Back to the Kingdom

If, as many theorists of emotion do, we conceive of emotions as two-dimensional constructs, with positivity/negativity on one axis and sensory stimulation on the other, it would be hard to argue that metal music doesn’t frequently hit every point on said spectrum. Lighter bands evoke joy, triumph, or even euphoria, darker ones evoke fear or even terror, certain deliveries and/or lyrics may elicit an anger response, cathartic feelings may arise in almost any subgenre, and while most of these are on the high-stimulation end of the spectrum, it’s also possible for metal to calm us down and put us in more balanced, reflective states as well.

One emotion, though, that has seemingly little to do with metal is that of relief. If metal music relieves us from our burdens, it’s usually not because the music itself is relieving; it’s because it makes us feel some other emotion that may help us ultimately offload or conquer some of what's troubling us.

But there is one way that metal music may directly lead to feelings of relief: when a band returns to form after an exodus into inferiority. Metal fans of any genre are probably familiar with the feeling. Death Magnetic, Kingdoms Disdained, The Blackening, Queensryche…if you liked any of these albums after being let down and/or confused by their predecessors, there’s something special about that “hey, they’ve got their heads on straight again!” feeling that arises the moment a band kicks into their first signature-sound track in years.

Axxis’ Back to the Kingdom isn’t nearly as heavy as any of the aforementioned quartet: whether these guys were even a true metal band in their original 1989-1993 heyday is an open question, as they resided more in the hard rock/quasi-glam metal territory with hints of power metal. Though they hung on a year past the grunge explosion stubbornly clinging to that formula, eventually they, like practically every other band in that scene, were eventually forced toward the trends of the ‘90s. That resulted in two confused albums: 1995’s Matters of Survival, which had a few hard rock sparks remaining but was undone by some of the lamest guitar playing you’ll ever hear from a supposedly guitar-driven band, and 1997’s Voodoo Vibes, which pulled a 180 and brought Walter Pietsch’s guitar back to prominence but introduced all sorts of weird dance gimmicks as it desperately chased about five different musical trends, all ineffectively.

As it was for so many bands in this style, there was a thawing of sorts as the 2000s approached, as many started inching back toward their old sound in some way. Back to the Kingdom, its title a direct reference to the band’s fairly successful 1989 debut Kingdom of the Night, was one of the first albums to represent a step in that direction, and as its title suggests, it’s not just an attempt to inch back toward the glory days; it’s a full-hearted throwback.

Indeed, Back to the Kingdom picks up roughly where The Big Thrill left off in ’93; the only notable difference (apart from the fact that Pietsch is gone and replaced by Guido Wehmeyer, who is a little less flashy and distinctive than his predecessor, but not so much that Pietsch's absence is really felt) is that some of the more over-the-top ‘80s production elements are no longer part of the formula. Richard Michalski’s snare isn’t huge and echoing and there isn’t an overly-slick feel to all of the instruments. What results is a sense that, for the first time, Axxis isn’t playing music to fit in with a scene; they’re playing the music that fits their, or at least singer/bandleader Bernhard Weiß’, identity. It’s an unapologetically formulaic, derivative brand of hard rock/metal, but Weiß has always carried a sense of utter conviction in his delivery, and so when the songs are well-written, Axxis is usually good for a fun ride that, every now and then, hints at deeper potential (that would be more realized in their later, heavier work).

Opening track “Shadowman” is just such a song, and its intro—with a soft keyboard line and quiet vocals that erupt into a higher note and an energetic riff—is that one that simultaneously is relieving and goosebump-inducing (funny how those pair in this specific situation). It’s on par with any fast track from previous Axxis work, with a swaggering riff set that pairs interestingly with Weiß’ urgent delivery. The remainder of the first half of the album largely holds up well, with a solid mix of heavier uptempo tracks (the careening “Like a Sphinx” and “White Lights”) and half-ballads (“Sea of Love,” set at a loose, explosive midtempo, and “Heaven in Black,” which became the band’s most popular song). The band’s capacity for energetic presentation remains unscathed from their early days, and they still show a gift for finding soaring ballad hooks, though their career-long inconsistency with the latter form also shows up with the sappy “Only God Knows.”

