Never a band to fall into the chasm of being pigeon holed,
Pretty Maids have switched up their sound on nearly every release, dabbling in the progressive futuristic rock for "Future World", a splash of early power metal in "Red Hot and Heavy", streamlined heavy
AOR for "Sin-Decade", modernistic sludginess in "Planet Panic". They can never be properly pinpointed and jump all over the map, yet somehow retain this core sound that is identifable as being their own.
Pretty Maids have kept mum since 2006's "Wake Up to the Real World", so "Pandemonium" has been a hotly anticipated disc. Again, they have sidestepped and not done what was expected (thus expect the unexpected?) Like a snake, they have shed the majority of the (2000s)
Harem Scarem sound that made "Wake Up" worth a double take. Whether that is a sacrifice or a boon, depends on your musical point of view.
A bit of a doomsday voice-over talks through the opening and then a headrush into heavy synthesizers and thick guitars that go full throttle into aggression and chunky riffing. Ronnie Atkins is snarling and sneering the vocal lines, except for these slick melodic pieces spliced in. It has the urgent modern twistings as glimpsed on "Anything Worth Doing is Worth Overdoing" plus the
AOR waves of the more commercial moments of "Scream". Caught somewhere in the middle is this nice mashup of older styles and given a good solid modern tumbling.
"I.N.V.U." has needling slashing guitar rhythms and socially conscious vocals that have this honest bluesy touch. Then you blink, and the voice slides into pure sweetness. Always worldly and looking over our current world's situation,
"One World One Truth" pounds out the anxiety of a turbulent, unknown future, using the voice of the glory of hard rock. A savory guitar solo burns up the frets while roughened vocals deliver the message loud and clear with a righteous fever. The prog-melodic-rock-fueled center is a nostalgic flashback to "Future World" and the beast is tamed into bubble blown guitar notes.
"Little Drops of Heaven" is not a true ballad. This is laid-back melodic rock that perks up its attention for the chorus. While the sufficiently gargantuan chorus is reliable
Pretty Maids sparkling melody, and a catchy hook line. The rest has a quaint acoustic bent, and flirtatious electronica keyboard. The first single from the album and undoubtedly the catchiest track. This is one that pops along at a rather addictive, midtempo pacing.
Unusual pulsating keyboards and slabs of rhythm guitars paint a Saigon Kick-"Water" like portrait, giving that oddly modern feel to
"Final Day of Innocence". Lots of melody unfolds for the chorus and is neatly sprinkled through the warped-out acidic keys and chugging grit guitars that consist the remainder of the uptempo song.
"Cielo Drive" is a non-stop urgent ride, galloping out of the box and cranking the electric element on all levels. Sufficient speed, a touch of madness, precision, a rock workout that is built around the real life horror of the Manson murders.
"It Comes at Night" uses talk boxes, emphasizing synth (splurging forth right at key vocal points), and a strung out chorus that has the drums at an odd angle. The song conveys the unsettling atmosphere of a paranormal horror movie rather well.
Stripping it back and keeping it thoughtful is
"Old Enough to Know", which uncovers no new ground but does it in an unoffensive manner. Mostly acoustic and plain clothed, there's nothing particularly dolled up about this one. An organic, earthy effort, all the string clanging intact.
"Beautiful Madness" finally feels like the band has found the ground beneath their feet and has struck upon a song that works for them. It is a chameleon, pouring on vocal lines spaced out in an epic manner a'la
Jorn Lande, the sweeping keyboard invading melodic chorus that twirls you around its hooks and then spits you out for dangerously pulsing rhythm riffing and a guitar solo that's more an empty bluff than technical pizzaz. The older heavy rock aspects meld nicely with the modern touches and it all falls into place rather neatly.
"Breathless" seems like something
Def Leppard would put out this day and age on the slower side of the spectrum, only with Atkins singing. The acoustic and voice parts are lovely and flowing, the chorus is the tripping part, as it seems oddly too upbeat and rough to match the song.
Pretty Maids' "Pandemonium" is a solid record that shows the band trying to diversify their metal portfolio yet flashing back to their past lives. Sometimes the songs click and others seem to fall short, a pattern that has plagued PM releases throughout the 2000s. There is an abundance of good material lurking around here, although nothing that truly ignites the fires in the soul as their 90s releases did so effortlessly. It doesn't break new ground but yet this is a completely enjoyable disc for anyone that has suffered the last few years, can get their craving alleviated by ending the
Pretty Maids drought.
Written by
Alanna Thursday, April 8, 2010
Show all reviews by AlannaRatingsAlanna: 6/10Members: 7.5/10 - Average of 1 ratings.
Member ratings
 | Steen (Staff)
Rating: 7.5/10
Pandemonium is closing in on "Spooked" and "Carpe Diem" as one of my favorite newer · Read more · |
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