The band was founded in Solothurn in 1975 by Chris von Rohr (vocals and multi-instruments) and Tommy Kiefer (guitar), both former members of Kaktus.

Chris von Rohr, originally the drummer, switched to lead vocals for the follow-up record, To You All, remaining in this capacity into the late 1970s (along with playing keyboards and percussion).

The new line-up was completed by guitarist Fernando von Arb, bassist Jürg Naegeli, and drummer Freddy Steady, who had released the "Rock Is Here" single as a trio under the name 'Montezuma' in 1976.

Von Rohr's vocal abilities were limited and the band hired a new lead vocalist, Marc Storace, formerly of TEA and Eazy Money, in 1979, and recorded and released the album Metal Rendez-vous in 1980.

The 1981 follow-up album, Hardware, was recorded at Roundhouse Studios in London and featured such songs as "Easy Rocker" and "Rock City", which became an enduring part of the band's live repertoire.

Lead guitarist Tommy Kiefer was forced to leave the band because of heroin addiction early in the tour to support Hardware and was replaced by newcomer Mandy Meyer (ex-BM Smith).

Setting up headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee under the guidance of Krokus manager Butch Stone, the duo would recruit former Target vocalist Jimi Jamison, ex-Black Oak Arkansas guitarist/keyboardist Jack Holder, and drummer Jeff Klaven and issued their sole album, First Strike, under the name Cobra in 1983.

Jamison went on to perform backing vocals on Krokus recordings, in addition to replacing Dave Bickler in the band Survivor and achieving massive success with that group.

By the time this album was recorded, the band had parted ways with Naegeli, at which point multi-instrumentalist von Rohr assumed the additional role of primary bassist.

It boasted the hit power ballad "Screaming in the Night", which saw heavy rotation on MTV and would become one of the band's most recognizable songs.

The tour for this album featured Mark Kohler returning to his main instrument, with Andy Tanas, formerly of Black Oak Arkansas, joining on the bass.

Capitalizing on the wave of success enjoyed by heavy metal in the mid-1980s, the band then released Change of Address in 1986, which featured a cover of the Alice Cooper standard "School's Out".

The new formation (Storace, Meyer, Favez, Castell, Stefan Schwarzmann and Dennis Ward) recorded the studio album Hellraiser in 2006, which went to gold in Switzerland on the first day of sales.

On 3 March 2010, the album Hoodoo including a cover version of Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild" and ten other songs, was released.

[11] In December 2012, it was announced guitarist Mandy Meyer was once again rejoining the band after having filled in for an ailing Fernando von Arb at the Loud Park Festival in Japan in October 2011.

[15] According to the German language Swiss daily Blick, Crivelli fell off a bridge to his death in Trimbach, Canton of Solothurn.

Mark Kohler also needs to take longer leaves of absence from the band and in his place Dominique Favez will play once more rhythm guitar.

[20] In June 2019, the band announced a final tour to take place in North America starting in 2020,[21][22] but the dates were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He was returning from L'Ecole des Chefs located in France after an aborted career in the culinary arts, and it was around this time the idea for the band was formed.