{"id":12526,"date":"2014-02-10T01:00:07","date_gmt":"2014-02-10T06:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southeastofheaven.com\/?p=12526"},"modified":"2014-02-09T20:36:31","modified_gmt":"2014-02-10T01:36:31","slug":"blowin-wind-with-axel-rudi-pell-im-not-afraid-of-getting-old-and-as-long-as-that-spark-and-that-magic-is-there-i-will-always-play-metal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/?p=12526","title":{"rendered":"Blowin\u2019 Wind with Axel Rudi Pell: \u201cI\u2019m not afraid of getting old and as long as that spark and that magic is there I will always play metal.\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"axelrudipellintothestormcd_0\"<\/a>Axel Rudi Pell has been delivering his own brand of heavy metal music to the masses for 25 years.\u00a0 Inspired by greats such as Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Ronnie James Dio, and Deep Purple, Pell and his band quickly became a favorite of mine asking that age old question: \u201cWhy aren\u2019t these fuckers larger than life?\u201d\u00a0 While he may not be a household name here in the US, over in his European homeland Axel and his cronies frequent the metal festival circuit blowing minds and melting the faces of everyone that is lucky enough to be in attendance.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

This year Axel Rudi Pell has released his 16th<\/sup> studio album Into the Storm and this is without a doubt his best release since The Crest in my opinion.\u00a0 I had the honor of talking with Axel on the phone from his home in Germany for the third time (yeah, I\u2019m bragging).\u00a0 This time around we talked about his excitement about Into the Storm, what it has been like working with legendary drummer Bobby Rondinelli, and his exciting plans to celebrate 25 year of Axel Rudi Pell style heavy metal.\u00a0 It was great talking to Axel and I hope you\u2019ll enjoy this one as much as I did.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Axel.\u00a0 How are you my friend?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hello Don.\u00a0 I\u2019m doing great, thank you.<\/p>\n

=======================================<\/p>\n

Axel, this is our third interview together.\u00a0 Aren\u2019t you getting tired of talking to me?<\/strong><\/p>\n

[laughs]Not at all.\u00a0 Maybe we can make it very short and just use answers from the last two interviews we did [laughs].<\/p>\n

=======================================<\/p>\n

I\u2019m going to throw you a few curve balls so that you don\u2019t get the same questions you got the last times but I have to tell you that the new album is probably my favorite one of the last few that you\u2019ve released.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah.\u00a0 It\u2019s mine too [laughs].<\/p>\n

=======================================<\/p>\n

After 16 albums, how does Into the Storm stand alongside the others that you\u2019ve released up to this point?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m really not too sure to be honest.\u00a0 There was some a little special, maybe a spark or something.\u00a0 There was just something magical in the air and it\u2019s a magic that will hopefully be there for the next 16 albums [laughs].<\/p>\n

=======================================<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no denying that there is a formula to the Axel Rudi Pell material.\u00a0 While you seem to stick to that formula pretty consistently, each album always sounds fresh and exciting.\u00a0 What has kept you from dipping into a trendier, modern sound?<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is just my style.\u00a0 I created my own style and I don\u2019t want to be anything else.\u00a0 I could be richer and make more money if I would change my style and play what\u2019s trendy today but that\u2019s not my intention.\u00a0 This kind of music that we\u2019re playing, the ARP style that we\u2019ve been playing for years is definitely the most true.\u00a0 I want to be true to myself.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want to play any other kind of music even if it did mean making more money.\u00a0 This music comes from the heart and the soul deep inside of me and I don\u2019t want to play any other shit.<\/p>\n

=======================================<\/p>\n

Into the Storm has such a great sound but it\u2019s a noticeably different sound thanks to the addition of drummer Bobby Rondinelli.\u00a0 How did you \"AxelBobby-edit-small\"<\/a>team up with Bobby and what did he bring to the table that wasn\u2019t already there?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A friend of mine has known Bobby since his days in Rainbow at the beginning of the 80\u2019s and they\u2019re always in touch with each other.\u00a0 Bobby was on the top of my list for new drummers and I asked my friend for Bobby\u2019s email address.\u00a0 I sent him an email and let him know that I was looking for a new drummer.\u00a0 He told me that he had heard of me but never heard the music.\u00a0 I sent him some songs and YouTube links and a few days later he called me and said, \u201cAxel, I fucking love your music.\u00a0 This exactly the kind of music I\u2019ve loved playing all my life.\u00a0 I\u2019m available.\u201d\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t fucking believe it!\u00a0 Like I said, Bobby was on the top of my list and after that there was no need to audition anybody else.\u00a0 Having one of my heroes playing on my record was just great!<\/p>\n

