Axel Rudi Pell (born 27 June 1960) is a German heavy metal guitarist. Pell … Read Full Bio ↴Axel Rudi Pell (born 27 June 1960) is a German heavy metal guitarist. Pell commenced his musical career with Steeler (1984–88) before leaving in 1988 for a solo career. During this time, he has played with such drummers as Jörg Michael and Mike Terrana, and singers Charlie Huhn, Johnny Gioeli of Hardline, Jeff Scott Soto, and Rob Rock. Gioeli remains the longest surviving vocalist of the band, having joined the group since 1998 on the album Oceans of Time, Gioeli's first musical appearance since the 1992 Hardline album Double Eclipse.

Pell often says his music is about a Knight in shining armour going on various adventures. Each album continues one new quest after the other, and songs are told as separate stories. Pell's main influence in guitar work has been Ritchie Blackmore from Deep Purple.

SPV Records released a live DVD on 25 February 2008, titled Live over Europe, which includes the full performance from the Rock Hard Festival in 2007, and comes with a bonus disc which includes live footage from Pell's own archive. In 2012, a new Axel Rudi Pell live concert CD/DVD Live on Fire was released.

In 2013, ex-Rainbow drummer Bobby Rondinelli joined the band, replacing Mike Terrana after his initial departure in 2013. Mike Terrana wanted to pursue other projects, such as becoming a member of the supergroup The Ferrymen, featuring Rainbow singer Ronnie Romero on vocals. Axel celebrated his 25th anniversary as a musician in 2014, headlining the Bang Your Head festival in Balignen Germany on 11 July 2014. It featured one of the original line up's singers: Jeff Scott Soto. Special guests also included Joerg Michael, Rob Rock, Ronnie Atkins, John Lawton, ex-Rainbow singer Graham Bonnett, Doogie White, keyboardist Tony Carey and drummer Vinny Appice. The show consisted of 3 acts: a short Steeler reunion and brief Axel Rudi Pell original line up reunion with Jeff Scott Soto, a full modern Axel Rudi Pell show with vocalist Johnny Gioeli and current band members, and the last act featuring various Deep Purple and Rainbow covers with a full ensemble.

In 2019, the band celebrated their 30th anniversary, releasing a double live album called XXX - 30th Anniversary Live. The songs were recorded on various dates of the Knights Call 2018 tour. The group's Facebook page stated at the time that the band did not know they were being recorded but when they heard the audio they were amazed and wanted to release it to celebrate the group's 30th Anniversary. It was released in June 2019 on CD and LP.

On 5 February 2020, they announced their latest album on their Facebook page, titled Sign of the Times, due for release on 24 April 2020. In March 2020, the band announced a delay of the release of the new record, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and was released on 8 May 2020 instead. A tour in support of the new album was also postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and then later delayed again until 2022. In late 2020, Pell announced his newest album Diamonds Unlocked II, which was released on 30 July 2021. It is another covers album similar to Diamonds Unlocked from 2007. Pell is well known for his extensive touring, mostly around Germany and his home town in Bochum. He rarely tours globally, but has performed a few one-off shows in London over the recent years. However, there has always been high demand to bring him to other countries. They are also famous for attending many music festivals such as being regulars at Wacken Open Air since the late 1990s. Most recently they announced a new album of original music, called Lost XXIII, which was eventually released on 14 April 2022.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axel_Rudi_Pell

Studio albums
Wild Obsession (1989)
Nasty Reputation (1991)
Eternal Prisoner (1992)
Between the Walls (1994)
Black Moon Pyramid (1996)
Magic (1997)
Oceans of Time (1998)
The Masquerade Ball (2000)
Shadow Zone (2002)
Kings and Queens (2004)
Mystica (2006)
Diamonds Unlocked (2007) (cover album)
Tales of the Crown (2008)
The Crest (2010)
Circle of the Oath (2012)
Into the Storm (2014)
Game of Sins (2016)
Knights Call (2018)
Sign of the Times (2020)
Diamonds Unlocked II (2021) (cover album)
Lost XXIII (2022)

Changing Times
Axel Rudi Pell Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

On the loose, but hearin' gunfire
To time to cruise, leaving for our destiny
Cold hearted city, don't wanna stay
Undeserving of pity, better get out our way

Out of the dark and into the light
Moving shadows, full moon on the rise

I wanna know, where we have to go
A thunderous roar, we're changing times
I wanna know, where we have to go
A thunderous roar, we're changing times

In a different time, a cry for solutions
Fallin' out of the ski, losing control

All roots of evil, appearing at oncea
Don't dance with the devil, cause you'll have no chance

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Axel Rudi Pell's song "Changing Times" depict a sense of urgency and determination to break free from the constraints of a heartless city and move towards a brighter future. The songwriter is responding to the chaos and uncertainty of the current moment, as they hear gunfire and refuse to be held back by the daunting circumstances. The language used in the lyrics is assertive with an emphasis on taking action, as the songwriter is aware that they must not let anyone stand in the way of reaching a better place.

The song's opening lines communicate this high-pressure situation, with the writer on the loose but aware of the impending danger of hearing gunfire. However, they don't let the danger stop them from moving forward towards their destiny. The references to moonrise and moving shadows seem like a metaphor for the progress of time, as the writer moves from a dark place towards a lighter tomorrow.

As the song progresses, the lyrics become more cautionary as the songwriter recognizes the presence of evil and the potential consequences of engaging with it. This is a reminder to the listeners that amidst struggle and adversity, it is important to remain steadfast and not get caught in the whirlwind of chaos.

Line by Line Meaning

On the loose, but hearin' gunfire
We are escaping from a place where there is shooting.

Time to cruise, leaving for our destiny
We have to leave this place and move forward to fulfill our fate.

Cold hearted city, don't wanna stay
The city we are in is emotionless and we do not desire to remain here.

Undeserving of pity, better get out our way
Nobody should feel sorry for us and they should let us pass through without obstruction.

Out of the dark and into the light
We are emerging from a difficult situation and moving towards a brighter future.

Moving shadows, full moon on the rise
We are progressing with a sense of uncertainty, much like shadows are unsure of what they will encounter in the light of the moon.

I wanna know, where we have to go
We are curious about where our journey will take us.

A thunderous roar, we're changing times
We are making significant changes that echo loudly.

In a different time, a cry for solutions
In a past era, there was a call for answers to pressing issues.

Fallin' out of the ski, losing control
We are descending from a high point and losing our footing.

All roots of evil, appearing at once
Every source of wickedness is becoming apparent all at once.

Don't dance with the devil, cause you'll have no chance
It's critical to avoid getting close to evil, as you may not be able to escape it.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AXEL RUDI PELL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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