Krokus – One Vice At A Time (1982 Vinyl) Review | Raw Early-80s Heavy Metal Energy
⛤ Heavy Metal / Hard Rock |
7.00 €
(NM)
⛤ Pulse Rating: 8.25 / 10
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When you drop the needle on "One Vice At A Time", you're hit with a no-waste, sweat-soaked slab of early-'80s hard rock that laughs in the face of subtlety. Krokus didn't aim to reinvent metal — they aimed to party hard, slam beers, and deliver riff-heavy, hook-laden songs built for the sweaty club floor or a middle-of-the-night road trip. On vinyl, with that rough analog charm intact, this album still kicks like a fist to the chest.
This is pure, unashamed riff-rock, drenched in raw energy and powered by big hooks. The album leans heavily into the blues-tinged, sweaty-under-the-lights hard rock that bands like AC/DC had perfected — and Krokus wear that influence on their sleeves. Producer Tony Platt (who worked on "Highway To Hell" and "Back In Black") helps the band nail that dirty, crunchy guitar tone.
From opener "Long Stick Goes Boom" — with its chugging riff and heavy groove — to the swaggering cover of "American Woman", there's an "in-the-moment" feel that hits hard. Songs like "Bad Boys, Rag Dolls", "Playin' the Outlaw", or "To the Top" aren't trying to be deep — they want to get your head banging, feet stomping, and beer pouring. And for that purpose, they absolutely deliver.
Vocals by Marc Storace are gritty and gravelly, perfect for these songs. He doesn't show off too much, but he doesn't need to — he's got the attitude and the tone to match the riffs. The rhythm section pulls the weight too: bass, drums, guitars — everything lands solid on vinyl, giving tracks punch and room to breathe.
This isn't a subtle or refined record. It doesn't try to be. If you're after deep lyrics, progressive complexity, or musical experimentation, you won't find much here. A few tracks drift into "same-sounding riff land," and sometimes the whole album feels a bit too indebted to AC/DC-style rock. That said, if you judge it for what it is — straight-up hard rock — those weaknesses become part of its charm.
Released in early 1982, "One Vice At A Time" was the sixth studio album by Krokus and marked their first full taste of international success, especially with songs that were accessible and riff-heavy enough for the wider heavy-metal and hard-rock crowd.
This album is a snapshot of a band embracing the simplest, rawest elements of rock: groove, attitude, sweat, riffs. It didn't reinvent the wheel — but maybe it didn't need to. For many fans, it's the record that best captures Krokus in their raw, thirsty-for-rock moment.
On vinyl, in a good pressing (like ours), the sound gets that extra bit of dirt and warmth — bass hits harder, guitars chug with real weight, drums crack like real drums, not samples. It's one of those records built for the analogue age — and that's part of what still makes it special today.
If you grab this 1982 black-vinyl LP in good condition (like our near-mint copy), expect a rough-hewn, gritty sound that's authentic and alive. It's not "art-rock," but it's perfect when you crave straightforward, sweat-soaked hard rock with a heavy edge. If you're a fan of raw, old-school rock' n' roll with heavy guitars and no bullshit, "One Vice At A Time" is a solid, fun throwback with enough attitude to still hit after 40+ years.
Tracklist:
A1. Long Stick Goes Boom - 5:10
A2. Bad Boys Rag Dolls - 3:45
A3. Playin' The Outlaw - 4:00
A4. Save Me - 4:22
B1. Down The Drain - 3:12
B2. American Women - 3:39
B3. I'm On The Run - 3:42
B4. To The Top - 4:18
B5. Rock N' Roll - 4:06
Credits:
Marc Storace – Vocals
Fernando von Arb – Guitars (lead)
Mark Kohler – Guitars (rhythm)
Chris von Rohr – Bass, Percussion
Freddy Steady – Drums
Bruce Dickinson Vocals (backing) (track 7)
Produced by Tony Platt
Engineering (assistant) by Barry Sage
Recorded at Battery Studios, London (1982)
Official Site * Discogs * Spotify
💀 Label: Arista Records
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