CD review PRETTY MAIDS "Kingmaker"

(8/10) "Kingmaker" is the new album of Danish metal icons Pretty Maids. Three years after having had "Motherland" in the record shops it's "Kingmaker" that offers eleven new melodic metal songs that can immediately be recognized as being from Ronnie Atkins and Co.. Atkins typical vocals, Ken Hammer's riffs and well-done hooks are belonging to the bands trademarks and they are all coming back on the new output.

"Kingmaker" is a continuation of the revitalized band that had some big-sellers in the eighties, followed by some tougher times. Since a few years Pretty Maids is again working full-speed ahead by releasing records that make a lot of fun. The mixture of heaviness and melody is well dosed, something that makes the band interesting for a wider audience of metal fans.

The new album starts bold. It's "When God Took a Day Off" that begins with an intro reminding of "Cold Killers" from "Red, Hot and Heavy". The tune itself is a six minutes long power pack, acting as an excellent way into this longplayer.

The title track is next in line. Starting with a powerful riff, the song comes with a mighty punch - a well chosen name giver for this record. In general I must say that Pretty Maids releases all breaks, going straight forward with a lot of heavy rockers. The grooving "Bull's Eye", the slowly developing "Civilized Monster" and the hammering "Sickening" are all real highlights and 100% Pretty Maids, the latter coming with an extremely forceful rhythm section consisting out of Rene Shades (b) and Allan Tschicaja on drums.

The counterpart to these riff attacks is a power ballad called "Last Beauty on Earth". Pretty Maids can do these kind of songs since for one or another reason they never sound bad, even though they are pretty much mainstream. But since there is enough Danish dynamite included the song sounds good and is actually a 'must' for a Pretty Maids album.

"Kingmaker" is the highly anticipated new album of Pretty Maids and it's a longplayer that will be very well received by Pretty Maids fans and metalheads with a passion for powerful melodic metal.

(8/10)

Tracklist:

1. When God Took A Day Off
2. King Maker
3. Face The World
4. Humanize Me
5. Last Beauty On Earth
6. Bull's Eye
7. King Of The Right Here And Now
8. Heavens Little Devil
9. Civilized Monsters
10. Sickening; Was That What You Wanted;
11. King Maker (Extended Version) (Digital Bonus Track)

Label: Frontiers Music

Genre: Melodic Metal

Release Date EU: November 4th, 2016