PRETTY MAIDS – Kingmaker [Japan Edition +2] (2016)

Danish hard rock / metal legends PRETTY MAIDS will release their new album “Kingmaker“, on November 4 via Frontiers Music Srl, but now we can enjoy its just released Japanese Edition including 2 bonus tracks.
Pretty Maids is one of my favorite bands of all time but I am not being biased with this review: “Kingmaker” is another killer album from these awesome musicians.

“Kingmaker” is a continuation of the revitalized Y2K Pretty Maids. 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 perfectly blended, something that makes the band interesting for a wider audience of metal-related fans.

The new album starts bold with the kick ass “When God Took a Day Off” that begins with a classic ’80s intro, developing into a six minutes of monster riffs and powerhouse vocals, 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.

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.

The counterpart to these riff-attacks is the 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.
This Japan Edition includes ‘extended versions’ of title track “Kingmaker” and “Humanize Me”, both with atmospheric intros which make both tracks more complete plus longer solos.

Yeah, they did it again. Pretty Maids have crafted another terrific piece in “Kingmaker”. There’s not another band in the current scene able to merge heaviness, melody, catchiness and groove into a single song as Pretty Maids does.
They are unique, and that’s why the band is loved by metalheads, traditional hard rockers and AOR fans in between equally.
HIGHLY Recommended

01 – When God Took A Day Off
02 – Kingmaker
03 – Face The World
04 – Humanize Me
05 – Last Beauty On Earth
06 – Bull’s Eye
07 – King Of The Right Here And Now
08 – Heavens Little Devil
09 – Civilized Monsters
10 – Sickening
11 – Was That What You Wanted
BONUS TRACKS:
12 – Kingmaker (Extended Version)
13 – Humanize Me (Extended Version)

Ronnie Atkins – Vocals
Ken Hammer – Guitars
Allan Tschicaja – Drums
René Shades – Bass

BUY IT !
www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/GQCS-90228
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