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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
│ │
│ │
│ + Pretty Maids - Undress Your Madness + │
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│ │
│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Rls Date..2020-05-23 Encoder......LAME 3.100 ║ │
│║ Genre.....Heavy Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year......2019 Khz/Bitrate..44.1 / VBR kbps ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper....Anthem Songs........12 ║ │
│║ Source....CD Covers.......Yes ║ │
│║ Url..http://www.prettymaids.dk ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Pretty Maids ║ │
│║ Album : Undress Your Madness ║ │
│║ Label : Ward ║ │
│║ Cat.No : GQCS-90797 ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The Maidsà the legendsà the great Danesà the always-around ║ │
│║ troubadoursà I canÆt help but feel guilty regarding my ║ │
│║ gradually diminished interest in their repertoire. ║ │
│║ Especially when I canÆt explain clearly why that happenedà ║ │
│║ the last album of theirs that made me sing aloud with fists ║ │
│║ raised in the air was ôCarpe Diemö in 2000 when the Danish ║ │
│║ stalwarts proudly announced the return of the good old ║ │
│║ heavy metal in the company of other fairly strong ║ │
│║ appearances (Iron Maiden, King Diamond, Halford, etc.) that ║ │
│║ same year, all these veterans feverishly grabbing the new ║ │
│║ opportunities amply provided by the old school resurrection ║ │
│║ campaign instigated at the dawn of a new millenniumà ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ a climax swiftly achieved, with the anti-climax following ║ │
│║ suit soon after in each of the mentioned camps. Yes, I was ║ │
│║ proclaiming Ronnie Atkins and Co. the saviours of the ║ │
│║ classic hardÆn heavy sound, one of the few acts that never ║ │
│║ split up during the difficult 90Æs, and even sounded ║ │
│║ resurgent with this fabulous ôCarpe Diemöà theyÆve released ║ │
│║ seven more full-lengths after this one, including the album ║ │
│║ reviewed here. Wowà impressive but largely from a quantity ║ │
│║ point-of-view as quality-wise I see no reason why I should ║ │
│║ feel jubilant that the guys are still around. Yes, the ║ │
│║ sense of guilt is still here, more tangibly now that IÆm ║ │
│║ writing these wordsà my initial red, hot and heavy passion ║ │
│║ for them is simply not here anymore. Damnà and just to ║ │
│║ think that once upon a time I was gleefully doing all the ║ │
│║ maids in my grandparentsÆ vast estateà in the garden, in ║ │
│║ the stable, in the attic, in the cellar, in the toolshedà ║ │
│║ in the garageà even behind the bookshelf when my granddad ║ │
│║ was dozing off in front of the TV. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Nah, not such a big desire for that anymore, and not ║ │
│║ because IÆve become pricklierà sorry, pickier with age. ║ │
│║ ItÆs just that the band are one of those rare examples of ║ │
│║ unflinching consistency and steadfast reliability that one ║ │
│║ can easily guess how the next record will sound like even ║ │
│║ way before the guys have entered the studio. Pretty Maids ║ │
│║ are hardly the musicians who will surprisingly shoot out a ║ │
│║ highly ambitious sprawling progressive opera, or will ║ │
│║ unleash hell with a sudden gust of impetuous ║ │
│║ speed/thrashiness to everyoneÆs astonishment. No, theyÆd do ║ │
│║ neither of those; theyÆll simply produce their staple retro ║ │
│║ hardÆn heavy shenanigans the next time around, leaving the ║ │
│║ element of surprise and unpredictability at the door. ║ │
│║ Regardless of how cool said shenanigans are, they would do ║ │
│║ a bit more than settling deep into your subconscious where ║ │
│║ the bandÆs previous exploits reside, adding up to the ║ │
│║ feelgood humming background of your existence in the ║ │
│║ comfort zoneà pretty much like those very nice flashy, ║ │
│║ picturesque wallpapers that your mother has bought for the ║ │
│║ house one day, the ones that make you stare at them for ║ │
│║ hours at first, but ones that merely receive a glance of ║ │
│║ acknowledgement once the novelty has worn out. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ And now, after this gigantic digression I delve deep into ║ │
│║ the album here knowing, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that ║ │
│║ this canÆt be a deplorable flop; neither can it be a ║ │
│║ shining masterpiece, mind you. No, weÆll leave all those ║ │
│║ for the experimentalists and the restless souls out there ║ │
│║ as our favourite Maids are undressing themselves in the ║ │
