band backing vocals add muscle to this raging riffer.
‘Adrenaline’ is a lumbering beast that has an edgy vibe from the lead vocals, more band backing vocals, mighty whoa oh oh’s as a fretboard burning solo lights the fuse for a full on outro.
‘Love Thing Stealer’ wears its AC/DC influences on its sleeve as earworm riffs are catchy but also fly out of the speakers with aplomb as huge choruses scream out for rock radio airplay.
‘Lets Get Nuts’ is a bass heavy bruiser that shuddered my headphones that deserves to be played at eleven, not ten, as another statement of intent is one for the air guitarists to lose their mind to.
‘Thrill And A Kiss’ has a lecherous lead vocal, adding menace to this rock and roll rollercoaster ride for a boisterous riffer, hitting more intensity levels from melodic choruses and molten metal guitar solos.
Speaker to speaker riffs for ‘We All Need The Money’ push the choruses along on chest beating prowess for this call to arms banger for four furious minutes of barroom boogie.
Once again, if you want cliches, Crossfire have them in abundance for another shout it out loud and proud anthem titled ‘Hell Yeah’.
‘Millionaire Blues’ is a quirky number that pulls no punches to for three intense minutes of rock and roll royalty par excellence, especially when the midsection is all drum pounds and a lightning speed guitar solo.
‘Sirens’ is a four minute warning that fires up this four minute metal monster to test the mettle metal of your music system.
This highly impressive album ends beautifully as ‘Only Love Can Hurt Like This’, a sublime power ballad, that sees Marc pour out his heart, pulling no punches.
Storace band info is here :- http://Website /https://www.facebook.com/marcstorace
Crossfire album track listing :-
Screaming Demon.
The New Unity.
Rock This City.
Adrenaline.
Love Thing Stealer.
Lets Get Nuts.
Thrill And A Kiss.
We All Need The Money.
Hell Yeah.
Millionaire Blues.
Sirens.
Only Love Can Hurt Like This.
Storace band personnel :-
Marc Storace – Lead Vocals.
Dom Favez – Rhythm Guitar.
Serge Christen – Lead Guitar.
Patrick Aeby – Drums.
Emi Meyer – Bass Guitar.
