Shakra
| Shakra | |
|---|---|
 Shakra at the Rockharz Open Air 2016 |
|
| General information | |
| Genre (s) | Hard rock |
| founding | 1990 |
| Website | www.shakra.ch |
| Founding members | |
| Pete Wiedmer (until 2002) | |
| Thomas Blunier | |
| Thomas Muster | |
| Roger Tanner | |
| Roger Badertscher (until 2000) | |
| Current occupation | |
singing |
Mark Fox (2003–2009, since 2015) |
Lead guitar |
Thomas Blunier |
Rhythm guitar |
Thomas Muster |
Drums |
Roger Tanner |
bass |
Dominik Pfister (since 2008) |
| former members | |
singing |
Pete Wiedmer (1990-2002) |
bass |
Oliver Linder (2000-2008) |
singing |
John Prakesh (2009-2014) |
Shakra is a Swiss hard rock - band from lees (Region Bern ), which was formed in the mid-1990s. The band plays hard, robust rock and is often called the successor to the famous Swiss band Krokus . The band name Shakra comes from Chakra , which describes the seven centers of the body through which the energy flows in an esoteric, Asian teaching. This choice was not made for esoteric reasons, but rather because the name sounded short, pronounceable, concise and not like any other band name.
history
The original formation gained its first stage experience in 1990, at that time under its old band name "Ruckus". Four years later, the Emmentaler hard rockers appeared on stage as the opening act for Krokus , Gotthard and Chroming Rose . From 1995 the band called itself Shakra and lived up to its reputation as a convincing live band. Straightforward and straightforward hard rock soon became the band's trademark.
Two years later Shakra signed a worldwide production and distribution agreement with the Point Music label. The self-titled debut album Shakra was released in 1998, an in-house production (as well as the subsequent releases) by guitarist Thom Blunier. In 1999 the second album Moving Force was released . During a tour with Uriah Heep , the first live CD, The Live Side, was created .
After another step in his career with Power Ride (2001), the band suffered a blow, as singer Pete Wiedmer had to leave Shakra for health reasons. But Shakra did not allow himself to be dissuaded from the course and signed Mark Fox as a charismatic successor. Fox, at the time only 23 years old, mastered his first appearance as the front man of Shakra at the Bang Your Head Festival 2002 in Balingen in front of 15,000 spectators with flying colors. The successful performance is followed by festivals such as Wacken Open Air and Rock Machina in Spain. In 2003 the fourth studio album, Rising , was released, which stayed in the Swiss album charts for seven weeks. The Emmental hard rockers also made it into the charts in Germany, and headlining shows followed in France.
In 2005 the band switched to the AFM Records label , where the new album Fall was released and a little later the entire back catalog was re-released. The album was promoted through a European tour as support for Hammerfall and Stratovarius . Other highlights were appearances in the opening act for Whitesnake (June 2006) and in the Hallenstadion (July 1, 2006), where they opened for Guns N 'Roses . In December 2006 Shakra submitted a contribution for the Swiss elimination for the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 in Helsinki . However, DJ Bobo made the race with Vampires are alive .
In spring 2007 the band released the sixth studio album Infected . This made Shakra the highest chart entry in the Swiss charts to date: In the first week, the disc climbed to number seven. During the headlining tour through Europe in spring 2009, Everest, the band's most successful album to date, was released and entered the charts at number four.
On May 26, 2009, Mark Fox announced his departure from Shakra at the end of October 2009. On November 3, 2009, the band found the Indian-born John Prakesh as their new singer. The album Back On Track was released on February 25, 2011 and once again topped its predecessor by entering the Swiss charts at number two.
On April 23, 2014 it was announced via the official website that singer John Prakesh will leave the group. "It came as a surprise. We never had the slightest argument. Besides the music, we got along very well!" Said guitarist Thom Blunier, commenting on the singer's sudden departure.
In October 2015 it was announced that Mark Fox had re-recorded an album to re-enter with Shakra. High Noon has been available on store shelves since January 2016.
The album Snakes & Ladders was released in November 2017 . The album reached number 3 in the Swiss charts.
Discography
Albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 DE
|
 CH
|
|||
| 2001 | Powerride |
DE72 (1 week) DE |
CH64 (3 weeks) CH |
Point Music
|
| 2003 | Rising |
DE69 (1 week) DE |
CH21 (7 weeks) CH |
Point Music
|
| 2005 | case | - |
CH28 (6 weeks) CH |
|
| 2007 | Infected |
DE86 (1 week) DE |
CH7 (9 weeks) CH |
|
| 2009 | Everest | - |
CH4 (14 weeks) CH |
|
| 2011 | Back on track |
DE84 (1 week) DE |
CH2 (11 weeks) CH |
|
| 2013 | Power play |
DE81 (1 week) DE |
CH1 (8 weeks) CH |
|
| 2014 | 33 - The Best Of | - |
CH17 (5 weeks) CH |
|
| 2016 | High noon |
DE53 (1 week) DE |
CH2 (12 weeks) CH |
|
| 2017 | Life Tales - The Ballads | - |
CH22 (7 weeks) CH |
|
| Snakes & Ladders |
DE73 (1 week) DE |
CH3 (14 weeks) CH |
||
| 2020 | Mad World |
DE42 (1 week) DE |
CH2 (8 weeks) CH |
|
More albums
- 1998 Shakra (Point Music)
- 1999 Moving Force (Point Music)
- 2000 The Live Side (Point Music, Live)
Radio singles
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
|
CH
|
|||
| 2009 | Why Everest |
CH51 (1 week) CH |
More radio singles
- I will be there
- Rising high
- Make it alright
- Immortal
- Love will find a way
- Acheron's Way
- When I See You
- Wonderful life
- Hello
Video albums
- 2004 My Life My World (Point Music, Live-DVD + CD)
Other publications
- 2013: Save You from Yourself (compilation article Bock uf Rock Vol. 6)
swell
- ↑ Shakra - Interview with guitarist Thom Blunier about the best-of album and the exit of singer John Prakesh , burnyourears.de; Accessed May 2, 2014
- ↑ a b Chart sources: DE CH
- ↑ BOCK UF ROCK A sixth Bock uf Rock for a big birthday . In: trespass.ch . February 16, 2012. Retrieved February 24, 2012.
