by Ed Rivadavia
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.