Famously known as the leadman for the high-powered Swiss Heavy Metal band Krokus, Marc Storace is one distinct voice. Possessing the perfect rough and gruff sound for Hard Rock and Metal, Storace quickly made an impact with Krokus upon joining them in 1979, assisting them to break big with their fourth studio album in 1980, Metal Rendez-vous. An album that attained multi-platinum status in Switzerland, this was only the start of something special, because Krokus entered the US charts for six consecutive studio albums between 1981’s Hardware and 1988’s Heart Attack. Putting them up there with Hard Rock and Metal’s elite through the ‘80s era, Krokus has stayed strong after some breaks to strike it big decades later with their last three albums (2010’s Hoodo, 2013’s Dirty Dynamite, and 2017’s Big Rock) all hitting number one on Swiss Album Charts.
Success which is impossible to deny, again, at the forefront of it has been Marc Storace. Amazingly sustaining the same range for the better part of five decades now, in light of Krokus’ retirement from touring in 2019, Storace has also branched out to other projects. Always busy, he has done other things in the past, but in more recent times, he starred in the Rock Opera called TEST and recorded the album Muscle & Blood with Guitarist Billy Stokes both in 2016. Now in 2024, he emerges with a brand-new solo album entitled Crossfire.
Set for release on November 22, 2024, Crossfire marks Storace’s second solo record in the last few years. The first was 2021’s Live and Let Live, it was full of great songs and was released independently, but now the singer-songwriter has the power of well-respected Rock label Frontier Music SRL in his corner. A great place to be, Storace’s Crossfire brings everything to the next level. Songs he was working on between 2022 and 2023, he was able to team up with Alice Cooper Band’s Tommy Henriksen and Drummer Pat Aeby (formerly of Krokus, currently of Gotus) during the writing process. Rather cool, he even got the ever-busy Henriksen to produce the album. Important to mention, Henriksen is ironically also set to unveil the debut Crossbone Skully album Evil World Machine the same day as Crossfire, and truthfully, the two are perfect listening companions.
Diving deeper into Henriksen’s involvement, Crossbone Skully’s Evil World Machine production is larger than life Rock-n-Roll, and in many ways, the same approach is taken to Storace’s Crossfire. Featuring rich, thick guitar work and chanting along choruses, Crossfire has a sound that will thoroughly please fans of ’80s Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. Having that very classic enormous sound, the songs all sound fresh and everything you would hope for from Marc Storace in 2024.
As always, his voice sounds stellar with full-bodied gruffness and mounds of energy. Delivering each song what it needs, rather than sounding worn and tired, Crossfire feels like it is ready to take on the Rock-n-Roll world. With twelve tracks, the album sustained stamina but also a distinct character. Truly enjoyable from start to finish, the tempo shifts from the full speed ahead “Screaming Demon” to the mellower “Rock This City.” Just two songs, the remainder of the record comes at you with one fantastic listen after another; which includes “Thrill And A Kiss” and the very Def Leppard arena-feel of “Sirens.” However, tucked away at the tail end is the truly beautiful piano-led “Only Love Can Hurt Like This” which may seem vastly different than the rest of Crossfire, but fits in perfectly.
Overall, Storace’s Crossfire is truly an impressive Hard Rock album. It is the type of album that you would put on your record player or pop in your tape deck and just let it play out. Proving that age is just a number and Marc Storace is creating some timeless hard and heavy Rock, Cryptic Rock gives Crossfire 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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