Review Summary: The kingdom was reclaimed and Paradise was found: Now what?
After spending nearly two decades searching for its identity, Axxis finally seemed to have found the perfect formula. Paradise in Flames completed the transformation that had begun with Time Machine, successfully blending the weight of power metal with the melodic DNA that had always defined the band. Naturally, for Axxis' small (life is unfair) fanbase, Doom of Destiny arrived carrying the expectation that the band would simply keep that momentum going. The good news is that Axxis still sounds exactly as it should. The bad news is that, this time, the songwriting doesn't always live up to the band's evolution.
There is no longer any doubt about who Axxis is. The '80s melodic hard rock days are definitively over. The guitars remain heavy, Bernhard Weiß is still one of the most charismatic vocalists in European power metal, and Lakonia once again reinforces the darker, more theatrical side of the band's sound. Everything works exactly as expected.
The problem lies elsewhere.
For the first time since completing its transformation, Axxis begins to feel like a band repeating its own formula. Nothing here is bad. But, as has often been the case throughout the band's career, too many songs sound familiar. The choruses remain effective, the performances are flawless, yet the sense of surprise that made Time Machine and Paradise in Flames feel so exciting is largely missing.
Ironically, this is also the album that contains what I consider the finest song Axxis has ever written.
The title track is simply magnificent. The Middle Eastern flavor is executed perfectly, giving the song an almost cinematic atmosphere (Rachel Zegler would say: "It's power metal, baby."), while the arrangements strike a flawless balance between heaviness, melody and exoticism. The chorus is enormous, Bernhard Weiß sings as if his life depended on it, and Lakonia once again appears at exactly the right moments to elevate the composition. It's the kind of song that summarizes everything Axxis had learned over twenty-five years of making music.
Fortunately, Doom of Destiny isn't carried solely by its title track. "Blood Angel" keeps the energy high with another irresistibly catchy chorus. "She's Got Nine Lives" offers a lighter, more playful atmosphere, reminding listeners that Axxis never completely abandoned its hard rock roots. Meanwhile, "Devilish Belle" once again explores the chemistry between Bernhard and Lakonia, embracing the gothic atmosphere that has become one of the defining characteristics of the band's later years.
Not everything works, however.
After so many outstanding ballads throughout their career (Tears of the Trees, On My Own, Sea of Love, Take My Hand...), "Fire Still Burns" simply falls flat. The melody feels predictable, the chorus lacks emotional impact, and the song never comes close to matching the band's best power ballads. It's just cheesy. For a group that has traditionally excelled in this department, it's an unusually disappointing effort.
Doom of Destiny is far from being a bad album. On the contrary, it's a well-produced, competently written record performed by a band that fully understands its own musical identity. The problem is that, after the outstanding Paradise in Flames, expectations were naturally higher. Instead of taking another step forward, Axxis delivers an album that feels comfortable, safe and, at times, a little too predictable.
Even so, the existence of the extraordinary title track almost justifies the entire album on its own. When a band is still capable of writing a song of that caliber more than twenty-five years into its career, it's difficult to complain too much.
It's a good album, but also the first release of Axxis' power metal era that suggests the band had become more interested in refining a winning formula than expanding it.
