▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███
░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓
███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░
███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████
███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███
███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███
███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███
▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███
███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███
██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███
░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███
░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀
██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██
░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░
▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓
░ ██ ██ Artist: Axel Rudi Pell ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Knights Call █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2018 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2018-03-24 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Heavy Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Steamhammer ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ The prolific German axe-meister Axel Rudi Pell is █
█ back with another slab of committed power/melodic █
█ metal. Like clockwork, he releases an album of new █
█ material every two years. æKnights CallÆ is PellÆs █
█ seventeenth release since leaving Steeler in 1989. █
█ █
█ The collection doesnÆt mess with the tried and █
█ trusted formula of earlier work. That will be a █
█ relief for his Continental fans who buy the music █
█ in truck loads and flock to gigs. Though less █
█ avidly followed in the UK, 2016Æs æGame of SinsÆ █
█ did briefly dent the rock and metal charts. This █
█ is a decent enough follow up. █
█ █
█ Opener æThe Medieval Overture (Intro)Æ sets a █
█ portentous tone before two of the albumÆs stronger █
█ tracks kick in. æThe Wild and the YoungÆ and █
█ æWildest DreamsÆ both feed off driving riffs and █
█ melodic choruses. The latter is underpinned by █
█ some well-placed Hammond flourishes. Later on, █
█ æFollow The SunÆ is a fine romp. █
█ █
█ æTruth and LiesÆ is an enjoyable mid-paced █
█ showcase of PellÆs dextrous and inventive guitar █
█ playing. The track also features some jaunty █
█ keyboard breaks from Ferdy Doernberg and a few █
█ compelling bass runs courtesy of Ferdy Doernberg. █
█ █
█ As is typical of PellÆs material, the epic tracks █
█ come thick and fast. The semi-acoustic ballad, █
█ æBeyond The LightÆ is probably the best of them. █
█ Great solo. █
█ █
█ æThe Crusaders of DoomÆ is well enough put █
█ together, with great work from Pell, if just a █
█ little laboured at eight-minutes plus. æTower of █
█ BabylonÆ is the album closer and clocks in at a █
█ whisker under 10 minutes. Again, the track is █
█ competent and carefully crafted with some lovely █
█ playing. But the thing is such a Stargazer meets █
█ Kashmir mash up as to be a hard listen. Almost too █
█ much of a tribute to be taken seriously. █
█ █
█ Johnny Gioeli handles the lead vocals throughout █
█ with a gravelly tone and plenty of power, not █
█ least on the aforementioned æBeyond The LightÆ. █
█ IÆm trying hard to avoid the obvious comparisons, █
█ but there is something of Klaus Meine about the █
█ vocal arrangements. Though not in the content. The █
█ lyrics often return to medieval good versus evil █
█ territory. Enough castles and crusades and knights █
█ to have kept Ronnie James Dio in business, God █
█ rest his noble heart. █
█ █
█ The only real turkeys are the strained æSlaves on █
█ the RunÆ and æLong Live RockÆ which is just too █
█ clichΘd and ploddy to be a real anthem. █
█ █
█ Everything here is well played and beautifully █
█ produced with some fine moments in amongst some █
█ more ordinary, derivative fare. Overall it is a █
█ jolly outing and could well broaden PellÆs appeal █
█ on this outpost of Europe. █
█ █
█ https://www.axel-rudi-pell.de/ █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. The Medieval Overture (intro) 1:43 ░
░ 2. The Wild and the Young 4:21 ░
░ 3. Wildest Dreams 5:43 ░
░ 4. Long Live Rock 5:34 ░
░ 5. The Crusaders of Doom 8:00 ░
░ 6. Truth and Lies 4:48 ░
░ 7. Beyond the Light 7:45 ░
░ 8. Slaves on the Run 5:12 ░
░ 9. Follow the Sun 5:12 ░
░ 10. Tower of Babylon 9:49 ░
░ 58:07 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
■ █▄ ░ ██
▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░
▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓
▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■
░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░
▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░
█▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓
█▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█
▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒
░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░
▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓
█▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓
░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒
█░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█
███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░
▓██ ░ ██▓
██░ ░██
█▒ ░ ░█
▀█ █▀
▓ ░
░