KROKUS Records Cover Of THE BEATLES Classic

Swiss hard rock veterans KROKUS will release their new album, "Dirty Dynamite", on February 22, 2013 via Sony Music. The band has recorded another cover song inspired by their time at Abbey Road Studios in London, England. KROKUS covers the early THE BEATLES classic "Help" with Tommy Heart (FAIR WARNING, SOUL DOCTOR) contributing guest vocals on this track together with KROKUS frontman Marc Storace.

According to a posting on KROKUS' Facebook page, fans should not expect the band's version of "Help" to sound like THE BEATLES original.

By booking Abbey Road Studios, KROKUS went back to their roots, back to where it all began with THE ROLLING STONES, FREE, THE WHO and THE BLUESBREAKERS — back to where the band headlined concerts in the Hammersmith Odeon, celebrating their first international success.

"The atmosphere there is very special and we wanted to make the most of that," says Storace. Guitarist Fernando Von Arb is quick to add: "With 'Dirty Dynamite', we have recorded the urgently needed dirty kind of rock that no one plays in this country."

"Dirty Dynamite" track listing:

01. Hallelujah Rock'n'Roll
02. Go Baby Go
03. Rattlesnake Rumble
04. Dirty Dynamite
05. Let The Good Times Roll
06. Help
07. Better Than Sex
08. Dög Song
09. Yellow Mary
10. Bailout Blues
11. Live Ma Life
12. Hardrocking Man

Sony Music is offering a free download of the title track at this location (e-mail sign-up required). It was the last song that was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, England at 5 o'clock in the morning. Bassist Chris Von Rohr added some honky tonk piano licks on the original "Lady Madonna" piano at the studio.

"Dirty Dynamite" marks the return of KROKUS guitarist Mandy Meyer after 30 years.

Founder Chris Von Rohr and Fernando Von Arb are thrilled to have him back in the fold. Fernando says: "Now the KROKUS family is complete again."

Meyer replaced original KROKUS guitarist Tommy Kiefer for the remainder of 1980's "Metal Rendez-Vous" tour and 1981's "Hardware" tour and witnessed the growing popularity of KROKUS worldwide, including the band's first U.S. tour. Those two albums sold millions of copies around the world.

Mandy left KROKUS and moved at the tender age of 22 years old to Los Angeles to pursue his musical dreams. And it worked out pretty good, as time would tell.

In the mid-Nineties, Mandy moved back to Switzerland and joined GOTTHARD, another successful Swiss band. In 2004 he left that band and concentrated on his solo career. Between 2005 and 2007, he toured with KROKUS in support of the "Hellraiser" album, which he recorded and contributed to.

In 2009, Meyer joined forces with vocalist Michael Kiske (ex-HELLOWEEN) with Dennis Ward (bass) and Kosta Zafiriou (drums) of Germany's PINK CREAM 69 in UNISONIC.

Towards the end of 2011, Chris Von Rohr approached Mandy and asked him whether he would be game to play a couple of shows in Japan. Mandy recalls: "I agreed in a New York minute". The concerts proved to be totally successful. "And we got along great, it was as if time stood still," he adds.

Chris Von Rohr, along with vocalist Marc Storace, recently laid down bass and vocal tracks at London, England's Abbey Road Studios for the band's 17th album, "Dirty Dynamite". Sound engineer for the recording sessions is again Dennis Ward, who also recorded the band's last album, "Hoodoo".

Von Rohr promises: "The new songs sound like dirty dynamite: pure, dirty, in-your-face hard rock with a touch of blues."

Adds Storace: "We've been taking the time it needs writing for our next rock album and we guarantee that it definitely will contain no fillers!"

KROKUS 2012 is:

Marc Storace - Vocals
Chris Von Rohr - bass
Fernando Von Arb - Lead Guitar
Mark Kohler - Rhythm Guitar
Mandy Meyer - Guitar