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Krokus > Hardware > 2012, CD, Rock Candy Records (Collector's edition, Remastered) > Reviews > Deathdoom1992
Krokus - Hardware

Good but Pointless - 78%

Deathdoom1992, August 12th, 2016
Written based on this version: 2012, CD, Rock Candy Records (Collector's edition, Remastered)

Given that Krokus had just released one of their best albums, album 5 was never going to be as lauded as Metal Rendez-vous, and it was also never gonna break out of that record's shadow. As such, this is possibly one of the band's more obscure efforts. It does, nevertheless, have some good songs and still is leagues better than anything the band released in the 1970s. Random note: it's the last album with Tommy Kiefer on guitars, he quit because of his drug addiction and later committed suicide in 1986.

Following the release and moderate success of the preceding effort, the band were given a slightly improved budget and now had, for the first time, a fully functional touring unit and all-round strong lineup. Altogether, failure to produce another strong release cost them another chance at mainstream success. It did, however, scrape the charts in the UK, the US and assorted other European countries, so it wasn't exactly a flop either, but maybe the following two albums could've been even more successful.

Oddly, Krokus's music seems more technical on this effort, the guitars in particular, kinda hearkening back to when the band were poor quality prog-rockers. Steady's drumming on here is rock solid, bombastic and hard hitting, giving the songs a base and really succeeding in his role as drummer and not so much timekeeper, but he's good. The mix isn't particularly bassy, so it isn't really as loud as I'd like, but the playing when it does appear is average, nothing really to write home about. Storace's vocals are as poor a performance as I've ever heard him give, but that man simply doesn't do terrible performances.

The first thing you notice whilst listening to Hardware is that the innuendos have really been stepped up. The evidence for this is plain to see in tracks like "Mr. 69" as a prominent example. There are strong songs here, like "Easy Rocker" and particularly the metallic "Burning Bones". In fact, there's plenty for headbangers to love here, like "Winning Man" and "Rock City", the latter being probably the album's best track, fist pounding excellence. The production is also probably at it's best on a Krokus album as other than the lack of bass, everything is crystal clear in sound, so you can see what might have been.

Unfortunately, had the band released only the good songs, the album would've been to short so there is a bit of filler. However, the filler ends up being better than some of the "strong" material. "Celebration", for example, was the lead single but it's just so poor: it leaves a lot to be desired, to understate. It also is perhaps a symbol of the band's career as a whole: when they needed to deliver, they couldn't do it, however were capable of great things when the pressure was off. Don't get me wrong though, it's worth a listen, just don't expect the greatest album from these guys.

In conclusion, it's one of the better efforts, but that said their discography is patchy to say the least. If you want dumb, mindless, entertaining hard rock, it's here, but if you want something needing a little thought then you're going to need to look somewhere else. But yeah, more than listenable, Krokus's big, retarded, grinning style is just enjoyable as many greater bands on the metal scene. Looking for cheap, easy fun? This album is for you.