Axel Rudi Pell's 'Risen Symbol' - Album Review

A bit of a theme on this blog so far this year is new albums from long-standing veteran acts - particularly those bands which have remained consistent and prolific despite their advancing years, often putting some younger bands to shame. Saxon and Judas Priest are certainly examples of such who have released new material this year, but another musician who has also been extremely prolific over the years is the German guitarist and songwriter Axel Rudi Pell. Whilst no-one is going to say that Pell's lengthy catalogue is as good or as influential as either Saxon's or Judas Priest's - it is nevertheless packed full of strong material and there have been some genuinely excellent albums from him over the years. I am not sure that anything he has released in more recent years can genuinely be described as excellent, but Pell has become one of those comfort acts who release new albums regularly that rarely, if ever, divert from a tight and long-established core sound. Pell's core sound is very much inspired by the work of Ritchie Blackmore - and his albums have always channelled the Ronnie James Dio era of Rainbow mixed with the crunch of the European power metal scene. He has rarely strayed into the AOR years of Rainbow, with Pell's material channelling early Rainbow's gothic touches alongside the crunch of bands like Blind Guardian and Primal Fear. Blackmore Pell is not, but he is an impressive guitarist and songwriter - and wearing influences on sleeves is not necessarily a bad thing. Blackmore is not making music like this anymore in any case and Pell has a loyal following that laps up each new album when it drops. Last month, then, Pell released his latest album when Risen Symbol dropped - which is his twentieth album of original material. Throw in a couple of covers albums, a few live albums, his many ballad collections, and the albums put out by his original band Steeler - and it is clear that Pell has amassed a huge back catalogue. It picks up exactly where Lost XXIII (which I reviewed here) left off which, in turn, picked up where exactly every other Pell album prior to it had left off! There is nothing at all original about Risen Symbol, but those wanting another collection of pretty majestic and generally mid-paced rockers, featuring Pell's neo-classical guitar playing and the slightly over-the-top vocals of long-time frontman Johnny Gioeli will find plenty to enjoy in Risen Symbol. Whilst I have not heard all of Pell's albums, I have heard the majority of them and I think it is fair to say that the more recent albums lack the spark which, in fairness, many of the early ones had. Pell has certainly been treading water for years but his album generally remain enjoyable - if only for the nostalgic sound they create and the era which Pell looks to represent. This latest album is the sixth with the current line-up of Pell's band, too, with drummer Bobby Rondinelli having been in position for over a decade now. Bassist Volker Krawczak, who has played on all of Pell's albums, and long-time keyboard player Ferdy Doernberg round out the five-piece - although both of them and Rondinelli certainly play second fiddle to Gioeli and Pell himself.

As is the case with nearly all of Pell's albums, Risen Symbol gets underway with a slow-burning, gothic instrumental piece. The Resurrection (Intro) fills that role this time and the swirl of Doernberg's keyboards and some weather effects back a mournful guitar lead - but in truth all of these intro pieces on Pell's albums are essentially interchangeable. It builds up nicely to Forever Strong, though, the first song proper - and one which is surprisingly energetic. Much of Pell's output tends to be crunchy and mid-paced, especially in recent years, but Forever Strong is much heavier and faster than most of his recent material - and it certainly shows the influence of the European power metal scene on his writing. I wish he wrote more songs like this and the driving song certainly kicks the album off in fine fashion. Rondinelli delivers lots of double bass drumming throughout, which keeps the song ticking, whilst Pell's opening riff is kinetic and heavy - and it sticks in the brain nicely. As such, the song feels somewhat like a hark back to the earlier parts of Pell's career - but his core sound remains. Doernberg's keyboards add that subtle gothic background which is typical of every Pell album, with the chorus in particular benefitting from that synthetic organ sound which is commonly heard here, whilst Gioeli's raspy and loud voice suits the faster pace nicely - with him delivering the chorus convincingly. Pell's solo could perhaps be busier given the song's pace - but overall it gets things off to a fine start. Guardian Angel is much more typical - and is a mid-paced hard rocker with a strong opening riff and a pretty anthemic overall feel. It is less crunchy than some of Pell's work, but songs like this are extremely typical of his songwriting - and he often throws in a few songs which feel a little more overtly melodic and vocal-driven. The keyboards are a bit more prominent here, particularly during the verses which see the guitars drop out for a little while, whilst the chorus is one of the most overtly hooky moments on the album. The lack of the guitar crunch during parts of the verse helps the track to feel a little more dynamic than some here - and the guitar tone this time feels a little dialled back, too. The song definitely has a smoother sound overall and it is unsurprising that it was used as a single. A real low point here for me, though, is a leaden and pretty pointless cover of Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song. The original is pretty overplayed in my opinion anyway, so I did not need Pell to nearly triple its length and turn it into a somewhat creeping power metal track that loses the original's frenetic punch. This is not the first questionable cover which Pell has included on one of his albums and it is an inclusion which drags the overall album down in my opinion. It just seems to be a vehicle for Pell to include a lengthy guitar solo, which does not fit with the song's vibe, as well as to repeat some of the vocal-led parts to make it longer. The original song was just over two minutes long and this version is just under six - and this remake should never have moved past the idea stage.

