We all have this friend. The one we meet every 2-3 years and every time we talk about pretty much the same things. We don’t say anything new, but nevertheless we have a good time with him for a couple of hours and we renew our appointment for the… future. That’s how Axel Rudi Pell’s work has been for the last… 10-15 years.
The German has remained constant in his appointment every two years. This year it’s the turn of “Risen Symbol” which is the… 22nd album in the post-Steeler era. In its 57 minutes it offers us well-played guitar heavy metal with all the clichés we have come to know and love or hate in his music, depending on whether you like Pell or not.
The problem with “Risen Symbol” is the same as his previous 10 or so albums. If you take his last ten albums, I’m not putting covers and ballads I’m talking about new releases, and shuffle them chronologically you will find absolutely no progression between them. In fact if all the music they include was put in one long release I wouldn’t be surprised at all.
I don’t know why this happens. On paper, the band is amazing since apart from the guitarist the rest of the players are strong cards with the highlight being Gioeli’s vocals! In fact, this line-up is stable since 2013 when Bobby Rondinelli joined the band. So, the struggle of changing members is not an issue.
Of course, there are some good moments like the opener “Forever Strong” or “Guardian Angel” but these are a drop in the ocean of repetition. I repeat that sonically the album is not bad. But, it adds absolutely nothing to the band’s legacy. Listening to it several times, especially for Gioeli’s voice at the end, I was left with nothing except the chorus of “Forever Strong”.
If Axel Rudi Pell was a civil servant, he would be the one who puts the stamp in a perfect way but at the end of the day he does just that, he puts a stamp. If you liked his previous albums, I wonder why you are reading this, you will get this one and enjoy it! If not then skip this release without a second thought.
