German virtuoso Axel Rudi Pell is once again punctuate on his rendezvous with his fans as he has been persistently releasing an albums every year or two. With Game of Sins, Pell remains loyal to what he has been doing for his entire career, almost 30 years. Some might call it a drawback; others (myself included) might call it an advantage. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t criticize change or progress but it’s a great feeling getting what you expect from a band serving the melodic heavy metal genre. Vocalist Johnny Gioeli with his distinctive and untouched by time voice remains the crucial gear in Pell’s machine. The addition of the great Bobby Rondinelli on drums gives extra credit (note that I don’t wish to downgrade his great predecessor Mike Terrana). The lengthy mid tempo songs and the ballad couldn’t be absent of course, present in every Pell album as so are the great choruses and the catchy Scorpion inspired riffs. The German is not your typical guitar virtuoso, he is more of a riff machine, composing in a way similar to Rudolf Schenker and Tony Iommi (although I am not attempting comparisons with the work of the aforementioned band leaders). Thumbs up for this tireless soldier of metal, soaking his uniform with sweat on the field.