=======================================<\/p>\n

This time around on Into the Storm, the material seems to encompass a more Deep Purple and Rainbow kind of influence.\u00a0\u00a0 Did the addition of Rondinelli have anything to do with this or was that just pure coincidence?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not really.\u00a0 All of those songs were composed before Bobby joined the band.<\/p>\n

=======================================<\/p>\n

Bobby\u2019s drumming on this album is so great and I have to say that where Mike\u2019s (former drummer) sound seemed to be more synthetic sounding, Bobby has a more punchy, natural sound which I think works so much better for this band.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thanks.\u00a0 Yeah, when Bobby came over here to join the band he just listened to the tracks and sat behind his drum kit and gave it a go.\u00a0 It was so fucking great.\u00a0 The main difference between Bobby and Mike is that I don\u2019t have to explain everything to Bobby because we are on the same musical level.\u00a0 We grew up listening to the same bands so it was the same kind of musical feeling and wavelength.\u00a0 His drum sound is really much more natural and heavier than Mike\u2019s sound ever was.\u00a0 Mike\u2019s style is more of a fusion kind of stuff with high tuned toms.\u00a0 Bobby is mainly inspired by John Bonham so his sound is really heavy and it\u2019s actually the sound I\u2019ve been looking for all these years.<\/p>\n

=======================================<\/p>\n

With the tour coming up, are you really pumped to hear what some of the older songs are going to sound like with Bobby on the drums?<\/strong><\/p>\n

We\u2019ll start rehearsals on the 4th<\/sup> of February.\u00a0 We haven\u2019t played any of the old songs with Bobby yet because we only had him in the studio to do the new songs for Into the Storm.\u00a0 I\u2019m really sure that Bobby will but some new stuff into those songs and we are very excited.<\/p>\n

=======================================<\/p>\n

Is the Axel Rudi Pell band your sole project or do you ever participate in other projects?<\/strong><\/p>\n

ARP is my main thing but it\u2019s not the only thing I\u2019m doing actually.\u00a0 I\u2019m always searching for other things to do and every once in a while I may play solos on other projects.\u00a0 There is a band called Wolfpack with the former singer from the band Crystal Ball and they asked me to do a solo on the next record so I said sure.\u00a0 Little things like that but the biggest part of my day is thinking about ARP as it should be [laughs].<\/p>\n

=======================================<\/p>\n

Are there any newer metal bands that you listen to that you feel are doing a great job carrying on the tradition?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Unfortunately no because to tell you the truth I don\u2019t really listen to new music.\u00a0 The only time I hear new music is when I\u2019m driving around in my car listening to the radio.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know of a lot of new bands because nobody tells me about them.\u00a0 I know when new albums are coming out by artists I already know.\u00a0 Like I know a new Paul Rogers album is coming out soon and I pre-ordered it [laughs].<\/p>\n

=======================================<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll email you some bands that you need to be checking out Axel!\u00a0 You gotta hear some of these great bands that are out there.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Please do that.\u00a0 That would be very helpful and I\u2019d love that.\u00a0 Actually, a kind of new band I discovered was a band from the Netherlands called Within Temptation.\u00a0 They\u2019re great.\u00a0 Have you heard of them?<\/p>\n

=======================================<\/p>\n

I love Within Temptation.\u00a0 That\u2019s a great band right there.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah, I really like them.\u00a0 That is a really cool band.<\/p>\n

=======================================<\/p>\n

Axel, do you enjoy interacting with your fans and if so how do you go about doing so?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Normally about 30-45 after a show we\u2019ll go out to the merch stand or outside the venue.\u00a0 I love to talk to the fans because it\u2019s very important for me to get the direct reaction about what they like and don\u2019t like.\u00a0 It\u2019s always great to hear what the fans say about the show.\u00a0 Sometimes they\u2019ll say, \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you play \u201cthis track\u201d or \u201cthat track\u201d\u201d or they\u2019ll just ask questions and want to talk.\u00a0 I love talking to my fans and it\u2019s a very important thing to do.<\/p>\n

=======================================<\/p>\n

Some bands have decided that charging their fans to meet them is the way to go.\u00a0 What\u2019s your opinion on that?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I actually think that\u2019s bullshit.\u00a0 I don\u2019t like and won\u2019t do it at all.\u00a0 I don\u2019t like to do it because it\u2019s just a rip off to make more money off of the fans.\u00a0 I know that most fans are really hard working people who have the money to buy a CD or come to see a show so to charge them money just to meet another human being is just stupid.\u00a0 It\u2019s bullshit.\u00a0 The fans are the ones who are making you big.\u00a0 They are buying your records, going to your shows.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t imagine treating them like shit.<\/p>\n