Pretty Maids - Pandemonium

Still rocking after 20+ years!It is hard to believe the that Danish rockers Pretty Maids are coming up on their 30th birthday next year.  It seems like yesterday when I first discovered the band on Future World.  At the time, the riff that fueled the title track, was one of the heaviest around.  The band has had moderate success in the states, but for some reason, they made it here.  Fortunately the rest of the world clued in to what a killer band they are, and now they are coming up to their 30th year in existence.  If you’re not familiar with the band, they are a hard rock band that teeters on the metallic side.  They are masters of blending heavy riffs with melody.  One thing that you are guaranteed to get with a Pretty Maids record is heavy songs mixed melodic rockers.  It is the best of both worlds.  2010 brings us the band’s 12th studio recording entitled Pandemonium; let’s see if they still have what it takes to deliver the goods.

Pandemonium starts with the title track which is an up tempo rocker, which has a classic Maids feel to it.  It has a killer keyboard riff that begins the tune before guitarist Ken Hammer chimes in with his crunchy guitar.  It is one of the heavier tracks on Pandemonium, and a great way to begin the CD.  The next track to grab my attention was the first single Little Drops of Heaven.  Man this a killer track.  It is a great choice for the first single, because it is one of those tracks that grabs you and never lets go.  It is a mid-tempo rocker that has a killer melody and a very catchy memorable chorus.   Another track that is golden, is the track Final Day of Innocence.  This [The] Who-inspired track has a classic rock vibe, but with a modern edge to it.  That is the cool thing about this CD, because the guys have once again put together a solid CD full of melodic rockers and metallic burners.  All in all a solid CD and a welcome return from the band.

Bottom Line: Pretty Maids sound as well as they did 20+ years ago.  Hammer and Atkins have once again shown us how the big boys do it.  This could be one of the heavier records the band has does in a while.  Great songs that will stick with you.

Standout Tracks: Little Drops From Heaven, Final Day of Innocence, Cielo Drive and Breathless

- Ragman wants to know where the DVD is already


Inbred Redneck Vampires

When B-movies go bad...I like a good B-Horror movie like the next guy, but it has to be somewhat watchable for me to get into it.  Some try to mix comedy with horror and some just try to go for that full-on fright angle.  If the director is really trying and is clever, I’ll buy into it, but if there is a lack of effort and it is painful to get through, then that is where I have to draw the line.  As we all know, vampire flicks are all the rage these days, especially with the success of the killer HBO series True Blood and the lame Twilight series.  You have to be careful when making a movie about bloodsuckers, because there is so much out there, you have to distinguish yourself from the masses.  The latest vampire flick to hit my DVD player was Inbred Redneck Vampires, let’s see if it has what it takes to make it into the rotation.

Redneck Inbred Vampires is about a female vampire, and her human minion, who’s plot is to turn a whole redneck village into a vampire army, in order for her to battle a vampire slayer.  Sounds interesting, but it has to be done well, to pull it off.  As with most B-rated flicks the acting is somewhat poor and the effects are pretty cheesy, but I’m okay with that, as long as the story stays on track and remains somewhat entertaining.  Instead of focusing on the vampires, the movie focuses on a couple of dip-shit rednecks and a gay decorator.  Sounds weird, I know.  A small portion of the movie focuses on the vampire and her quest for redneck domination,  but the majority focuses on the decorator, a dwarf and a moron.  I have to say I came close to turning this one off several times, because it was soooo bad.  This was not one of the better B-flicks I have seen, by far.  Some may enjoy this one, but my guess is, it won’t be many.

Bottom Line:  One of the worst movies I’ve seen in some time.  It was painful to watch at times, and it is a miracle I made it through the whole thing.  Some might get a kick out of it, but I‘m sure the audience that this flick will attract will be fairly small.

- Ragman has a headache

You Maybe Wanna Talk?

There are some interesting discussions happening over in our Discussion forums if you want to chime in.  Check it out and "hip us to your personal wisdom".

- Genghis loves to bust out his Dennis Miller quotes...

Where's The Metal Minute?

Sorry about the whole Metal Minute being on indefinite hiatus, but some unforeseen things have put that on hold.  But!  Buuut it's coming back soon, I promise.

I'm trying to figure out a way to put them out weekly and ON TIME.  I think the whole live production with me standing in front of the monitor, Talk Soup style, doesn't work as easily as I'd hoped, but it's getting figured out.  If anyone has any suggestions for FREE software for video production that would allow me to make my own Powerpoint presentation and I can simply overdub my voice over it, I'd be quite pleased.

- Genghis really does enjoy The Metal Minute, seriously...

Jorn - Dio

A Dio tribute done right!Jorn Lande must be the busiest man in hard rock and heavy metal.  Jorn is currently fronting his solo band as well as returning to Masterplan, and believe it or not he is even on tap to join Glenn Hughes, at the High Voltage Festival, to co-front Heaven and Hell.  He and Glenn will pay tribute to the late great Ronnie James Dio.  It is no secret that Jorn is a huge fan of Ronnie’s music, because he has covered several of his tracks, in the past.  It will be a monumental day in metal history, in which I hope will get some sort of professional release down the line.  That being said, Jorn has just released a 13 track  CD full of covers, of the legend that was RJD, appropriately titled Dio. 

Dio is what you would expect; the songs are pretty true to form with a few twists.  As always Jorn and his band sound amazing and their rendition’s of the Dio tunes are spot on.   If you’re a Jorn fan you’ve heard a few of these before.  Jorn is no stranger to Dio covers and some of those covers re-appear on this release like Kill the King (Rainbow) and Lonely is the World/Letter From Earth (Black Sabbath).  The interesting thing about this release is that he covered a couple tracks from Dream Evil and Sacred Heart.  I was surprised to see those represented in the track listing.   I think some of the best covers on this CD are the ones he did from the Holy Diver record.  I really like his interpretations of Invisible and Shame on the Night.  Jorn has also included one original for the CD titled Song for Ronnie James Dio.  It is a song in which most of the lyrics are made up of Dio song titles.  It is a cool tune and would have made Ronnie proud.  That being said, I believe Ronnie would have enjoyed the full record.  I’m not sure if he heard it before his passing, because it was almost completed before he left us, but I think he would have dug it.  He was a fan of other great vocalist, and Jorn is definitely one of them.  A solid effort and fitting tribute to one of the greatest vocalists that heavy metal has ever seen.

Bottom Line: Jorn paying homage to one of his idols and doing it well.  The great thing about the Jorn solo band sound is that they are so heavy, which in turn breathes life into some of the older tunes.

Standout Tracks: Song for Ronnie James Dio, Invisible, Sham on the Night and Letters From Earth.

- Ragman misses the great one.