The figures speak for themselves: more than 1.7 million albums sold worldwide, 2.6 million streams for the top 10 predecessor "Knights Call" (2018). Now Axel Rudi Pell is about to release "Sign Of The Times", his 18th (!) studio album in 31 years. But not quantity matters - it's the quality that counts, stupid! His consistency enjoys more and more respect and appreciation within the hard & heavy community. Not every time, but with increasing frequency you hear the term 'cult' when it comes to Axel Rudi Pell. Being the man that he is, he cannot rely on that idea, but "if someone is that successful over such a long period of time, he might as well deserve it." Sounds down to earth? Well, it was meant that way. "When we played Moscow last summer, a lot of fans came up to me, calling me a 'legend'. My answer was: I'm just a guitar player." Nothing more, nothing less. Although the 59-year-old knows what he's capable of, he is still able to surprise himself, like on "Sign Of The Times". "I don't know why, but this time I finished the songs at least a month ahead of my deadline."