AXEL RUDI PELL "Live Over Europe" /Slipcase 2DVD Digipack/

The fifth full-length studio album by the legendary German Hard Rock/Heavy/Power Metal band.
For over 25 years, Axel Rudi Pell has counted as one of Germany’s most versatile guitarists. With over a dozen studio albums, he has a record of brilliant productions, loved by his fans and greeted with respect and praise by the press.
Axel Rudi Pell is a well-known virtuoso, alumni of Ritchie Blackmore's style. He started to make solo albums and only after a long time he managed to get an image of his own. Of course, his influences are clearly traceable. A bit of Sabbath, a lot of Purple and Rainbow, some bits of Dio and Judas Priest. But here after some goods ("Nasty Reputation", "Between The Walls") and not-so-goods ("Wild Obsession", "Eternal Prisoner") he actually became "Axel Rudi Pell" and not just another Blackmore-esque virtuoso shredding just for the sake of self-appraisal. A great thing in this album is precisely that it finally gave an identity to Axel Rudi Pell.
Another high point for this release is the exact amount of "Power" within the Metal. This album has that precise and magic touch. When we listen to other more successful bands in the mainstream Metal world, like Sonata Arctica or even late Stratovarius and their fully-made-of-synthesizers-and-keyboards tracks (with no riffs at all in some points) we understand how the heavy Metal can be shattered and get lost. Axel Rudi Pell shows us the other face of the Power Metal genre: the one with the riffs. The guitar's essence and brutality, mixed with talent and melodic behavior.
The riff is the essence, Axel Rudi Pell knows that, and, with riffs, he takes his victory at the end of this album, the finest he ever made. In "Black Moon Pyramid" ARP starts a legendary couple of follow-ups ("Magic" and "Oceans Of Time") which remains his magnum opus period.
This album is highly recommended for the people who wants to know how Power Metal should be made. If you want to survive in this business of Metal, you must have some talent and you need to know how to reflect yourself in an original way, respecting your own influence. Axel Rudi Pell figured this out and made a high shot! If Blackmore was his teacher, well, Axel learnt all the lessons. Masterfully!!
Steamhammer/SPV, 1996 (SPV 085-18282 CD). Made in Germany. Re-press.


Tracklist:
1. Return Of The Pharaoh 1:47
2. Gettin' Dangerous 4:28
3. Fool Fool 5:21
4. Hole In The Sky 4:57
5. Touch The Rainbow 6:31
6. Sphinx' Revenge 3:38
7. You And I 4:22
8. Silent Angel 5:16
9. Black Moon Pyramid 9:55
10. Serenade Of Darkness (Opus #1 Adagio Con Agresso) 4:14
11. Visions In The Night 4:03
12. Aqua Solution 0:57
13. Aquarius Dance 4:17
14. Silent Angel (Guitars Version) 4:09
Total playing time: 63:55 min.

The fifteenth full-length studio album by the legendary German Hard Rock/Heavy/Power Metal band.
This is Pell’s fourteenth studio album, excluding "Diamonds Unlocked" cover album, and his eighth with Hardline vocalist Johnny Gioeli and journeyman drummer Mike Terrana on board.
Axel Rudi Pell is nothing if not dependable, and in addition to knocking out a new album every two years fans can always count on each new album sounding almost exactly like the albums that came before it. The formula goes something like this: start with a short instrumental introductory track (for Circle of the Oath it’s “The Guillotine Suite”), then blaze right through a couple of high octane Hard Rockers (“Ghost in the Black”, “Run With the Wind” and “Before I Die”). After that it’s time for a sweeping epic that clocks in somewhere around the ten minute mark (title track). Then do it all over again, with a couple more rockers and at least one ballad, before closing things out with another epic (“World of Confusion”). Another brief instrumental is optional. As for lyrics, just throw everything Ronnie James Dio ever wrote into a hat and pull lines out at random until you have enough to fill an album.
Now, if you love that formula then by all means pick up a copy of this album. You’ll get Pell’s dynamite guitar work, Terrana’s very steady drumming and, perhaps most notably, a powerhouse vocal performance by Gioeli.
Overall, Axel Rudi Pell’s newest effort “Circle Of The Oath” is sheer testimony to the fact that there is no end in sight for this brilliant guitarist, and yet again, he has churned out an excellent set of tunes!
Steamhammer/SPV, 2012 (SPV 260032 CD). Made in Germany. First press.


