History of Hard Rock/Heavy Metal: Krokus

Krokus was founded in Solothurn in 1974 by Chris von Rohr, bassist (and original lead vocalist) and guitarist Tommy Kiefer. Originally playing the bar circuit with hit cover versions, they changed to metal because the rise of bands like AC/DC and Iron Maiden made them realize that the genre was catching up with people.

The change was emphasized by Marc Storace joining the band as front-man. They enjoyed huge popularity in the 1980s in parts of Europe and the USA through heavy touring, MTV exposure and videos. In Europe, they toured with Nazareth and in the United States with AC/DC, Motörhead, Rush, Def Leppard and Judas Priest. Their album Headhunter was a platinum album in the United States, while One Vice at A Time, The Blitz and Change of Address. So far, all Krokus albums have gone platinum in Switzerland.