For a band that has achieved so much underground approval and praise for the past couple of decades, Axel Rudi Pell had been following so many bad habits up until Oceans of Time, their seventh and most ambitious record. The German guitarist's last six tended to land on more of the power metal side, featuring unoriginal riffs, repetitive song topics, and vocalists that make Rudi Pell's music a challenge to listen to. After Magic, Rudi Pell took off a couple of members. Little did Rudi Pell know, this change in lineup would make Oceans of Time into what it is now considered as Rudi Pell's best CD. Is it? No. It takes numerous listens to appreciate what it is, but, in the end, Oceans of Time is an essential album.
In terms of scope, Oceans of Time is an undeniable step up from the Magic and Nasty Reputation days. The album is dominated by Johnny Gioeli's powerful, thunderous vocal performance. Personally, Gioeli has always been one of the greatest vocalists of all time, so Rudi Pell made a good decision in finding this man. If you exclude the second track (which can be slashed without caring), the album is noticeably softer, taking on a more hard-rock influenced sound, a good breath of fresh air. That being said, some nods to other albums are shown here. The interlude track uses the same notes found from the first album of Steeler, Rudi Pell's former band before going solo. The song lengths do not vary incredibly, the shortest aside from the interlude being four minutes. And there are repetitive lyrics: there are numerous times when Gioeli will repeat one word several times throughout the entire CD, otherwise contributing to the mess that Oceans of Time can be.
With more listening, though, Rudi Pell's strenghts become more and more apparent. The first half is generally more likable than the second, and every song has positive and negative aspects. The title track shows Gioeli at his best, with realistic lyrical writing and a pitch-perfect instrumental section. Although my low tolerance for long songs continue on, Ashes of the Oath and Carousel show some well-timed instrument complexity, and very interesting storytelling.
Oceans of Time isn't the easiest record to get into, but considering this album's underground importance (the second longest-underground charting metal album), and the new vocals, it is the most enjoyable, and one of the most rewarding. Although it does not have the same flash as later albums such as 'Kings and Queens' and 'Diamonds Unlocked' (though the latter was all cover songs), it shows a band on the way to improvement, to arguably the most underrated metal band of all time. And that is what makes Oceans of Time likable.
For a band that has achieved so much underground approval and praise for the past couple of decades, Axel Rudi Pell had been following so many bad habits up until Oceans of Time, their seventh and most ambitious record. The German guitarist's last six tended to land on more of the power metal side, featuring unoriginal riffs, repetitive song topics, and vocalists that make Rudi Pell's music a challenge to listen to. After Magic, Rudi Pell took off a couple of members. Little did Rudi Pell know, this change in lineup would make Oceans of Time into what it is now considered as Rudi Pell's best CD. Is it? No. It takes numerous listens to appreciate what it is, but, in the end, Oceans of Time is an essential album.
In terms of scope, Oceans of Time is an undeniable step up from the Magic and Nasty Reputation days. The album is dominated by Johnny Gioeli's powerful, thunderous vocal performance. Personally, Gioeli has always been one of the greatest vocalists of all time, so Rudi Pell made a good decision in finding this man. If you exclude the second track (which can be slashed without caring), the album is noticeably softer, taking on a more hard-rock influenced sound, a good breath of fresh air. That being said, some nods to other albums are shown here. The interlude track uses the same notes found from the first album of Steeler, Rudi Pell's former band before going solo. The song lengths do not vary incredibly, the shortest aside from the interlude being four minutes. And there are repetitive lyrics: there are numerous times when Gioeli will repeat one word several times throughout the entire CD, otherwise contributing to the mess that Oceans of Time can be.
With more listening, though, Rudi Pell's strenghts become more and more apparent. The first half is generally more likable than the second, and every song has positive and negative aspects. The title track shows Gioeli at his best, with realistic lyrical writing and a pitch-perfect instrumental section. Although my low tolerance for long songs continue on, Ashes of the Oath and Carousel show some well-timed instrument complexity, and very interesting storytelling.
Oceans of Time isn't the easiest record to get into, but considering this album's underground importance (the second longest-underground charting metal album), and the new vocals, it is the most enjoyable, and one of the most rewarding. Although it does not have the same flash as later albums such as 'Kings and Queens' and 'Diamonds Unlocked' (though the latter was all cover songs), it shows a band on the way to improvement, to arguably the most underrated metal band of all time. And that is what makes Oceans of Time likable.
Pos +1 here, Maybe throw in some more detail here and there with maybe the inclusion of a track (or two) synopsis. But other than that it's pretty good, much better than my second review.
