Axe were last featured in 1996 with their ‘V’ album: which saw their trademark pomp sound heavied up considerably. This was to be repeated on their return to the studio four years later with ‘The Crown’.
Written by: gdmonline
ARTIST: Axe
ALBUM: The Crown
LABEL: MTM Music
SERIAL: 0681-24
YEAR: 2000
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
LINEUP: Bobby Barth – guitars, vocals, keyboards * Bob Harris – vocals, keyboards * Blake Eberhard – bass, vocals * Edgar Riley Jr. – keyboards, vocals * Christian Teele – drums, percussion * Danny Masters – guitars
TRACK LISTING: 01 The Crown * 02 Together We Fly (Together We Fall) * 03 Prelude * 04 Fire And Water * 05 Restless Angel * 06 Children’s Memory * 07 Good Times * 08 Torturous Game * 09 Sunshine Again (Mario’s Song) * 10 Foolish Deception
WEBLINKS: FB Page
Axe Background
Back in the year 2000, our old website Heart Of The Rock (HOTR) featured an article with Bobby Barth about the then recent get together of perennial favourites Axe.
Axe were last featured in 1996 with their ‘V’ album: which saw their trademark pomp sound heavied up considerably. This was to be repeated on their return to the studio four years later with ‘The Crown’.
The band started production in late 1999, and featured new drummer Christian Teele. German singer Michael Bormann co-wrote a few songs with mainstays Barth and Harris. The MTM Music connection with Bormann’s band Jaded Heart being the obvious link.
The Songs
Starting out with the opening title track, we are greeted with a swirling mix of keyboards which lays the foundation for some powerful melodic rock. ‘Together We Fly’ touches on various influences, the highlight being a great chorus!
‘Prelude’ leads into ‘Fire And Water’, a tune previously sung by Rose Tattoo‘s Angry Anderson. This was an association that took Barth to Australia during 1990 to work with the ‘tattooed wonder from down under’.
The next track ‘Restless Angel’ should have been renamed ‘listless angel’.. this one not having a great deal of energy at all. Unlike ‘Children’s Memory’, which stirs up the brain cells quite nicely thank you.
‘Good Times’ has a darker edge and a ton of wah-effects while the last track ‘Foolish Deception’ borders on AOR. Believe it or not, Axe had the audacity to include a hidden track on here, full of percussion and conga’s. Go figure!
In Summary
In 2001, the band went out in support of the album to Europe, to much fanfare and interest. But not long after, Barth put Axe back into the closet and focused on production work instead.
Certainly bands such as Guild Of Ages, Red Rock Roosters and Blister 66 have benefited from Barth’s influence. It will be interesting now we are a few years on, whether Axe batters down the door for another album. (They did.. in 2019..Ed).
Axe on Video
Click to go to YTM album page.
