Another knockout album by a band on top of their game…
Released on 4 November 2016 by Frontiers Records and reviewed by Stephen Brophy
Of all the Melodic Rock/Metal Bands on the scene today Denmark’s Pretty Maids are one of the most interesting and original, not just because of their longevity but the quality of their most recent releases sets them aside from most bands anyway. Kingmaker is the fifteenth studio album and there’s no sign of the band slowing down. While also always being an excellent live act they seem to be at another creative peak right now.
Kingmaker is another powerful album, which once again balances out the bands metal edge with their melodic backdrop, with Ronny’s unique vocal delivery once again shining through. This band is just so tight it’s terrific, and their ability to blend melodic rock and metal is different to how most bands approach things.
The album’s highlights are very different types of songs, from the power of the title track ‘Kingmaker’ to the serenity of a ballad like ‘Last Beauty On Earth’ or, different again, a track like ‘Heaven’s Little Devil’ which has a bit more keyboard in the mix than most of the songs on the album but packs a hell of a bang in the chorus. Actually, the big choruses are a common thread all the way through the album, which is no bad thing.
As always the music throughout is spot on and wraps around the vocals perfectly. Ken Hammer’s guitar work is always powerful, heavy riffs, subtle slow pieces when needed and some screaming solos. Rene Shades (Bass) and Allan Tschicaja (Drums) are another solid partnership that not only work well together but manage to have formed an almost symbiotic bond. One recent change in the line-up sees Morten Sandager replaced by Chris Laney on keyboards…
The new energy that Pretty Maids have these days makes them one of the more consistent outfits on the scene. They don’t just play furious riffs. There’s a lot of thought put into how the sound develops through a song. We can only look forward to seeing and hearing these new tracks live, a continued treat. This is another of those special releases where the band once again proves that a more established band can still produce fresh sounding and relevant music in a scene exploding with good music the Maids are still hanging around on the higher rungs of the ladder.
9 out of 10
Track list:
- When God Took A Day Off
- Kingmaker
- Face The World
- Humanize Me
- Last Beauty On Earth
- Bull’s Eye
- King Of The Right Here And Now
- Heavens Little Devil
- Civilized Monsters
- Sickening
- Was That What You Wanted
