Axel Rudi Pell - Circle of the Oath

Axel Rudi Pell Circle of the Oath cover
Axel Rudi Pell
Circle Of The Oath
SPV/Steamhammer
2012
7
Axel Rudi Pell is back with album, number 14. Well, what can we expect from this guitar wizard who has been making music for over 25 years? He has always been true to the Rainbow/Blackmore & Dio musical dogma. It’s impossible to change it now after so many years and after all, his fans do not want any more than the good hard n’ heavy songs and the wonderful ballads he delivers with each new release.
 
“Circle of the Oath” has all these elements, I mentioned above… hard rockers like: “Ghost in the Black”, “Circle of the Oath” (very Blackmore-ish - I like it), “Fortunes of War”, “Bridges to Nowhere” & “World of Confusion (The Masquerade Ball Pt. II)”… along with the emotional ballad “Lived Our Lives Before” are truly spectacular. For some reason, the long songs of the album are way more appealing than the straightforward ones. Axel is true to what he loves and he likes all these years and he is also a great ballad-maker as he never lost his will and ability to make magnificent ballads the way it were made back in the 80s. Johnny Gioeli is in great shape, as always, making Axel’s music more attractive with his wonderful raspy voice. Happily, a new Hardline album is on the pipeline as well. The production is powerful and crunchy… after all, Axel knows exactly what kind of sound he wants for his band.
 
There’s not much to say here… if you’re into melodic 80s hard rock/heavy metal music or Axel’s fan then you should not miss this album. Besides, how can you go wrong with this brilliant songwriter/guitarist…?
 
PS: The Limited Edition Digipack of “Circle of the Oath” will feature the bonus track “The Temple of the King”, recorded live at the Bang Your Head Festival 2011 and a poster of the cover artwork. The Limited Edition Boxset will feature the digipack (inc. the bonus track and the poster), double Gatefold Vinyl in blue coloured marble, another poster (the Band), a mousepad, a sticker, a postcard and a black laser engraved ball pen.