│║ expected hardÆn heavy manner ôSerpentineö recalling the ║ │
│║ rowdy angrier ôScreamö with its abrasive guitars. The ║ │
│║ noisier guitar edge remains for other moments of subdued ║ │
│║ rebellion (the title-track, the power metal delight ôIf You ║ │
│║ Want Peace (Prepare for War)ö), but the optimistic ║ │
│║ radio-friendly flair of ôFiresoul Flyö and the sing-along ║ │
│║ crowd-pleaser ôRunaway Worldö effortlessly establish the ║ │
│║ prevalent tone which generously leaves plenty of room for ║ │
│║ several poignant balladic/semi-balladic (ôWill You Still ║ │
│║ Kiss Me (If I See You in Heaven)ö, ôShadowlandsö) ║ │
│║ developments the latter not bad at all with ôStrength of a ║ │
│║ Roseö even hinting at some near-legitimate quasi-doomy ║ │
│║ heaviness. However, to these ears ôSlavedriverö seems to be ║ │
│║ the highlight, a stomping officiant number with epic ║ │
│║ overtones, the seismic rhythm-section on that one ║ │
│║ cancelling outright goofy tributes to AC/DC like ôBlack ║ │
│║ Thunderö. Worth of note is the lack of any impetuous ║ │
│║ speedsters those obligatory inclusions in the past, but ║ │
│║ frequently left out from recent recordings more or less ║ │
│║ intentionally. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ For someone discovering the band with this album these ║ │
│║ tunes should do the trick, and possibly some more. For ║ │
│║ others the pleasant familiarity with the material will by ║ │
│║ all means make them nod in the customary autopilot-like ║ │
│║ approval, sometimes not listening very carefully to this ║ │
│║ particular nuance or motif, simply cause this same nuance ║ │
│║ or motif has been heard a couple of times before. So is ║ │
│║ there anything wrong with this album? No, not really; in ║ │
│║ fact, thereÆs everything right with it. And this is ║ │
│║ probably where the actual problem lies, with you having ║ │
│║ gotten accustomed to one of your favourite actsÆ style to ║ │
│║ such an extent that sincere excitement is hard to be ║ │
│║ generated from the very predictable delivery. If we have, ║ │
│║ for instance, a technical or progressive metal outfit with ║ │
│║ a wider palette to choose from then both the compositional ║ │
│║ and executional swing would be bigger; but in the case of ║ │
│║ the good old hardÆn heavy formula one can only squeeze it ║ │
│║ that much before a permeating sense of deja-vu starts ║ │
│║ sneaking into the proceedings and into the listenerÆs ║ │
│║ psyche. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ But donÆt listen to me; IÆm obviously a traitor, standing ║ │
│║ on the edge of the bandÆs fanbase pool; one who prefers to ║ │
│║ spin ôSin Decadeö, or ôRed, Hot and Heavyö or ôFuture ║ │
│║ Worldö over and over, not giving any chances to the newer ║ │
│║ repertoire to win a place on the shelves. The thing is that ║ │
│║ itÆs not only me who feels that way apparently; before 2014 ║ │
│║ the bandÆs works used to receive the compulsory one reviewà ║ │
│║ this tendency has been abandoned afterwards, with me being ║ │
│║ the only scribe toiling over their endeavours that have ║ │
│║ emerged in the past six yearsà I guess itÆs not that easy ║ │
│║ to get a hard-on from an old maid, one youÆve done multiple ║ │
│║ times in various configurations and locationsà naked, ║ │
│║ semi-naked, with a hat, without a hatà ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ but one that can always lighten your life when thereÆs no ║ │
│║ one else around, one that feels familiar and reliable, and ║ │
│║ one that will be there for you some 2/3 years down the ║ │
│║ lineà without fail. And this is where one of the ║ │
│║ undisputable niceties of life lies, I guess, to always ║ │
│║ trust one youÆve been with for ages, knowing that they will ║ │
│║ neither disappoint nor cause any inordinate exhilarationà ║ │
│║ after all, we all have weak heartsà right? ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 1. Intro 0:33 │
│ 2. Serpentine 4:16 │
│ 3. Firesoul Fly 4:16 │
│ 4. Undress Your Madness 4:20 │
│ 5. Will You Still Kiss Me (If I See You In 3:59 │
│ Heaven) │
│ 6. Runaway World 4:26 │
│ 7. If You Want Peace (Prepare For War) 4:16 │
│ 8. Slavedriver 4:49 │
│ 9. Shadowlands 3:54 │
│ 10. Black Thunder 3:46 │
│ 11. Strengh Of A Rose 4:40 │
│ 12. Serpentine (Orchestral Version) (Bonus Track) 4:33 │
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│ Total Length : 00:47:48 │
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│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
│ │
│ │
│ │
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