And though the return to form should thus be celebrated, Axxis wasn’t exactly perfect before 1993—their first three records had a number of filler tracks that never quite caught hold. While Back to the Kingdom effectively recaptures the band’s original strengths, it also maintains this weakness, as the record pretty much runs out of steam after “White Lights.” The rest of the way, we’ve got another sappy ballad (“Without You”) and several faster tracks where either Weiß’ delivery is pitchy and irritating or the melodies don’t flow. There’s also a tossed-off cover of “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” that is decent enough to be fun for a quick novelty play or two, but is played fairly straight-ahead and marred by a wildly out-of-tune harmony on the “hey-hey-hey”s in the chorus. The only song that really works in the second half is “Ice on Fire,” which even then is just another run-of-the-mill speeder that has nice energy but isn’t particularly memorable.

Overall, it’s always a welcome sight to hear a previously solid band that ran away from their strengths find a way back to them. Credit Axxis for being relatively swift in their return to their core sound relative to some of their peers, though understand that Back to the Kingdom is a return to both the band’s energetic-Scorpions disposition and their previously somewhat uneven sense of songcraft and execution. Nevertheless, there are some solid tunes on here, and perhaps more importantly in the long run, this album paved the way for the band to start inching toward more metallic and intriguing territory as the ensuing decade progressed.

Here, Axxis cleaned up their act and released a very strong slab of melodic Germanism. I have no idea what the original "Kingdom of the night" sounds like, so I can't say if this is a "return to form" after the stupid "Voodoo vibes", or just a marketing gimmick. What I can tell you is that fans of "plain" (i.e. non-pretentious, non-tear jerking) power metal will not be disappointed. This is not a heavy album at all, but a friendly and fun-filled ride, for one of those days when you don't feel like walking around in all-black, painting inverted crosses at your job, school or retirement castle.

Bernhard Weiss is a quite cheesy singer, but certainly not unpleasant, and with a good sense of melody. He is also Axxis' lyricist, which is both their weakness and strength here. The lyrics are ridiculously badly written, so much as to sometimes actually ENHANCE the album through their hilarity alone. Most of the time, I have no idea what Weiss is trying to say with his lyrics, though the subject matters don't seem to be demanding enough for that to matter - they're usually about everyday observations, or some flyweight fantasy.

How about the anti-grammatical masterpiece "Flashback radio": "It's gonna make me sick, it's all this techno hype, can't hear it anymore, oh, I don't like this vibes!" SIC! This is no joke, the album is loaded to the brim with pearls like this. It's also humourous in another way, because if you read my review for "Voodoo vibes", you'll see that Axxis actually was a techno-wannabe poser band just 3 years prior to this!

As for the songs - well, "Shadowman" alone is worth buying the album for, it's that good! One of those rare songs when everything just comes together perfectly - the groove, the melody, the riffs. Not too long and not too short. The lyrics, insipid as they are, also work well here. Even if you don't plan to buy this album, do yourself a favour and check out this song!

I also love "Why not?!" and the goofball cover "Na na, hey hey, kiss him goodbye". "Heaven in black" is a very well-crafted half-ballad. Speedy "Like a sphinx" and "Ice on fire" are rock-solid, melodic sing-alongs, as are mid-tempo tracks "Sea of love", "White lights", "My little princess" and "Be a king" (digipack bonus).

They really focused their aims on this album, compared to "Voodoo vibes", where every song tried to be several things at once - both ballad and rocker, or ballad and disco. Here, the rocking songs don't try to be anything other than straight ahead rockers, and it works much better.

There are a few ballads here too, and they drag down the momentum a bit. However, I have to say the same thing about them as about the rockers - they are more focused than before (even if they ARE just ballads).

Melodic power metal at its finest, and not in the least pretentious, pompous or overblown. Thank you!

Favourite songs: "Shadowman", "Why not?!", "Heaven in black", "Na na, hey hey, kiss him goodbye", "Ice on fire"