Tracklist:
1. The Guillotine Suite (Intro) 1:52
2. Ghost In The Black 4:36
3. Run With The Wind 4:42
4. Before I Die 4:29
5. Circle Of The Oath 9:20
6. Fortunes Of War 5:19
7. Bridges To Nowhere 7:10
8. Lived Our Lives Before 6:31
9. Hold On To Your Dreams 5:47
10. World Of Confusion (The Masquerade Ball Part II) 9:30
Total playing time: 59:16 min.

The twelfth full-length studio album by the legendary German Hard Rock/Heavy/Power Metal band.
"Diamonds Unlocked" is a cover songs album that consists of 10 cover tracks and 1 self-written introduction track. Axel Rudi Pell attempted to make cover versions of tracks from typically "non-Metal" artists including Phil Collins and Michael Bolton in order to show how these songs would be done in his signature Melodic Rock/Metal style.
"Diamonds Unlocked" is hardly the first example of an established rocker putting together an album of covers, and it certainly won't be the last. Some Rock critics say that they hate cover albums on principle, but truth be told, there is nothing wrong with cover albums as long as the artist makes an effort to put new spins on familiar songs. In other words, a good cover album isn't going to sound like the work of a run-of-the-mill cover band - and Axel Rudi Pell pretty much avoids that on "Diamonds Unlocked", which employs Johnny Gioeli (perhaps best known for his work with Hardline) on lead vocals. Gioeli's performances tend to have a Jon Bon Jovi-ish quality, but none of the songs on this 2007 release are Bon Jovi songs; actually, about half of the tunes originated outside of Hard Rock and Metal.
Pell and Gioeli turn their attention to Hard Rock favorites like the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again", Montrose's "Rock the Nation", and Free's "Heartbreaker", but they also embrace songs ranging from Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" to U2's "Beautiful Day" to Michael Bolton's "Fools Game". Pell and Gioeli make "In the Air Tonight" and "Beautiful Day" Rock harder - not in a full-fledged Heavy Metal way, but certainly in a Hard Rock/Arena Rock way - whereas their equally intriguing take on Kiss' "Love Gun" does just the opposite: it rocks less hard than the original version and is transformed into a moody ballad.
"Diamonds Unlocked" won't go down in history as one of 2007's masterpieces, but despite hitting the occasional speed bump (most notably, the Bolton cover), "Diamonds Unlocked" has more ups than downs and demonstrates that cover albums don't have to be predictable or devoid of surprises. After all, you probably already know all the songs featured on this CD, but damn, that's cool to listen to those Metal versions! It's fresh and extremely fun to listen to such covers and you'll like a lot to listen to this album!! "Diamonds Unlocked" is a really nice break in the musical discography of Axel Rudi Pell!!!
Steamhammer/SPV, 2007 (SPV 98072 CD). Made in Germany. First press.


Tracklist:
1. The Diamond Overture 1:42
2. Warrior (Riot cover) 3:43
3. Beautiful Day (U2 cover) 4:47
4. Stone (Chris Rea / The Law cover) 6:36
5. Love Gun (KISS cover) 4:04
6. Fools Game (Michael Bolton cover) 3:58
7. Heartbreaker (Free cover) 6:56
8. Rock The Nation (Montrose cover) 4:05
9. In The Air Tonight (Phil Collins cover) 8:38
10. Like A Child Again (The Mission cover) 4:48
11. Won't Get Fooled Again (The Who cover) 6:13
Total playing time: 55:30 min.

