Review by MartinDavey87 for Axel Rudi Pell - Magic (1997)

1997’s ‘Magic’ is the sixth studio album by German guitarist Axel Rudi Pell. Closely following the same formula as its predecessor, 1996’s ‘Black Moon Pyramid’, it’s a fine slab of European hard rock, similar in sound and style to artists like Yngwie Malmsteen, Rainbow and Journey.

Admittedly, this has been on my playlist for well over a year, and I’ve struggled to really think of what to say about it. I’m pretty sure this happened with the aforementioned predecessor too, because Rudi Pell albums can tend to be quite repetitive and follow the same formula. That’s not to say they’re bad though, as they are of a consistently high standard, just that some are more memorable than others.

It’s worth noting that this is the last release to feature American powerhouse vocalist Jeff Scott Soto, due to conflicting schedules and overall burnout. Perhaps this was a move that would ignite a new spark of inspiration for the band with their next release, because follow-up album, 1998’s ‘Oceans of Time’ is probably one of my favourite releases from the German guitarist.

Still, there’s some great tracks here, including ‘Playing With Fire’, ‘The Clown is Dead’, ‘Turned to Stone’, ‘Magic’, ‘Nightmare’ and closing track ‘The Eyes of the Lost’. Overall though, if you’re new to the music of Axel Rudi Pell, I think there are certainly better albums to check out, and if you’re already a fan, you’ll know exactly what to expect, and I don’t think ‘Magic’ disappoints.