AXEL RUDI PELL – Lost XXIII

80s Metal For The 21st Century

For fans of Melodic Hard Rock/Metal the name Axel Rudi Pell is no stranger. With over 20 albums released in his 33 year career as a solo artist, Pell has maintained a constant stream of original music that shows a real drive to create and share. Lost XXIII is his 21st release to date, and features the solid lineup that has graced his last 5 albums. Back for another round of Melodic Metal is former Hardline front man Johnny Gioeli (Crush 40), bassist Volker Krawczak (ex-The Dune, ex-Steeler), keyboardist Ferdy Doernberg (Rough Silk, ex-Roland Grapow) and drummer Bobby Rondinelli (ex-Rainbow).

All Stars of Melodic Rock

Lost XIII was produced by Axel Rudi Pell, mixed by Tommy Geiger, and mastered by Ulf Horbelt. The fantastic cover artwork was designed by Thomas Ewerhard (Gotthard, Edguy, Sons Of Apollo). Pell explains the meaning of the album title “XXIII is the Roman numeral for 23 and stands for W, the 23rd letter of the alphabet. Which in this case is an abbreviation of ‘world’, so you could also call the album ‘Lost World’, a reference to the currently pretty alarming state of our planet.”

The album has 11 songs that run just over 54 minutes and include tracks “No Compromise”, “Gone With The Wind” which is based on a true story about a dog that waited in vain for a year on a train platform for its deceased master. Other stand out tracks include the fast-paced “Follow The Beast” with its NWOBHM references, and the ballad “Fly With Me” with it’s haunting piano lines.

Final Notes

The album has some strong material, and is an easy listen. Does it break new ground musically? Not really, but it does continue a musical style that still holds up after so many decades. The strong vocals of Johnny Gioeli really make it work, as he is a perfect fit for the song writing style that Axel Rudi Pell has developed over his career. For fans of Melodic Hard Rock/Metal, it’s definitely worth a listen, and you may find more than a treasure or 2 to make it well worth adding to your collection.

Lineup

Johnny Gioeli – Lead and Backing Vocals
Axel Rudi Pell – Lead, Rhythm and Acoustic Guitars
Ferdy Doernberg – Keyboards
Volker Krawczak – Bass
Bobby Rondinelli – Drums

Lost XXIII – Tracklist

01. Lost XXIII Prequel (Intro)
02. Survive
03. No Compromise
04. Down On The Streets
05. Gone With The Wind
06. Freight Train
07. Follow The Beast
08. Fly With Me
09. The Rise Of Ankhoo
10. Lost XXIII
11. Quarantined 1