Album Review: Axel Rudi Pell - Sign Of The Times

After a while, there's nothing left to say. You can only talk about the same music the same ways for so long, and eventually you're talking in circles. That's what I feel like when a new Axel Rudi Pell album comes around. He has never shaken up his sound or style, and he's always on the same level of quality, so there's very little to differentiate this album from the one before that, or the one before that, and so on. With nothing new to talk about, it's a bit difficult to know how to review more of the same.

If there is something new about this record, it would be singer Johnny Gioeli's performance. At certain points, his voice sounds more gruff than ever, as if he's over-singing slightly. His natural tone has plenty of grit in it, so I'm not sure if it was an intentional choice, or if it's a circumstance of having made several records recently. Then again, it could also be a result of the new producer manning the boards. Whatever the reason, I don't like hearing things getting pushed that hair too far.

The majority of the record is Axel doing what Axel does, playing his mix of Blackmore-esque rock and classic heavy metal. His guitars spend most of the time ringing out, and not playing a lot of riffs, which is a curious bit from a guitar player with his name on the billing. Axel saves his playing for the solos, letting the songs rest on the vocals and melodies. These aren't highly melodic songs in a catchy sense, so that decision might be putting too much pressure where it doesn't belong. The songs are fine, but the hooks throughout them aren't hugely memorable. Having a riff or two thrown into the mix that could serve that purpose would have gone a long way to making them stand out.

Perhaps for that reason, it's the ballad "As Blind As A Fool Can Be" that has the best melodic sense. The piano and organ takes some of the lead, and those notes give a better backdrop for Gioeli's singing than the flat ringing guitar chords, so it's the one song that has an identity of its own. It also sounds like the one song, Axel's solo included, everyone was most passionate about. Even though it doesn't rock as hard, it sounds more intense than the heavier numbers.

But this is an Axel Rudi Pell album, so it's not as though the rest of the songs are sub-par. Axel is a rock solid artist, and his albums are always as enjoyable as they are familiar. If I'm nit-picking, it's because I'm not sure what else I can say that hasn't been said before. Axel makes good records, and this is another one. It's not going to be a year-end favorite, but it's a fine way to spend some time right now, when some new music might be just what we need. You won't go wrong with "Sign Of The Times."