After a few years apart, Krokus guitarist Fernando von Arb and vocalist Marc Storace have rejoined forces. In support of their 2003 album, Rock The Block, the band toured Europe and put together this double live cd set, which features twenty tracks.

The songs are culled from all the Krokus albums that feature Storace on vocals except The Blitz, which was a Gold record here in the USA, and Change Of Address, the band’s over-the-top excursion into the world of over-production. The omission of The Blitz’s "Midnight Maniac," "Ballroom Blitz," and "Our Love" will probably disappoint American fans more than European fans. The band’s concentration on earlier material targets their early hard-core fans, not those that got into the band during the MTV era. Metal Rendez-vous’ "Heatstrokes," Hardware’s "Easy Rocker," and "Rock City," and One Vice At A Time’s "Long Stick Goes Boom" and "Bad Boys, Rag Dolls" are all here and sound just as awesome as they did back in the early 80s. The classic Headhunter is not overlooked, as the epic ballad "Screaming In The Night," the very metal "Eat The Rich" and the Randy Bachman penned "Stayed Awake All Night" are all in the set. Unfortunately, only one track ("Rock ‘N’ Roll Tonight") appears from the amazing Heart Attack. The band, which also features bassist Tony Castell (who played on the Stampede record), guitarist Dominique Favez, and drummer Patrick Aeby, also plays a few songs from Rock The Block ("Mad World," "I Want It All," and "Throwing Her China") that fit in comfortably with the older material.

The Bottom Line: It’s hard to tell that this is Krokus 2004. It could be Krokus 1984. They sound that good. Marc Storace’s original tone is in terrific shape. He still sounds like a youngster, hitting all the high pitched screams with perfection. Fernando tears up the fretboard, and the rest of the band are tight as hell, doing justice to the Krokus legacy. Fire And Gasoline: Live! is a must-add for hard rocker’s collection, despite the exclusion of tracks from The Blitz. There are a ton of other tracks that I would have loved as well, but the band just has too many good songs to fit on two discs. Rarities like "Night Wolf" and "Ready To Burn (from Headhunter), "Our Love" and "Out Of Control" (from The Blitz), and "Everybody Rocks," "Let It Go," "Wild Love," and "Axx Attack" (from Heart Attack) are all amazing tracks that could have filled a third live disc. I’m glad that Reality Entertainment is backing Krokus and getting their material released in the USA. They are one of the best straight-ahead hard rock bands out there. Now, how about a tour of the USA?