The third full-length studio album by the legendary German Hard Rock/Heavy/Power Metal band.
This is the first Axel Rudi Pell album with Jeff Scott Soto, acclaimed vocalist of Malmsteen’s Rising Force fame. Unlike the rather dramatic vocal theatrics of Rob Rock, Soto’s vocal approach is a more straight forward mix of passion and Sleaze. He has lost none of his power since his incredible work on Malmsteen’s brilliant opus “Marching Out”, but the music on here gives him a chance to really explore his vocal capabilities, as Axel Rudi Pell likes to emulate the lyrical storytelling of Ronnie Dio.
Although this album recorded after “Nasty Reputation”, unlike its predecessor it’s contains some tracks that are more comparable to AXEL RUDI PELL’s Glam Rock style. To prospective buyers, although this album has its quasi-80s cheese moments, it’s a great listen with plenty of the classic Axel Rudi Pell devices that have since become standard on his various opuses.
If you like Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Deep Purple, Dio, and Malmsteen then this album is an essentially buy, not to mention a necessity for any fan of guitar driven Metal!!
Steamhammer/SPV, 1992 (SPV 084-76602). Made in Germany. Re-press.


Tracklist:
1. Streets of Fire 05:08
2. Long Time 04:15
3. Eternal Prisoner 07:32
4. Your Life (Not Close Enough to Paradise) 05:05
5. Wheels Rolling On 04:46
6. Sweet Lil' Suzie 07:12
7. Dreams of Passion 04:33
8. Shoot Her to the Moon 04:36
9. Ride the Bullet 04:16
Total playing time: 47:23

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The sixteenth full-length studio album by the legendary German Hard Rock/Heavy/Power Metal band.
There are bands that opt to change with the times, there are bands that gradually evolve with little sense of the scene around them, and then there are the unmoved stoics like Axel Rudi Pell that sneer at the very concept of evolution. One might venture to say that Axel never left the 1980s, but rather the eighties may have left him to be their spokesman throughout the several decades to follow. His band's sound is one that saw its most significant developments in terms of quality right in the midst of the musical wastelands of the mid 1990s, and is arguably one of the earliest and most conservative purveyors of what is now remembered as the turn of the millennium Power Metal revival. To be clear, there has been a fair degree of development in the overall heaviness and depth of ARP's sound and production, but a constant air of familiarity with the early days of Melodic Metal from the primordial wells of Deep Purple, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio, Uli Jon Roth and early Yngwie Malmsteen permeates every inch of their sound and has done so for the full 25 years of their existence.
Though the sound in question has not really changed all that much, it is curious to note that the tides of time has brought a significant change to the lineup of this fold for the first time in 12 years, namely with the exodus of longtime drummer Mike Terrana, himself filling the massive shoes of kit extraordinaire Jorg Michael. Naturally questions arise of what sort of larger than life personality could man the percussive battery in a similar fashion to the two persons in question, and Axel seems to have quadrupled down on hims commitment to the mystique of 80s Metal by tapping Bobby Rondinelli, who arguably embodies the decade in question more than any drummer still out there since the close of said period and whose past band associations (including Warlock, Rainbow and Black Sabbath) make him probably the most logical choice. His contribution to this album is maybe a bit more fancy and fill-happy than that of Terrana, but follows the same mode of power and rock-solid punch that he brought to the kit on the last several albums.
In spite of the shift in membership, "Into The Storm" follows the recent precedents of "The Crest" and "Circle Of The Oath" to a sheer fault, and even dredges up some occasional similarities to the colossal one set by 2006 new classic "Mystica". It starts on a somewhat atypical note with the instrumental prelude "The Inquisitional Procedure", which opts to skip a guitar driven melody with a keyboard backdrop for something a bit more Symphonic, Atmospheric and subtle, but once the full band kicks in it's business as usual. The flashy Speed Metal that was largely abandoned following "Kings And Queens" is still absent, but there is a healthy dose of upper mid-tempo rocks in "Tower Of Lies", the Deep Purple infused Rock organ meets driving Metal cruiser "Burning Chains", the galloping delight "Changing Times" and the catchy bruiser "High Above". Actually, this album does mark a slight shift towards an approach that could be described as more well-rounded and reliant on mid-paced impact, as the more back-tempo rocker "Long Way To Go" and the epic semi-ballad turned catchy march after the "Mystica" mold "Touching Heaven" follow a similar mode of mostly punch and only occasional nods to Axel Rudi Pell's signature balladry approach.
While being a bit lighter on the ballad work and quirky eastern influences, those same elements that reminisce upon the more creative side of Axel catalog where the more ambitious moments of Dio and Rainbow are emulated definitely find themselves well represented here. The woeful piano driven ballad "When Truth Hurts" is kinda cliche and arguably the weak point of this whole experience, but Axel's expressive lead playing definitely bolsters an otherwise commonplace ballad, while the dreary reinterpretation of Neil Young's "Hey Hey My My" works a bit better and finds itself with a vocalist in Johnny Gioeli who is bearable for more than two minutes. But in usual Axel Rudi Pell fashion, the coup de grace turns out to be the long-winded title song "Into The Storm", which takes the same cues that "Circle Of The Oath" took from the Eastern-inspired side of the Rainbow catalog (aka "Stargazer" and "Gates Of Babylon"), but without the quirky switches in feel and with more of a straight-forward, down tempo drag somewhat reminiscent of "Holy Diver".
Generally speaking, “Into The Storm” tends to be marked by a general sense of tightness and togetherness between the rhythm section, guitar riff work, keyboards and vocals, while Axel's lead work tends to be a bit more loose in character. While some songs obviously sound quite alike on here, this album includes no stinker and has a constant high quality. In times where comparable German bands such as Axxis, Edguy, Gamma Ray, Primal Fear and Sinner are releasing somewhat lackluster records, Axel Rudin Pell still incarnates the power other Power Metal bands seem to have lost. Fans of Dio, Jorn, Lizzy Borden and even Whitesnake will also feel at home when they are listening to this release. The veterans are really attacking the genre thrown this year! They don’t do it with a big bang but prove their honest consistency that their colleagues have lost over the last years. Fans of all aforementioned bands should check this album out as it’s never too late to discover Axel Rudi Pell!!
Steamhammer/SPV, 2014 (SPV 266372 CD). Made in Germany. First press.


