Axel Rudi Pell (born 27 June 1960) is a German hard rock guitarist. Formerly a member of the speed metal band Steeler, he has pursued a solo career since the late 1980s with the band Axel Rudi Pell, working with a number of vocalists. The longest-serving vocalist since 1998 has been Johnny Gioeli of Hardline.

Pell began his musical career with Steeler, performing with the band between 1984 and 1988 before leaving to pursue a solo career. During his career he has worked with several musicians, including drummers Jörg Michael and Mike Terrana, and vocalists Charlie Huhn, Johnny Gioeli, Jeff Scott Soto and Rob Rock. Gioeli joined the band in 1998 for the album "Oceans of Time", marking his first musical appearance since Hardline's 1992 album "Double Eclipse", and has remained the longest-serving vocalist in Pell's band.

Pell has stated that many of his albums are loosely connected through a recurring fantasy theme involving a knight embarking on various adventures, with individual songs presenting separate stories. One of his principal musical influences is guitarist Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple.

In 2008, SPV Records released the live DVD "Live over Europe", featuring a full performance recorded at the Rock Hard Festival in 2007, along with additional archival live footage. In 2012, the live album and DVD "Live on Fire" was released.

In 2013, former Rainbow drummer Bobby Rondinelli joined the band, replacing Mike Terrana after Terrana left to pursue other musical projects. Pell marked the 25th anniversary of his solo career in 2014 with a headline performance at the Bang Your Head festival in Balingen, Germany. The concert featured former vocalists Rob Rock and Jeff Scott Soto alongside current vocalist Johnny Gioeli and other band members, as well as guest appearances by musicians including Joerg Michael, Ronnie Atkins, John Lawton, Vinny Appice, Graham Bonnett, Doogie White and keyboardist Tony Carey. The performance included a short Steeler reunion set, a performance by the current Axel Rudi Pell line-up, and a final segment consisting of cover versions of songs by Deep Purple and Rainbow.

In 2019, the band celebrated its 30th anniversary with the release of the double live album "XXX – 30th Anniversary Live". The recordings were taken from several concerts during the "Knights Call" tour in 2018 and were released in June 2019 on CD and LP. The compilation album "The Ballads 6" was released in early 2023.

In February 2020, the band announced that the album "Sign of the Times" would be released in April 2020, although the release was postponed to May due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A supporting tour was also delayed and eventually took place in 2022. Pell later released the covers album "Diamonds Unlocked II" on 30 July 2021, a follow-up to the 2007 album "Diamonds Unlocked". Pell is known for extensive touring, particularly in Germany and his hometown of Bochum. Although he rarely tours internationally, he has performed occasional concerts in London and regularly appears at music festivals, including Wacken Open Air.

The album "Lost XXIII" was released on 15 April 2022. The band performed at the Sweden Rock Festival in 2024 and released the album "Risen Symbol" the same year. Their twenty-third studio album, "Ghost Town", was released on 20 March 2026.

Studio albums Wild Obsession (1989) Nasty Reputation (1991) Eternal Prisoner (1992) Between the Walls (1994) Black Moon Pyramid (1996) Magic (1997) Oceans of Time (1998) The Masquerade Ball (2000) Shadow Zone (2002) Kings and Queens (2004) Mystica (2006) Diamonds Unlocked (2007, cover album) Tales of the Crown (2008) The Crest (2010) Circle of the Oath (2012) Into the Storm (2014) Game of Sins (2016) Knights Call (2018) Sign of the Times (2020) Diamonds Unlocked II (2021, cover album) Lost XXIII (2022) Risen Symbol (2024) Ghost Town (2026)