AXEL RUDI PELL – Ghost Town (Album Review)

Another ghostly castle touches the crimson sky.

Stalwart 70s hard rock meets 80s metal maestro and wizard of the 6-string, Axel Rudi Pell, has proven a pillar of consistency in the 37 years since breaking away from German AOR band Steeler to forge his own destiny by his own name.

Some might argue that his unyielding loyalty to the same style that typified the likes of Dio, Deep Purple and Rainbow during the early to mid-1980s has put him into a creative box, but a more apt analogy would be an expansive yet highly familiar orthodoxy that comes with the liturgy of a medieval cathedral that was born from a bygone age and endured into the present.

Granted, the concept of orthodoxy might seem counterintuitive for a musical genre that originally signified rebellion against the established order, but what is any kingdom if not an order born out of a revolution that seeks to build better structures upon the ruins of the old? Then again, Pell’s career is less one of creative destruction and more one of crafting highly similar palaces of sound upon a predetermined canvas, of which 2026’s Ghost Town is his latest.

For the newly arriving catechumen, the highly stylized approach by which Axel draws heavily from the established lore of Tony Iommi, Ritchie Blackmore, and, to a lesser extent, the early work of famed Swedish Neoclassical virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen during his 1983 stint with Alcatrazz.

A misty backdrop of atmospheric synthesizers, mostly consisting of choirs and strings, but also the occasional Hammond organ courtesy of keyboardist Ferdy Doernberg and a tastefully driving rock groove produced by longtime kit veteran Bobby Rondinelli and bassist Volker Krawczak round out the instrumental arrangement surrounding Pell’s guitar driven creations, culminating in a sound that functions as a mystical union between the AOR sound of 1985 and the heavier 2^nd wave power metal sound of the late 1990s. Sitting atop this sonic nod to the dark side of high fantasy is the gritty yet highly tuneful growl of Johnny Gioeli, which carries an uncanny resemblance to Ronnie James Dio’s genre-defining voice meshed with a slightly lighter attack that occasionally channels Scorpions helmsman Klaus Meine.

As with any new auditory grimoire unleashed by this outfit, differentiation occurs at an extremely subtle level given Pell’s highly consistent formula, but this same approach of sticking to what is expected also accentuates a few noteworthy surprises. The obligatory instrumental prelude “The Regicide” hints at a few upcoming changes at the periphery by utilizing a less static chord progression beneath a bluesy clean guitar line that comes off as less mysterious and more gallant in character.

What ensues soon after are the first entries of an album that tones down the epic exploits of prior album, Risen Symbol, and also the prolific balladry of earlier entries for a streamlined collection of up-tempo bangers. The mercilessly catchy and driving foray of “Guillotine Walk” lays down the melodic lead guitar lines and boisterous chorus fanfare like it’s going out of style, presenting yet another brilliant bridge between Axel’s 80s AOR beginnings and the 90s power metal revival. Subsequent anthems like the heavier crunch of title entry “Ghost Town”, the cruising anthem with a surprisingly busy bass display courtesy of Volker “Holy Water”, and the steady stride of “Steps Of Stone” tread the same stylistic path with slight variations but the same dose of immersive magic.

Naturally, Axel is not one to dwell on one template for an entire album, and as he breaks away from the dominant formula of swift yet simple bangers, the awaiting twists in the tale begin to manifest. The most auspicious shift occurs via the mid-paced rock anthem “Breaking Seals”, which lands squarely into what can be best described as this band’s take on Accept’s mid-80s niche, topped off with a nasty guest duet between Gioeli and none other than Udo Dirkschneider himself, matching Dio-like pizzazz with AC/DC-like shrieks that sound quite witchy side by side.

Volker takes a break from playing the role of Ian Hill yet again for another distinctive bass performance on the early 80s Black Sabbath-inspired slow march of “Sanity”, and the high speed fury that was the order of the day during this band’s mid to late 90s power metal phase makes an explosive return via “Hurricane”, showcasing that even at 70 Rondinelli can make a mighty racket.

The epic balladry with a Middle Eastern edge makes an appearance via the moderately scaled “The Enemy Within”, and then takes a longer and wider dynamic character on the closing hurrah “Higher Call”, all the while Pell’s master craftsmanship as guitarist and composer remains at the fore.

Insofar as this longstanding heavy metal institution is concerned, change is something that is best taken in extremely small doses amid a near-endless sea of familiar tropes, and Ghost Town stands at the center of an expansive discography where the valleys are few and the peaks differ only slightly in height. Those whom have boarded this train at any point between the mid-90s and the mid-2010s know exactly what to expect, and though the former group might notice a lack of asides into Neoclassical instrumental fair or funky 70s rock interludes compared to the days when Jeff Scott Soto was at the microphone and Jorg Michael of Running Wild and Stratovarius fame was behind the drum kit, the overall flow of magical odes adorned with otherworldly lyrics remain constant.

There are many castles bearing the name of Axel Rudi Pell towering high in various lands, and this one trades in the elaborate flying buttresses and Gothic flourishes for a Romanesque juggernaut of fist-pumping rockers beneath a blood red, overcast sky at twilight’s hour.

Release Date: March 20th, 2026
Record Label: Steamhammer
Genre: Heavy Metal

Musicians:

• Johnny Gioeli / Vocals
• Axel Rudi Pell / Guitars
• Ferdy Doernberg / Keyboards
• Bobby Rondinelli / Drums
• Volker Krawczak / Bass

Ghost Town Tracklist:

1. The Regicide (Intro)
2. Guillotine Walk
3. Breaking Seals
4. Ghost Town
5. Holy Water
6. The Enemy Within
7. Hurricane
8. Sanity
9. Towards The Shore
10. Steps Of Stone
11. Higher Call

Order the album here.