Thankfully, though, Darkest Hour gets the album back on track. It is the sort of song which we have heard many times before from Pell - but the mid-paced and crunchy hard rocker is full of the gothic atmosphere which much of Pell's best work contains. Sometimes I wonder how many more songs like this Pell can write, but this one is pretty memorable - with verses that mix a meaty chug with a strident power chord riff and a chorus that ups the keyboard presence and features some of Gioeli's strongest vocals on the album and some additional guitar leads. Gioeli as a singer can grate sometimes, and his over-the-top grit can sometimes be distracting, but when he gets the balance right he tends to sound powerful. The balance is well-struck here and the chorus is the right mix of anthemic and gothic; whilst Pell's guitar solo is pretty expressive, too, without being too busy. It is a melodic song overall, then, and it one of the highlights of the album thanks to a good mix of atmospherics and crunchy hard rock - and an ending which surprisingly ups the pace somewhat with some driving double bass drumming. Pell is no stranger to a long song and the album's centrepiece follows in Ankhaia. Given that the song is just over 10 minutes long, it is unsurprising that it opens slowly - with some wordless vocals from Gioeli against an atmospheric backdrop which set the tone for the creeping, gothic mammoth which is to follow. Blackmore's influence on Pell's songwriting is certainly best heard in songs like this - and there are shades of songs like Gates of Babylon in the arrangement and instrumentation used here. The guitar riffing mixes Eastern-tinged melodies and neo-classical runs to create a snaking groove, whilst Doernberg's keyboards take on a more prominent role throughout quite a few moments of the song - with one repeated section featuring Arabian-style keyboard flourishes over which Gioeli adds some wordless vocals. This keyboard melody is later used with a more percussive backing to set the tone for a lengthy instrumental section which, unsurprisingly, morphs into a big guitar solo. It is a multi-part solo, with a riffing interlude, which is a real slow burn - but it suits the length of the song and the overall atmosphere and arrangement. Despite the song's length and the fact that it does not deviate that far from the norm for Pell, it is actually one of the best tracks here in my opinion. It is just varied enough to allow for its length and I like the fact that it does not really have a chorus - with the melodies riffing and keyboard-led section acting as a melodic refrain instead. It feels like something of a desert trek, which is fitting, and the guitar soloing is some of Pell's best on the album. Given the slow burn and the expanse of the previous song, it is fitting, then, that Hell's on Fire is a faster track. It is not as furious as how the album kicked off with Forever Strong, but it certainly feels more energetic than the previous track - but the two songs are attempting to do different things. Pell's riffing is much more meaty here, but the keyboards of Doernberg are also a bit higher in the mix and they give the track more of a melodic sheen. There is a strong 1980s feel throughout, then, and it helps that the chorus is also pretty hooky. Given the song's title, though, the song is perhaps not as furious as it could have been. Perhaps this could have been spiced up further with some real heaviness, but the song is another strong effort as it is.

Crying in Pain opens with some swirling keyboards and a few heavy, bluesy chords and guitar leads, setting the scene for a slower song, before Gioeli starts singing against some piano flourishes from Doernberg. Whilst Ankhaia was a slower burn, it certainly was not a ballad thanks to its rocking grooves and Eastern melodies - meaning that Crying in Pain is the album's first and only true ballad. Pell has often written a lot of ballads, and has six compilation albums dedicated to them, so this album is relatively ballad-light compared to some of his releases. His ballads are all of a type, but they tend to be enjoyable - and given the lack of other such songs on this album Crying in Pain does help to provide a change of pace. It is certainly not as soaring as something like Oceans of Time for example, but it ticks all of the boxes - with a good mix of piano and Hammond organ; as well as an excellent vocal delivery from Gioeli who reins it in slightly whilst still sounding powerful. It allows Pell to lay down a pretty emotional guitar solo, too, which is generally where he is at his best in my opinion. He has never really been much of a shredder - with his slower and more lyrical solos generally being more memorable. Right on Track is another very typical mid-paced hard rocker and it basically follows the same template as Darkest Hour and Hell's on Fire. It is not a furious rocker, but instead a pretty smooth track, with enough crunch to keep the tone consistent, that has some keyboard depth and the occasional busy drum flourish from Rondinelli. Unlike those other songs, though, this one is not as memorable vocally in my opinion. The chorus is one of those which tries to stretch itself out over too many bars so fails to really stick in the brain. It just ends up feeling like an extension of the verses but with more vocal harmonies - so the song lacks that big hook which would make it stand out further. This has sometimes been a bit of a criticism of Pell's writing and partly I think why his newer albums tend to lack the spark of his earlier work. The album then comes to a close with Taken by Storm, another pretty lengthy piece which opens slowly - but soon morphs into another weighty mid-paced rocker. It feels like it could be another ballad, but instead it takes a similar route to Ankhaia with its Eastern-tinged melodies and groove-based approach. The song feels meatier overall, though, and it is more of an overt hard rocker with less space in the mix overall. The crunch of the guitars is ever present, even during an instrumental section which features some prominent Hammond playing, so it lacks the atmospheric feel of the aforementioned epic despite the slower intro. There is another quite lengthy solo from Pell, though, which is enjoyable thanks to its lyrical style but the song is another which does not do much for me vocally. Again, it lacks a big hook and it is a shame that the album ends with two such pieces. Overall, then, Risen Symbol is exactly what I expected it to be. It is another serviceable album from Pell which contains a few strong songs but also a few which fail to be memorable. The Led Zeppelin cover also drags the album down, but for fans of Pell's songwriting and guitar playing there is still plenty to enjoy here - even if everything has been heard before.

The album was released on 14th June 2024 via Steamhammer/SPV GmbH. Below is Pell's promotional video for Darkest Hour.