Axel Rudi Pell – Sign of the Times

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By far Axel Rudi Pell is the artist with more reviews here at Metal Addicts. By my standards, of course. This is the fourth effort I have here – not complaining, okay? It means that the man produces a lot. No kidding the man can put one album by year in the market. Of course, the albums are not only about new songs, but a compilation of balads – the man loves ballads – and an alive album.

Don’t mess with success should be the motto for the man which would really represent him. “Sign of the Times” doesn’t change a bit the successful formula of the last albums. There is only one honorable exception that is “Living in a Dream” with its reggae grip in the opening guitar riff. Unexpected, but it worked fine. Everything is doing fine in the album: vocals, keyboarding, the perfect and tight drumming of the veteran Bobby Rondinelli, compass bass and, of course the inspired interventions by the man. As usual, there is the delicate ballad “As Blind As a Fool Can Be” which will be for sure part of the next album of ballads. By the way, it is on five and still counting…

Many reviewers have the bad habit of bashing and badmouthing artists like Axel Rudi Pell because they don’t change. I, on the contrary, praise this kind of artist because it shows a strong character. It would be easy to change every album as some wish, but bands wisely rarely do. Doing so, the captive personality of the band would to be a chameleon adapting to each new trend. I’ll tell you something that maybe you won’t like it, but whatever. Metal is still kicking because it has changed during the fifty years it is on, but it maintained the essence and this essence is too strong. So is Axel Rudi Pell. He maintains his dignity and his essence doing the music he loves. Ah, “Sign of the Times” predecessor “Knights Call” had 2.6 million streams worldwide! All right, now confess, would you change?

Hardcore fans will love “Sign of the Times” and its lack of change. As I said don’t mess with success should be the man’s motto.

Axel Rudi Pell “Sign of the Times” will be released on May 08th via Steamhammer / SPV.

Track Listing:

  1. The Black Serenade (Intro)
  2. Gunfire
  3. Bad Reputation
  4. Sign of the Times
  5. The End of the Line
  6. As Blind As a Fool Can Be
  7. Wings of the Storm
  8. Waiting for Your Call
  9. Living in a Dream
  10. Into the Fire

Watch “Gunfire” official video here:

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