▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ 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 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░