Danish band PRETTY MAIDS have been active ever since the start of the metal revolution, formed way back in 1981 and releasing material from 1983 and onwards. True to life veterans of the metal wars one might say, with a grand total of 14 full length studio albums to their name. “Louder Than Ever” is the most recent of these, and was released through Italian label Frontiers Music in 2014.
In truth this isn’t really a new studio album as such, at least not in terms of how one normally defines such productions. Most of the album consists of rerecorded versions of older material, which have been supplemented by four unreleased tracks. Just why the band have opted to go this route rather than releasing the four tracks as an EP I don’t really know, but as some fans tends to be skeptical about productions of this kind this merits mentioning. When that is said, I did find the rerecorded older material to be the most interesting content here, and some of them are so spectacular in the renditions given here that I would have a hard time believing that the original versions of those songs are as compelling as these new versions.
Personally I haven’t really listened too much to this band previously, but vaguely remember them as more of a lightweight hard rock band with melodic intent, this based on some compilation albums I bought back in the 1980’s featuring select cuts from the band. If it’s a case of my memory being flawed, the cuts selected for these compilations being the band’s more gentler escapades or if the band have developed over the years I can’t really tell. But Pretty Maids as of 2014 comes across as very much a heavy metal band, and a quality one at that.
Just about all the songs revolves around guitar driven arrangements supplemented by relatively careful keyboard arrangements, with steady bass and drums beneath, powerful lead vocals and a general emphasis on melody. In addition, the songs tends to end up among the more intense parts of the metal landscape. The guitars are loud, vibrant and edgy, with powerful and hard riff constructions the order of the day, occasionally with slower paced, more monumental riffs combining with richer keyboard textures to form more grandiose arrangements, at other times with reverberating, drawn out riff textures and keyboards providing a heavy but more careful general sound. Tighter, toned down and vibrant guitar riffs with more of an emphasis on a hard sound rather than a heavy one is also a delivery explored from time to time. Bass and drums deliver the quality rhythms you’s expect from a vibrant heavy metal band, but they’ll also shift into a more traditional galloping mode, power metal style, on occasion. That’s basically the gist of if, quality traditional melodic heavy metal with occasional shifts into power metal, delivered by an experienced band, featuring a top quality lead vocalist as capable of aggressive almost snarling delivery as he is of powerful, melodic lead vocals. I should probably mention that there’s a few ballads at hand too, as most expect from a metal band I guess, and while not quite as convincing for me as when the band goes full speed ahead they also comes across as well developed and well performed specimens, and should hit home easily for those who treasure their metal ballads.
If a band exploring an intense, pace-filled and heavy variety of melody oriented traditional heavy metal with occasional escapades into power metal as well as some more groove-oriented excursions here and there sounds interesting, Pretty Maids as of 2014 is a band you should lend an ear to. “Louder Than Ever” comes across as a high quality, aptly named album from this veteran band, and one easy to recommend as such.
My rating: 87/100
