Axxis - Kingdom of the Night II

http://www.axxis.de/eng_newalbum.html



-AXXIS will release "Kingdom Of The Night II" as a black and a white CD and have chosen exactly the historcal date on which already the original one has been released -

Lünen – They are one of Germany´s Rock bands that have written history and they still do: 2014 Westfalian Hard Rockers AXXIS will become 25 years old. Exactly 25 years ago their successful album "Kingdom Of The Night" has been released, which is until now one of the most important national Rock Albums. It's date of release was on Feb. 28th 1989. Exactly on that day again, 25 years later, "Kingdom Of The Night", part 2 will be released. For some days it has been decided that the album will consist of two CDs even. Both CDs will be available separately and will be devided into a black album containing the more heavier, darker stuff and a white album full of ballads and more quiet songs.

No doubt, AXXIS have been experiencing different sorts of changes on the music market during their 25 years lastig career. Even though they have always presented themselves full of variety and authentical at the same time. Their albums have been heavy, soft, enrichened with female vocals and even added with German lyrics during the years. But the spirit these guys have has always been the same in the core. "When we were working on "Kingdom Of The Night" all these feelings from back then have become alive in us again and things were very clear immediately" singer Bernhard Weiß explains. "Ideas and creative inputs just flew out of us and it was obvious that we could not put all that on one single album only. Due to the different songs, ballads such as "Stay Don ´t Leave Me" and heavy stuff we decided to split both albums in different moods. Both albums don ´t match to modern trends, but both are Axxis-melody-like and completely stand for itself."

"Kingdom Of The Night II" is the first AXXIS studio album for five years and the first one which will be released on the band´s own label Phonotraxx. And of course, it is the first one that will be released as two CDs. "In the end 25 years of AXXIS are nothing that can be put on one record only" the band says. "Of course we didn´t try to copy ourselves. We just have the feeling that we made alive what has been living in between 1989 and 2009."


Two new albums? As a huge Axxis fan, I'll take it. I don't know what to think of resurrecting the "Kingdom of the Night" album title. I guess they already sort of did it back in 2000 with Back to the Kingdom, but now they've fully jumped on board the numerical-sequel-to-classic-album train. I guess what really matters is how good the quality of the material is.

They've been in good form, so... why not?!

Is it completly new material, or the re-recording with some bonus tracks? Either way, that might be intersting to check out as Utopia was beast.

All new material.

I now pre-ordered the deluxe box set. At least I think I did. I had to order from amazon.de to get the best price, and it was all in German.

The Swedish online store I usually buy from are charging stupid prices
for the box set. €54.95, that's like $75! I know it's a limited release (666 copies), but that's just robbery.

Nuclear Blast,
http://www.nuclearblast.de/en/products/tontraeger/cd/cd-boxset/axxis-kingdom-of-the-night-ii.html
had it for a more reasonable €31,99, but then when I changed the delivery address to Finland, the price went up AND on top of that they charge €14 for shipping!

Amazon.com didn't have it, but I've studied German a little when I was younger, so I struggled with amazon.de (and google translate), and managed to order it. Or at least I managed to order something. Or, at the very least, I gave them my credit card number and they took my money.

http://www.amazon.de/dp/B00HS8G9GG/ref=pe_386171_38075861_TE_item

It doesn't matter if no-one else reads this thread, but the album finally arrived:



Limited to 666 copies.



That's what's inside the box. Both CDs separately packaged (digipak, not jewelcase), separate booklets, a pin, a patch, a sticker and a mini-CD that contains the two bonus tracks.

I like the packaging. Sure, sometimes bands release double CDs with the price of one album, but it's worth the difference this time.

I like the album before I even listened to it! See what a difference packaging can make?

At times these guys remind me of a poor man's Gamma Ray.

Lari, are the songs any good??? The last album i bought by them was back in 2001, the lp EYES OF DARKNESS on vinyl.

Labels selling double CD albums at €31,99?    Man, I definitely have to revisit my own prices...

stormspell wrote:

Labels selling double CD albums at €31,99?    Man, I definitely have to revisit my own prices...

At shops around here, I've been noticing a serious price hike on metal CDs. It's common to see them priced at $17.99, $18.99, and $19.99 these days. And not imports, either. Albums on SPV, Sensory, Metal Blade, etc. I asked Ken at Laser's Edge, of which Sensory is a sub-label, and he said he's not increased his prices. So if that's true, record shops are raising prices to try to survive. Which sucks on multiple levels.

Not sure how that's supposed to work? Raise prices, sell less as more turn to cheaper methods of getting music.

krokus wrote:

Lari, are the songs any good??? The last album i bought by them was back in 2001, the lp EYES OF DARKNESS on vinyl.

I still haven't played it through. I like to take my time with new albums. Especially new albums by bands I'm a big fan of, knowing I won't be getting another new album in several years. So it's like song a day.

Pretty solid material, the first four tracks at least. The first track is like a tribute to the original Kingdom of the Night album, the other three are catchy and pretty powerful. Some mid-tempo tracks there, no real fast burners aside from Beyond the Sky.

Incredible album(s)!

I've had time to play it now and it's just chock full of memorable infectious melodies. And there's a double dose of it! Both discs have a good collection of songs. I don't know where they get all this inspiration from.

Some weird songs with mandolins, etc, but it's all GOOD:



If you like melodic metal, your head will burst. It's cheesy and fun, so be warned though, if you're into aggressive and serious music.

But how can you not enjoy this? 10/10, a must buy for an Axxis fan. Hall of Fame!

Official video for 'Venom':

Axxis are one of those bands I need to get into. No clue where to start though.

What better place than the beginning?

Kingdom of the Night (1989). It's a German metal classic. Some of the songs are still played live. I don't think I'd call it their best (the ballads are pretty mediocre, for instance), but it's probably the most important.

The first three albums are pretty similar, and consistent. After a couple of less successful albums, Back to the Kingdom (2000) was a return to form and everything since has been awesome.

This is still such a cool album.

But now they also have a new double live (+DVD) set available called "25 Years Of Rock & Power". They just had a 20 Years Anniversary show released 5 years ago, but now this new one obviously also has a bunch of tracks from the new Kingdom of the Night II album. And the set lists have significant enough differences that I decided to order it.

http://www.axxis.de/

Just a heads up to all Axxis fans.

I just watched the DVD, and it was a great reminder of the joy music can bring to a person. Watching this alone in a dark room I felt part of the concert. Bernie is a funny frontman, and still has a great voice. Obviously, since the set was like 3hrs and 10 minutes, it was a gruesome test. And it did start breaking around the 2hrs 20mins mark, as expected doing songs like Axxis does. But he braved on through, and it was a real celebration of live music.

Great guests, too. Obviously Doro, but then there was Viktor Smolski doing an incredible dueling solos bit with Marco.