Tracklist:
1. The Inquisitorial Procedure 1:48
2. Tower Of Lies 4:26
3. Long Way To Go 5:32
4. Burning Chains 5:23
5. When Truth Hurts 6:46
6. Changing Times 6:05
7. Touching Heaven 7:02
8. High Above 4:49
9. Hey Hey My My 5:02
10. Into The Storm 10:35
Total playing time: 57:28 min.

The eleventh full-length studio album by the legendary German Hard Rock/Heavy/Power Metal band.
Axel Rudi Pell has never failed to amaze us with their ability to combine the various elements that made these forefathers of the Metal genre who they were in new and inviting ways. The guitar riffs are heavy, the solos are both melodically expressive and technically astounding, the keyboard ambiences are dense, the bass brings all the needed constancy to the instrumentation, and the drums are blazing with power. There are no slouches in this outfit, everybody puts forth a tireless effort to aid Axel in building the 10 castles of sound that make up the dark city of "Mystica".
Johnny Gioeli’s vocals deserve special mention because they have become synonymous with the Axel Rudi Pell sound. His voice has an rough and sleazy tinge to it, but also has a somber quality to it, particularly during the ballads. He soars into the higher male range with relative ease, but for a tenor, he has a very powerful lower range as well.
We kick this album off with the obligatory instrumental prelude “The Mysterious Return”, which has a similar slide guitar line to the one found on the first track of the “Shadow Zone” release, but has much more dense keyboard sounds in the background. We are then introduced to a classic up-tempo rocker Axel Rudi Pell style in “Fly to the Moon”, spearheaded by one of the heaviest main riffs Axel’s ever put out. The drum work on here is powerful, as Mike Terrana’s snare sound has not lost it’s punch after more than a decade behind the kit either with Yngwie or Axel Rudi Pell.
“Rock the Nation” is a straight-forward rocker that actually reminds quite a bit of “Cold Heaven” on the last album and maybe a tiny bit of “Carousel” off of "Oceans Of Time". “Valley of Sin” is sort of a hybrid of a Axel Rudi Pell ballad and a more mid-tempo rocker, very powerful chorus on this one. “Living a Lie” is another heavy ended rocker with some amazing lead work. “No Chance to Live” is another ballad from the vault of sad and lonely songs, complete with dreary keyboards, quiet and melodic leads, and some somber yet nostalgic lyrics.
From here on in the album gets so amazingly brilliant that each track requires special mention. “Haunted Castle Serenade” is an amazing guitar driven instrumental that rivals the “Moonlight Serenade” off of "Oceans Of Time”. “Losing the Game” is the strongest up-tempo rocker on here, with more great heavy riffs and a passionate vocal delivery. The title track is a track that pretty much stands on it’s own amongst the others, loaded with mystical lyrics, hard edged guitar riffs, and a driving line that reminds of older Axel Rudi Pell's classic title tracks such as “Magic” and “The Masquerade Ball”. The chorus on this one is unforgettable. This song actually gives it a run for it’s money in terms of musicality.
However, despite all of the amazing tracks on here, we have yet to hear the highlight of the entire album. The last track on this album starts with a gloomy, yet charming piano line wandering alone amongst a sea of synthesized string sounds... And after we get high speed section that featured one of Mike Terrana’s double bass drum lines, accompanying an epic solo battle between Axel’s flashy leads and Ferdy Doernberg’s equally riveting Jon Lord style organ solos. There was only one song on "Oceans Of Time" that was more musically intricate than “Gates of the Seven Seals”, and that was the long-winded power ballad “Ashes of the Oath”, which had a similarly riveting solo battle between Axel and Ferdy.
In conclusion, ARP really outdid themselves on this one, bringing a new energy to the Metal scene with their uncompromising loyalty to the sound of the traditional Metal wing. This album has crossover appeal to all fans of melodic Heavy Metal, young and old. It’s fresh, it’s consistent, and it’s waiting for you!!
Steamhammer/SPV, 2006 (SPV 99952 CD). Made in Germany. First press.


Tracklist:
1. The Mysterious Return 1:18
2. Fly To The Moon 5:33
3. Rock The Nation 5:29
4. Valley Of Sin 7:10
5. Living A Lie 5:27
6. No Chance To Live 6:18
7. Mystica 8:25
8. Haunted Castle Serenade (Opus #4 Grazioso E Agresso) 3:52
9. Losing The Game 4:35
10. The Curse Of The Damned 9:57
Total playing time: 58:04 min.

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The second full-length studio album by the legendary German Hard Rock/Heavy/Power Metal band.
After transitioning into a solo artist and releasing the strong yet somewhat derivative album “Wild Obsession”, Axel parted ways with singer Charlie Huhn and hooked up with more accomplished and passion driven singer Rob Rock. “Nasty Reputation” is the blue print for the new and refined band's sound that still consistently present on his latest albums despite a changing musical world and a barrage of fly by night trends. 
Rob Rock’s vocal performance on here is over-the-top, as is the case with his solo work, but this has consistently worked well for him. He pulls off Sleazy sounding Rocking numbers like the album’s title track and “Wanted Man” with equally proficiency as he does the more vocally exposed and keyboard driven ballad “When a Blind Man cries”. Unlike Jeff Scott Soto and Johnny Gioeli, whom both tend to sound rough edged when hitting the higher notes, Rob’s voice consistently remains a husky, classically driven tenor when not going for the over-the-top banshee screeches. 
As far as the overall song collection on here, we get all the key ingredients for the same winning albums of “Oceans Of Time” and “Kings And Queens” which followed a while after this one. “I Will Survive” and “Fighting the Law” are classic band's brand Speed Metal. “Wanted Man” and “Firewall” are cut from the mid-tempo 80s inspired Sleaze Metal but with a bit more attitude, as is “Unchain the Thunder” but with a few quiet sections for melodically driven guitar work and more subdued vocals. “When a Blind Man Cries” is the first true Axel Rudi Pell ballad in the current definition, combining an exposed vocal performance and a serene overall atmosphere provided by the keyboards with some emotionally driven yet simple lead work. “Nasty Reputation” is cut from the mid-tempo 80s fold, but also possesses the simple riffing and Rock glorifying lyrics that make for any live venue favorite. But the one that really grabs the listener is the epic guitar driven track “Land of the Giants”, which is the blueprint for every long winded epic found on every release since its conception. Musically it bears the most similarity to “Gates of the Seven Seals” off the "Oceans Of Time" LP, containing a similar elongated solo section with funky wah pedal work and some interesting background atmospheric devices.
Overall, if you liked “Oceans Of Time”, “Between The Walls”, “Masquerade Ball”, or any of the mid 90s to current day Axel Rudi Pell releases, this album will definitely give you and enjoyable listening experience! If you are not familiar with these releases, picture a brilliant marriage of the lyrical poetry of Ronnie Dio, the music of Rainbow, Black Sabbath and Yngwie Malmsteen and you’ll get the basic idea!!
SPV/Steamhammer, 1991 (SPV 084-76342). Made in Germany. Re-press.


Tracklist:
1. I Will Survive 5:03 
2. Nasty Reputation 4:07 
3. Fighting The Law 3:21 
4. Wanted Man 3:49 
5. When A Blind Man Cries 4:34
6. Land Of The Giants 10:25
7. Firewall 3:51 
8. Unchain The Thunder 3:31 
9. Open Doors ( Pt.1:Experience Pt.2:The Journey Pt.3:Sugar Big Daddy ) 7:54
Total playing time: 46:35

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The seventh full-length studio album by the legendary German Hard Rock/Heavy/Power Metal band.
Axel Rudi Pell is a longstanding German Metal band playing in the classic 80s style of Dio and other similar bands, with excellent guitarwork courtesy of the band's core and founder, Axel Rudi Pell. They've apparently had a very long string of lineup changes, with about four or five different vocalists, before settling on their current one, Johnny Gioeli. It was on this album that he made his debut in the band.
The album starts off with a short intro piece before kicking off into the high-speed double bass cooker "Pay the Price." It's a standard Power Metal song, with an extremely catchy chorus. It does well to open the album and introduce us to the band. Next up is the 8-minute "Carousel", one of the best songs on the album. It's misplaced, with a shockingly simplistic riff and a catchy chorus. Most bands would end a song like this after maybe 4 minutes, but Axel Rudi Pell lets the music play, showing their considerable musical talents and creating long songs that never bore you, if you're into this style of music. "Carousel" is a perfect example; sailing on for 8 whole minutes, rocking the whole way with such simple riffs and musicianship, but never becoming dull or trite.
"Ashes from the Oath" is another album highlight, starting off as a moody ballad, showing off Gioeli's considerable vocal talents for a good 4 or 5 minutes and delivering some killer lyrics and guitarwork, before speeding up to a huge hurricane of speedy riffs and blazing solos in the last half of the song. Absolutely splendid. The highlight of the album.
"Ride the Rainbow" is the shortest song here, a catchy little rocker with a great chorus and explosive soloing.
"The Gates of the Seven Seals" is a great song, coming in at almost 11 minutes. The riff that carries throughout the song is again very simple, yet great. The chorus is extremely catchy, and the whole thing just bleeds 'epicness'. This song revokes the great 80s Metal bands again, in a tour de force of spectacular guitar and drumwork. Check it out if you enjoy Metal at least a little bit.
"Oceans of Time" is the last truly great song here, one of the best ballads in Metal music. The solo is, again, incredible, and this beautiful piece of music goes on for 7 minutes before coming to an end, like the tides on the beach at sunset.
"Prelude to the Moon" is a Neoclassical sounding instrumental, with only the guitars and keyboards throughout it's 5 minute duration.
"Living on the Wildside" and "Holy Creatures" is also good songs.
Overall, this is a great album from a very good band, with some of the best Metal songs you’ve ever heard! Highly, highly recommended!!
Steamhammer/SPV, 1998 (SPV 085-18142 CD). Made in Germany. Re-press.


