We all love a bit of Axel Rudi Pell. The German guitarist has released an astonishing 21 albums to date, with the upcoming ‘Risen Symbol’ being his 22nd in a long line that stretches back to 1989’s ‘Wild Obsession’. It’s his more melodic and power metal-adjacent 90s work we love best, though, from 1996’s ‘Black Mood Pyramid’ to ‘Magic’ and ‘The Masquerade Ball’, which is where ‘Risen Symbol’ seems to pick up its vast majority of influences.
Axel is not looking to reinvent the wheel by any means, but this new album certainly has a darker, more metallic feel to it than his last bunch of records, although the hooky vocals by mainstay powerhouse Johnny Gioeli that made excellent albums like ‘Knight’s Call’ and ‘Into The Storm’ are still very much in evidence. As usual, Axel’s fluent guitar style is mesmerizing as ever, recalling the classic days of Rainbow, Black Sabbath, and Dio’s 80s solo work, and you can hear that for yourself on the fist-pumping new metal anthem ‘Darkest Hour’. Read all about it in the new issue of Fistful Of Metal, available in our webstore and in all good newsagents now.
‘Risen Symbol’ will be released via SPV/Steamhammer on June 14th.
Photo by Kai Hoffmann.
Watch the video for ‘Darkest Hour’ right here: