Axel Rudi Pell's 'Lost XXIII' - Album Review

Considering that I have been running this blog for the best part of 10 years now, and given the type of music that I like, it may surprise some to learn that I have never written about Axel Rudi Pell before. I have been casually listening to the German guitarist's work for quite some time at this point, but despite him releasing new music on a regular basis I have never really made the effort to pick up an album of his upon its release and take the time to digest and write about it. I am both surprised and not surprised at the same time about this. I am surprised because I like Pell's work a lot. His music might not exactly be original, and he is clearly an enormous worshiper of Ritchie Blackmore, but there are not that many acts out there playing music like this currently. Pell's sound is essentially Ronnie James Dio-era Rainbow forced through a 1980s metal filter - with a very small pinch of power metal then added. Pell's guitar playing is very much from the Blackmore school, but a little heavier, and he has always worked with larger than life singers with the ability to inject a soaring, Dio-esque vibe into his songs. His style is very much up my street, and this is why I have been listening to his work on and off over the past decade or so. I am not surprised about my lack of coverage, though, as Pell has released a lot of albums and he is one of those artists that is easy to take for granted. Acts who release a lot of albums which all stick very rigidly to a particular sound can be hard to keep up with and they can get a bit lost in the shuffle of new releases. I have definitely been guilty of neglecting Pell's new releases over the years, but over the last few months or so I have been making an effort to catch up. I have not picked up all of his albums yet, but I have most of them now - and his catalogue is a very solid and enjoyable one. It is true, though, that variety has never been Pell's strong point and a new Pell album is never going to surprise anyone. They are always solid, though, and due to my recent effort to amass his back catalogue I vowed to actually pick up his next album on release and review it. A new album from Pell is never far away, and true to form he released his newest album Lost XXIII back in April. Lost XXIII is his nineteenth album of original material under his own name, but when the four Steeler albums are taken into account the numerical title makes sense. It is the fifth album to feature the current line-up of Pell's band, which has been together since 2013 when former Rainbow drummer Bobby Rondinelli joined the ranks. The rest of the band has been together since 1998, though, so Pell has also become known for his consistency of collaborators as well as his prolific songwriting. In long-time singer Johnny Gioeli, Pell has a singer who is perfect for his sound. Gioeli's delivery has shades of Dio throughout, and his theatrical style is perfect for the dramatic, heavy, and gothic-tinged songs that Pell writes - and that sound is very much intact here.

As is typical of Pell's albums, Lost XXIII opens with a short instrumental scene-setter. Lost XXIII Prequel opens with a gothic choir and some slow-paced neo-classical guitar runs, before it expands around half way through with the addition of a majestic keyboard melody courtesy of long-time collaborator Ferdy Doernberg and some marching drums. This slowly helps build towards Survive, the first song proper, which explodes from Lost XXIII Prequel with a Rondinelli drum barrage and a hard-driving Pell riff. Pell's sound is generally mid-paced, to allow the atmospheric side of his songwriting to shine, but Survive is somewhat on the faster side. Rondinelli's punchy drumming perfectly cuts through the mix, whilst the ringing power chords of Pell form a great backing for Gioeli's dramatic vocals. What I have always admired about Pell is his ability to understand when to step back. Considering that he is the star of the show, he always lets his band shine - unlike Yngwie Malmsteen for example. Pell's songwriting only allows him to show off when it is necessary, and his playing is generally riff-based - to allow Gioeli's vocal hooks to draw everyone in. His solos allow him some time in the spotlight, though, and Survive features a lengthy one that starts off relatively melodic - before it explodes into a great shredded conclusion. It is a song that is very typical of Pell's style, but a strong chorus and the aforementioned solo help it to open the album in fine fashion. No Compromise slows the pace down somewhat, and is a good example of Pell's typical approach to hard rock songwriting. The overall vibe here is more Dio as a solo artist than with Rainbow, as the song's main riff is heavier than Blackmore's typical style - with a crunching tone that is backed up nicely by Doernberg's Hammond organ. The verses are more atmospheric, with Pell dropping out to allow the keyboards and the bass playing of ever-present Volker Krawczak to back Gioeli, before Pell joins back in for the build of the pre-chorus - before another strong chorus, built around the song's main riff, kicks in. Down on the Streets reins in the gothic tinges of Pell's typical sound to go for a vibe that is much more overtly classic rock in feel. It is quite an energetic song, with a main riff that reminds me somewhat of Thin Lizzy's Jailbreak - and this riff dominates throughout. The keyboards take much more of a back seat this time, and the song is a real headbanger thanks to Pell's heavy riffing. The chorus does feel a bit more typical of Pell's usual sound, as the Hammond does make a reappearance here, but overall the song is much more in-your-face and less atmospheric this time. Krawczak's bass drives everything behind the riff, and Gioeli gets plenty of time in the spotlight thanks to the simple arrangement - although a shredded guitar solo also affords Pell a chance to shine.

Pell's albums usually include at least one longer-form track, and Lost XXIII includes two. Gone With the Wind is the first, at just under nine minutes long, and it really pushes Pell's love of Blackmore - with a soaring arrangement that is full of light and shade. The song opens slowly, with some clean guitar melodies that Gioeli soon starts to croon over. Whilst Gioeli is one of those singers that is always operating at full-tilt, and perhaps lacks some subtlety, he has always suited Pell's style - even during slower moments. Gone With the Wind is essentially an epic ballad, and Gioeli's expressive style brings the clean guitar moments to life - and during the moments that ramp up in power, such as during the choruses, his grit helps to elevate the song further. Due to the song's length, Pell allows himself a little more room to breathe here. There are some great melodic guitar breaks that really showcase his Blackmore influence, and there are also moments where some heavy riffing cuts through the mix briefly to inject a bit of additional attitude into the piece. These moments are short lived, but they showcase Pell's dynamic songwriting style. Unsurprisingly, too, there is a lengthy guitar solo included here. It is a very melodic composition, that is full of aching, ballad-esque melodies, but the occasional neo-classical shredded run helps to spice things up, and the way the solo transitions back into the chorus is very effective. Freight Train returns to Pell's typical heavy mid-paced sound, and the song might be one of the best representatives of Pell's core sound - or at least the sound that he has generally stuck to since the turn of the millennium. It is a good mix of weight and melody, with an arrangement that allows the depth of Pell's sound to shine. His mid-paced songs allow for a more atmospheric sound, and this is where Doernberg comes in. Blackmore always worked with great keyboard players throughout his rock career, and in Doernberg Pell has a great foil. Doernberg's keyboard playing may not be as prominent as Jon Lord's, as he never really solos or leads the band, but the depth and atmosphere that he gives to the songs is a big part of Pell's sound. Without Doernberg's Hammond rumbling away in the background, Pell's sound would not be the same - and Freight Train is packed with great keyboard washes, adding to all of the melodies and even Pell's catchy solo spot. Throw in another decent chorus, too, and the song is a strong addition to the album - and a great example of Pell's bread and butter. Follow the Beast ups the pace and returns to the hard-driving sound that was featured on Survive earlier in the album. Songs like Follow the Beast are the fastest that Pell tends to go, and they allow him to inject a little energy into his albums. Pell has always worked with great drummers, but in Rondinelli he seems to have found someone who really suits his sound. It helps that Rondinelli has played with many of Pell's influences, particularly Blackmore, so his muscular playing is very much suited to what Pell wants to achieve. Faster songs like Follow the Beast allow Rondinelli to make his mark and, whilst he is not a particularly flashy drummer, he really dominates the track. His drum tone has a great punch to it, and his playing whips up the energy needed here to allow Pell to shred and Gioeli to really soar in a Dio-esque manner.

Along with his penchant for epics, Pell is also known for his love of ballads - so much so that he has now released five compilations that just contains his ballads. Gone With the Wind combined his love of epics and ballads, but Fly With Me is a more typical ballad - much more stripped back in sound and arrangement. The song is based around some great piano playing from Doernberg, which Gioeli croons over in a manner which is quite restrained for him. Occasional lead guitar breaks interject the vocal lines, and the song gradually builds towards a chorus - which is heavier and allows the band to crash in to up the overall weight of the track. This is typical of rock ballads, of course, but it works well here - with Doernberg's piano largely replaced by some soaring strings and Pell's crunchy chords. The song's chorus is one of the album's most soaring moments as a result, and it is surprisingly emotional - given how muscular Pell's sound generally is. There are a couple of great guitar solos included, too, which are pretty slow-paced on the whole to suit the emotional tug of the song - which works well to pull everything together. The song will no doubt appear on Pell's sixth ballad collection one day, but for now it is a welcome addition to what is overall a hard-hitting album. It is not uncommon for Pell to include an instrumental on his albums, too, and The Rise of Ankhoor ticks that particular box this time. It is the only song here that really acts as a vehicle for Pell's guitar soloing, and the whole track is essentially a guitar solo, but it is well-constructed and follows a nice melodic journey - rather than just being a shred-fest. The main soloing is interjected with the occasional riff to give the song a bit more structure, and there are even moments that push Doernberg into the spotlight - with a couple of Hammond solos from him also included. This interplay between Pell and Doernberg is welcome, and it would be nice to hear more of this within Pell's sound. It works well within the journey of the instrumental piece, and again it adds to the structure to allow the song to tell a musical story. It is left to the album's title track to close out the album, and it is the second of the two aforementioned longer-form pieces here - although it is much heavier than Gone With the Wind. The song is essentially a longer version of Pell's trademark sound, with a heavy mid-paced riff that generally drives everything - and washes of Hammond adding plenty of depth. The song generally feels much bigger, though, which is largely down to its length. The length allows Pell more time to stretch out, and there are lots of guitar breaks here that inject both neo-classic and Eastern-tinged melodies into the song - as well as a great pre-solo instrumental section that focuses on soaring strings. It is a song that takes Pell's core sound a little further than usual, and as a result it works well as an album closer. It essentially sums up the overall vibe of the rest of the album, too, which is another collection of enjoyable and strong songs from Pell. It does nothing different or new, but fans of his old-school songwriting style will certainly find a lot to enjoy here - and it is good to see that Pell remains a dependable and prolific force within the rock and metal world.

The album was released on 15th April 2022 via Steamhammer/SPV GmbH. Below is Pell's promotional lyric video for Survive.