Artist: Pell, Axel Rudi
Label: SPV Records
Release: 2006
Rating: 3/5
When a new studio album drops from the man who goes by Axel Rudi Pell, a.k.a. the “German Blackmore”, you honestly don’t know what else to say, because it’s all been said. He’s one of the most dependable musicians around, and he must have a rock-solid base of loyal fans that never wavers, just like his sound never wavers, which you can now predict and call before an album even comes out with total ease. Axel keeps putting out new albums with his tried-and-tested winning crew of hardened old tomcats – musicians who simply can’t and won’t fail when it’s time to carry out the boss’s orders. So “Mystica” is yet another top-notch “hard rock” album. Love him or hate him, the guy doesn’t budge an inch to the left or right, and his music stays excellent. So the only thing worth complaining about is the cookie-cutter reproduction of himself, the cloning. But then again, so what? Would anyone even want him any different? So if you’re a fan of his music, welcome home, otherwise there’s no room for you here.
So, verses about the occult, black magic, witches zipping around on broomsticks and leading ordinary mortals to their doom, plus other mystical adventures that one way or another tempt the little guy, get a new Axel dedication with the album “Mystica”. Axel builds the foundation once again on solid guitar riffs, the music is enriched by his unmistakable guitar work, and the guy doesn’t let up on quality one bit. The solos, together with the instrumental middle sections of the songs, are as always the highlights and focal points your listening zeroes in on, and the choruses are huge and sparkle pompously! Singer Johnny Gioeli (Hardline) kicks ass again and proves that he’s, as always, an indispensable piece of the puzzle for this kind of “hard rock”. It’s all carefully backed up by the devilishly detonating rhythm line of Mike Terrana’s (Rage) wrecking-ball tornado of drum thrashing, which grabs you by the throat so that these dangerously contagious tunes get into your blood straight away, even on the very first listen.
The formula of two baroque instrumentals, mostly fast to mid-tempo “rocker” sawing with anthemic, singalong choruses, spiced up with the punchy ballad No Chance To Live (with one of the nicest guitar solos on the record), with which Axel is diligently collecting new material for a ballads compilation that will eventually come out sometime in the future as “Ballads III.”, stays completely unchanged and a constant companion of the new record!
Singling out the album’s highlights is practically pointless. The atmosphere is magically distinctive and unmistakably unique, and so is the style. It’s simply a record that comes from Axel Rudi Pell’s hands, the kind you want and expect. Truly for the loyal fans and all lovers of juicy guitar sorcery woven into the form of classic melodic hard rock elements, with probably the rawest production on the old continent! Another album that doesn’t let you down and is once again played with full balls and a pure-blooded rock feel by the German peroxide-blond guitar wizard!
Lineup
Johnny Gioeli – vocals
Axel Rudi Pell – guitar
Ferdy Doernberg – keyboards
Volker Krawczak – bass
Mike Terrana – drums
Production
Axel Rudi Pell
Tracklist
1. The Mysterious Return (Intro)
2. Fly To The Moon
3. Rock The Nation
4. Valley Of Sin
5. Living A Lie
6. No Chance To Live
7. Mystica
8. Hanted Castle Serenade
9. Losing The Game
10. The Curse Of The Damned
Running time: 58.00
