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Artist: Axel Rudi Pell |
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When the words Guitar Hero are thrown about these days they are usually referring to video games, but to me the true Guitar Hero’s are those wizards of the six string variety, who can make the guitar sing. Those that seem to be at one with their instrument, the likes of Vai, Santana, Iommi, Young, Blackmore and of course the German maestro himself Axel Rudi Pell, who returns with his 13th studio album ‘The Crest’ Along with the great man himself comes an all star cast of Ferdy Doernberg on keys, Volker Krawczak on bass, Mike Terrana on drums and last but by no means least the phenomenal vocal talent that is Johnny Gioeli. 'The Crest' is another triumph which once again highlights the unmistakable talent that is Pell. Along with Gioeli’s superb vocals, the two seem to compliment each other like no other heavy metal guitar vocal combo I’ve heard in years. Like all the previous Axel Rudi Pell albums before 'The Crest' is a band album and not simply a platform for Pell to steal the limelight, unlike some other guitarist’s albums. It may have his name on the cover but this is most definitely a five-man band with each member adding something special to the mix. The album opens up with the intro ‘Prelude Of Doom’ then it's pure metal majesty from this point on in as the album opens up proper with ‘Too Late’, where the magic is born and never ceases to amaze from here on in. Gioeli brings the idea of melodic metal to life with some great vocals as always with the likes of ‘Prisoner Of Love’ and the excellent ‘Dreaming Dead’, but this album isn’t just all out metal, with Gioeli at the mike you need to have a ballad or two and this album has a great one in ‘Glory Night’, with Pell providing some soaring riffs to compliment the fine vocals. This was clearly a match made in rock n' roll heaven. One of my favourite tracks off the album has to be the 8 minute epic ‘Dark Waves Of The Sea’, another triumph in melodic metal, a real barnstormer. Then it's time for Pell to unleash the six string once more on the massive ‘Burning Rain’. The pace is brought back down with the instrumental ‘Noblesse Oblige’, again a real magic carpet ride as Pell and Doernberg take you high above the clouds with this one. The
album closes on another highpoint with the epic metal of ‘The End Of
The Line’, another of my favourites from what is the complete package
as regards to Melodic Heavy Metal. This is another excellent Pell album and
with Pell taking charge of the production side of things on this for the
first time, it's an album he can really be proud of. |
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| Tracklisting:
1.
Prelude Of Doom (Intro) |
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