AXXIS “Kingdom Of The Night” /LP/

The second full-length album by the legendary German Melodic Heavy/Power Metal band.
In 1988, after sending in only one demo song, Axxis were signed to EMI Electrola! The debut album "Kingdom Of The Night" 1989, which was already released in Europe, Canada, Japan, Australia and the USA, sold 100 000 times immediately!! It became the best ever selling debut album by a Hard Rock band in Germany in 1989. "Axxis II" marked a similar huge success in 1990, followed by the authentic and energetic live release "Access All Areas" a year later.
It's not easy to keep up after such a good album as "Kingdom Of The Night"... but this one is just as good!! The Chorus are more intense on this release, more mature perhaps. Same thing again, melodies of this album were made to stay forever in your mind and heart! Once again Bernhard voice is simply amazing and guitars riffs and solos are strong points in this album. Some keyboard makes it's apparition on this release adding more atmosphere.
"Axxis II" is one of those feel good Metal albums that remindsof a playful Van Halen circa "Jump" era or even the Hagar time period. There is a melodic quality that is filled with terrific guitar hooks and plenty of sing-a-long anthem like choruses. The album is too heavy to be called fluff and too fluffy to be called Heavy Metal and that may be why this band seemed to fall between the cracks for the most part in America. It is a shame too that more people were not turned on to this very good music and the dynamic vocals of Bernhard Weiss.
This second album by the band has a good blending of the guitar sound that was popular with the so called Hair bands and a very melodic side that comes out in songs like "The World Is Looking In Their Eyes", "Touch The Rainbow" and the power ballad "Hold You".
These are just highlights in a disc filled with just very good quality guitar laden music. With Bernhard's soaring vocals added to the mix, this becomes a disc that very glad to get reacquainted with. It is the perfect music for the nice summer day when you roll the windows down and head out for a nice cruise!
You can say that this disc is like that inexpensive wine that you like the taste of but don't want anyone to know your drinking.
Harvest/EMI Electrola GmbH, 1990 (1C 564-7 95140 2). Made in Germany. First press.

 
Tracklist:
1. The World Is Looking in Their Eyes     04:04
2. Save Me     04:03
3. Touch the Rainbow     03:31
4. Rolling like Thunder     04:03 
5. Hold You     04:42
6. Ships Are Sailing     03:50
7. Little Look Back     03:56
8. Face to Face     05:22
9. Get Down     03:20
10. Gimme Back the Paradise     03:34
11. Hold You (acoustic version)     04:08
Total playing time: 44:50


Samples:  http://www.allmusic.com

The debut full-length studio album by legendary German Melodic Heavy Metal band.
In the 1980s, Germany was a hotbed of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock action - it was Germany that gave fans the Scorpions, Accept and Warlock. Germany was also the home of Axxis, who was never as big as the Scorpions or Accept, but made some decent contributions to the Metal/Hard Rock field.
It was a much different time in 1989, when Axxis burst onto the scene with their debut "Kingdom Of The Night". The Heavy Metal scene was ruled by bands such as The Scorpions, Poison and a host of others that filled the airways with a much more radio friendly guitar oriented Rock that was based on catchy hooks and anthem like choruses. Axxis is one of the bands that jumped on this bandwagon and have yet to get off!
This disc, which was the best-selling debut album in Germany at the time, is filled with all the quintessential trappings you would expect from this kind of band. From the album' openers, "Living In A World" and "Kingdom Of The Night", you get the obligatory fiery anthem like Metal that will have the fist pumping and the crowd singing along with the refrain! Lead singer Bernhard Weiss is given the chance to show the right amount of angst with not one, but two mandatory power ballads with "Fire And Ice" and "Tears Of The Trees".
Guitar work of Weiss and Walter Pietsch is very good throughout the album, and the vocals of Bernhard is as very good too.
"Kingdom Of The Night" is decent and respectable album. It is easy to see why this album did so well. It gives people just what they want without having to delve to deep. This album will bring back memories of music that was less complicated and unpretentious. It was just Rock And Roll!
EMI Electrola GmbH, 1989 (0777 7 91829 2 3). Made in Holland. Pressed in Poland.


Tracklist:
1. Living In A World     3:50 
2. Kingdom Of The Night     3:50 
3. Never Say Never     3:40 
4. Fire And Ice     3:59 
5. Young Souls     3:14 
6. For A Song     3:04 
7. Love Is Like An Ocean     3:23 
8. The Moon     3:38 
9. Tears Of The Trees     4:07 
10. Just The Night     3:42 
11. Kings Made Of Steel     3:29 
12. Living In A World (Extended Version)     5:00
Total playing time: 45:41 min.