Axel Rudi Pell
Tales Of The Crown

Every time I listen to an Axel Rudi Pell album, I wonder if there are still any of his fans out there in the world. No, because this is becoming serious and, at the same time, worrying. 

I don't want to question his abilities as a guitarist, from a technical point of view and/or otherwise. The fact is that Axel really impressed me with his early albums. They were somewhat amateurishly produced, true, but they were albums from which truly beautiful, melodic, and solid heavy metal emerged. Let's not even talk about his guitar solos. He may not be a guitar hero, perhaps not one of the most famous, well-known, or, let me use the term, one of the "VIPs" in the category. But he remains, nonetheless, a very good guitarist.

So, why does he have to churn out crappy albums? 

In truth, his latest album, "Diamond Unlocked," was a cover album. Axel had decided to pay tribute and homage to various artists. In particular, the cover of "A Beautiful Day" by U2 was beautiful, a band I've always found a bit annoying and that I believe is a bit (too) overrated. But that's none of "Tales Of The Crown"'s business.

Because, actually, this platter could even be considered a quite nice little album, well played, well sung (perhaps the only one who stands out is precisely Johnny Gioeli ….) and wonderfully produced.

However, alas, alas for us and alas for all of you… We are faced with the classic stereotypical "made in Rudi Pell" album that doesn't add a damn thing to the releases of the artist in question over the last few years.

There's the epic song (the opener "Higher"), there are the mid-tempo songs, there are the speedy songs ("Buried Alive"), there's the big ballad of the moment ("Touching My Soul", with a really pathetic title) which recycles "Forever Angel" and all of Mr. Axel Rudi Pell's ballads, and thus doesn't attract me at all. A song inserted just because there was space on the CD. Meh…..

And what to say about the instrumental "Emotional Echoes"? Nothing. Cute. Axel is having fun, he lets us hear that he's good, that he knows how to play his instrument very well, that he never overdoes it with it, and that he's a wizard with his solos. In short: technique, method, lots of schooling, many hours spent playing his guitar, his one true love.

And, in reality, the review is already over. As I believe Axel Rudi Pell's career has also come to an end, a man who created his own "One Man Solo Band" which was really strong at the beginning, then ….. maybe he dulled, heck if I know. Must be the age.

The only song I feel like saving from the massacre is "Riding On An Arrow", with a more hard-rock flavor, ending bizarrely with a child who sings "Ride On An Arrow" in a nonsensical tone…. Fantasy is wasted….

However, going back to the ongoing discussion, churning out photocopy albums isn't great, especially if you also follow the order of song placement on the list (for example, the ballad must be in fifth place, otherwise the God of Metal might strike you down!).

As I said in my last review, about Axel himself: "Good job, Axel! You figured out how to give birth to a great album: the important thing is that you're not the one writing the songs…." adding a final "muahauhauhauhauahuaahua!!!!"

So…. Now, today, now I'm convinced. 

Axel, for heaven's sake, do us a favor: stay at home and don't do anything that has to do with heavy metal and music in general. 

Because this album truly sucks. And I think the next one will suck, and the one after that.

And why fill the world with such crap when we already have enough?

Oh well…. I'll leave you all.

I'm going to take a crap.

(2 stars for Johnny Gioeli… otherwise it would really have been the end)