Self proclaimed Richie Blackmore adept Axel Rudi Pell first came on my radar when he managed to get singer Johnny Gioeli (Hardline) in the band and released Oceans Of Time in 1998. That was a darn good CD, and got me interested in his back catalogue and future releases.
Over time I noticed I was slowly losing my appetite for new releases as I found them sounding more and more alike.
And that is not a case of losing the craft, I just felt the output became too much of a format, with too little new things. But after reading good reviews about this release, I decided to give it another try.
Already opener Higher sets the mood for a vintage Pell experience. Mid paced in tempo, but that immense voice of Gioeli and guitar playing of Pell sounded oh so familiar. Great wah wah intro to the solo part by the way. Second track Ain´t Gonna Win is a bit more up tempo and heavy. With again a highly addictive chorus. Both tracks show a massive rhythm guitar sound that is a joy on the ears. And less keyboards than I remembered.
The album continues, Axel keeps soloing in his typical manner and songs pass by. Changes are minimal when compared to past records, but I cannot deny that it sounds great and the band is inspired. A total of 10 songs and one hour of music that makes time fly. You could do worse.
Personal play tips, just start it up.