Tracklist:
1. Slaves Of The Twilight 1:50
2. Pay The Price 6:17
3. Carousel 8:00
4. Ashes From The Oath 9:36 
5. Ride The Rainbow 4:54
6. The Gates Of The Seven Seals 10:37
7. Oceans Of Time 7:46
8. Prelude To The Moon (Opus#3 Menuetto Prelugio) 5:04
9. Living On The Wildside 4:52
10. Holy Creatures 6:33
Total playing time: 65:29 min.

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The ninth full-length studio album by the legendary German Hard Rock/Heavy/Power Metal band.
Here comes Axel again with their new album and the story that follow some part of a trilogy started in "The Masquerade Ball".
This disc starts feeling a lot like Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" era. However, after the opening instrumental cut is ended, crunchy, high-energy Metal becomes the true order of business here. The band manages to take that style, merge it with some of the Neo-Classical Metallic leanings of many modern Euro-Metal bands, and infuse it with a more Bluesy emotional tone - to great results.
Fast songs on it are "Edge Of The World", "Follow The Sign" and "Saint Of Fools", and all of these three are once again done really well by the band, but "Edge Of The World" is hell of a fast song. The drums by Mike Terrana are real fast and everything on it makes it for their opening track in their tour around in Europe.
The zone of ballads arrive with the epic "Live For The King" and goes with two other amazing ballads, romance lyrically "All The Rest Of My Life" and "Heartbreaker" with great keyboards done by one of the best keyboardists out there, Ferdy Doernberg.
Band sound just a bit like UFO at times, but really have a sound all their own. They even manage to pull off the fantasy lyrics and semi-symphonic arrangements with dignity and integrity. That's no small feat.
The production is perfect. Axel Rudi Pell has taken his band into the 21 century well done, combining 80 tradtional with melodic style of Metal. There is also a lot of blend with keyboards and extra sounds, which once again Axel Rudi Pell does 100% perfect; everything blends nice together! This album is a lot different from any of the past albums. It's not really a bad thing, or really a good thing. But it shows that this band still has kicks and will continue to have kicks for quite some time!!
Steamhammer/SPV, 2002 (SPV 085-74072 CD). Made in Germany. First press.


Tracklist:
1. The Curse Of The Chains (Intro) 1:26
2. Edge Of The World 5:17
3. Coming Home 7:01
4. Live For The King 8:13
5. All The Rest Of My Life 8:03
6. Follow The Sign 4:28
7. Time Of The Truth 8:18
8. Heartbreaker 6:41
9. Saint Of Fools 4:58
10. Under The Gun 6:48
Total playing time: 61:13 min.

The thirteenth full-length studio album by the legendary German Hard Rock/Heavy/Power Metal band.
This 2008 release is totally oblivious to Metal trends of the late 2000s, but that doesn't prevent every one of the tracks from being pleasingly solid. The only thing that lets you know this is a 2008 release is the release date; stylistically, melodic but Hard-Rocking tracks such as "Angel Eyes", "Buried Alive," and "Riding on an Arrow" are firmly planted in the 1970s and 1980s. Old-school headbangers like Ronnie James Dio, Rainbow, Deep Purple, and UFO continue to inspire Pell creatively, and he makes no effort to update his approach.
Again, that is probably for the best; as predictable as "Tales Of The Crown" is, Pell never sounds bored or uninspired. Quite the contrary - he sounds like he gets a lot of pleasure from his 1970s/1980s comfort zone. And once again, former Hardline frontman Johnny Gioeli comes through for Pell. Gioeli still sounds a lot like Jon Bon Jovi, but none of the material on this hourlong CD is Bon Jovi-ish; while Bon Jovi's Hard Rock/Pop Metal was never Heavy Metal in the strict sense, "Tales Of The Crown" is very much a Metal album. And it is also an enjoyable indication that in some cases, artists are probably better off not changing with the times!
Steamhammer/SPV, 2008 (SPV 91702 CD). Made in Germany. First press.


Tracklist:
1. Higher 7:18
2. Ain't Gonna Win 4:12
3. Angel Eyes 4:58
4. Crossfire 5:22
5. Touching My Soul 6:32
6. Emotional Echoes 5:07
7. Riding On An Arrow 5:55
8. Tales Of The Crown 8:21
9. Buried Alive 5:13
10. Northern Lights 6:22
Total playing time: 59:20 min.
 

The debut full-length studio album by the legendary German Hard Rock/Glam Metal band.
After his exodus from 80s German Glam Metal outfit Steeler, Axel Rudi Pell decided to go it alone and create a music all his own, and in subsequent years would grow to develop a sound more worthy of his abilities than what he had been doing.
However, like with all solo projects, one can’t help but imitate what one knows at the time until new ideas begin to form, and this release succeeds mostly in being a slightly more musically interesting version of Steeler. It’s full of great guitar work, vocalist Charlie Huhn does a decent job, but overall this is still 80s Glam Rock.
Charlie Huhn sounds a tiny bit like Jeff Scott Soto in his low to mid-range, but when he launches into his higher register, he sounds a bit more like a combination of Bon Scott and Udo Dirkschneider. The resulting combination of his vocals and the mostly Rock driven riffs, is quite good for singing cheesy love ballads like “Broken Heart” in the Dokken style, as well as for Rock anthems about strippers like “Call Her Princess”. But it is painfully obvious that such a voice would not be able to pull off a more art driven work like “Oceans of Time” or “Legions of Hell”.
The musical on here is pretty much as far removed from the current direction of the band as the vocalist is. The principle riffs of 80s Glam anthems like “Slave of Love”, “Snake Eyes” and “Cold as Ice” are heavily Mötley Crüe inspired, while the choruses are a bit more towards the Dokken formula of dense harmonies and multiple backup singers. “Broken Heart” has an interesting acoustic line and plenty of slow melodic solo work, but its overall presentation is not as deep or thought provoking as “Forever Angel” or “The Clown is Dead”. 
The musical highlights on here are the areas where Pell seems to be moving towards a more aggressive and Progressive style. “Hear You Calling Me” is quite similar to later and heavier mid-tempo rockers such as “Follow the Sign” and “Ride the Rainbow”. “Call Her Princess” is mostly a heavy riff oriented song, despite the ode to stripper style lyrics and still enjoys regular play at live venues on Axel Rudi Pell tours. “Wild Cat”, although lyrically another sexual anthem to a pretty Vixen, is a fine piece of early Speed Metal work. “Don’t Trust the Promised Dreams” is the closest thing to an Axel Rudi Pell epic to be found on here, although it lacks the epic feel and sounds more like a heavily riff oriented mid-tempo song. The lyrical direction gives an indication of more thoughtful things to come and the musical middle section gives hints at Axel’s fascination with Eastern mysticism.
This is essentially a solid 80s Glam Metal album that unlike the Glam outfits of the late 80s actually has the riffs and the attitude to qualify as Metal. It is nonetheless an overtly 80s album precisely because it was recorded in the 80s. If you like bands such as Dokken, Mötley Crüe, Skid Row, Accept, and Warlock then this album will treat you well! It’s a lot different than the albums that followed it, but is still a good listen!!
SPV/Steamhammer, 1989 (SPV 84-7610). Made in Germany. Re-press.


Tracklist:
1. Wild Cat 3:39
2. Call Of The Wild Dogs 3:51
3. Slave Of Love 4:36
4. Cold As Ice 6:21
5. Broken Heart 5:04
6. Call Her Princess 3:19
7. Snake Eyes 5:13
8. Unchain The Thunder 3:31
9. Return Of The Calyph From The Apocalypse Of Babylon 0:51
10. (Don't Trust The) Promised Dreams 6:28
Total playing time: 42:53 min.

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