When I think back to the glorious days that were the 1980's. I remember a fresh-faced teenager who after recently receiving an electric guitar for Christmas went out and bought a compilation of guitar masters wrongly believing that somehow the offending album would somehow convert him into some kind of guitar God.

Yup that was this reviewer, and how wrong could I be, because after listening to an hour of the over indulgent guitar wankery contained on said album, rather than plugging in my six stringer and pulling shapes in front of the mirror, I was reaching for my Ernie Ball guitar strings ready to cheese wire my wrists at the hedonistic guitar performances on display.

Two names from that album will always remain trapped in my mind forever; they are Swedish guitar maestro Yngwie Malmsteen and Germany's very own Axel Rudi Pell.

Being the open minded kind of guy I am, I was willing to give Yngwie a second chance when I heard that he had recruited former Judas Priest vocalist Ripper Owens into his ranks, but after losing a further forty minutes of my life in a field somewhere in Belgium to his over indulgent guitar soloing before finally losing consciousness, I thought enough is enough.

So, when this latest album by Axel Rudi Pell landed on my doormat, I was consumed with dread at the notion of listening to an album full of endless guitar soloing with maybe the odd song thrown in.

How wrong could I be...again?

Unlike many of the other guitarists out there who have released solo albums employing an established vocalist to sing on their songs and then completely overshadowing the tune with their guitar playing, Axel Rudi Pell has really let the vocalist shine through here on 'The Crest'.  Thankfully leaving his fine guitar playing on the right side of self indulgent.

The album opens with the customary orchestra led intro of 'Prelude To Doom' before storming into two incredible power metal numbers 'Too Late' and 'Devil Zone' proving that in ex- Hardline vocalist Johnny Gioeli, Axel has truly found a great vocalist to make his music shine.

For any fans out there that want to hear more of Axel's legendary fretwork though, I can assure you, you will not be disappointed with the awesome 'Dreaming Dead'. This is an epic rock number that displays Axel's guitar playing to great effect and at nearly eight minutes long still manages to keep the listener hooked. And for the true guitar aficionados out there, check out 'Noblesse Oblige' a piano laden instrumental number that displays Axel's gentler side.

Any Über Röckers out there suffering from white finger vibration better sit out the track 'Glory Night' as we wave our lighters high in the air with abundance, and indulge ourselves in AOR territory, Axel Rudi Pell style.

I hold my hands up and rejoice as Axel Rudi Pell's thirteenth album 'The Crest' definitely won me over. This is an album that explores Power Metal, Melodic Metal and Eighties Stadium Rock in equal measures, and all to great effect.

So if you are a fan of any of these particular genres of music I would definitely recommend 'The Crest' to you. So why not check it out, you may be pleasantly surprised.

Now if only Axel could have a word with that Yngwie.

http://www.axel-rudi-pell.de/

http://www.myspace.com/axelrudipellofficial