After a few up and down years, Danish rockers Pretty Maids found their way back in 2010 with the album Pandemonium and have since been a real force to be reckoned with, releasing albums and touring like there was no tomorrow. The band’s latest album, the magnificent Undress Your Madness (2019) was followed by singer Ronnie Atkins getting sick and then the pandemic shut the world down. Since then nothing has been the same in the Pretty Maids camp and they have been on hiatus ever since. Dead quiet is a more correct description. While singer Atkins has been busy doing two solo albums, three albums with Nordic Union and performing with Avantasia both on record and tour it has been awfully quiet from his cohort and co-founding Pretty Maids member, guitarist Ken Hammer. Until now, that is.
Fact is, it had been worryingly quite from the guitarist. Some fans even wondered if he had quit the biz. Fortunately he hasn’t. Hammer is now back with his new project, a duo featuring himself and singer Christoffer Stjerne from Danish rockers H.E.R.O. Helping out are bassists Claus Langeskov on four tracks and Mat Sinner (Sinner, Primal Fear) on two and drummer Anders Kirkegaard on one song. Production duties were held by Jacob Hansen who produced every Pretty Maids album since Pandemonium and also worked with bands like The Wildhearts, Amaranthe, U.D.O and Volbeat. Sounds interesting? Well, I thought so too.
The duo opens the album with the first single “Flames”. It’s a very modern American rock-radio number, slick and hooky with lots of hit-potential. The song holds a distinct groove and heavy riff but the melodies and the refrain is very poppy and catchy. While all that is well, the song is also very mainstream and comes across as somewhat impersonal. It’s ok but it doesn’t leave a lasting impression. Second single “Bleeding” rocks harder with edgy guitars and a stompy rhythm and the melodies are really strong – it’s both rough and smooth. This one too sounds very modern with a chorus that sticks right from go and I’m getting a Hinder vibe from it. I quite like this one.
“Learning To Breathe”, the third single, is a mid-paced pop-rocker with a heavier arrangement and some beefy and metal-like riffing. With its easily embracing melodies, the slick and commercial approach and the highly catchy chorus it’s perfect for rock-radio and the hit-potential here is huge. Pretty good one. “Demons” has Hammer riffing away like we know him – the main riff is very Pretty Maids. It’s a dark, gutsy and heavy number with an attitude and a nice live-feel. The chorus is a bit smoother but never cheesy and it sounds pretty much like a Pretty Maids number without said band’s personal melodies. The album’s finest moment.
“Into The Sun” takes a step into alternative pop-rock and holds some very smooth and glossy vocal-melodies. It’s a bit ballady yet with a rhythmic vibe but very streamlined Pop sounding with a sticky chorus that could do well on mainstream radio. It’s an ok track but it just don’t linger with me at all. A throwaway in my book. “Powerless” continues the big mainstream Pop vibes but at least it holds some beefy riffage and an underlying darkness. Again, it seems to approach modern mainstream radio and even though it’s really catchy it’s also light-weight and well, powerless, to be honest.
The rhythmic and chunky pop-rock number “It’s About Time” is a step up that mixes modern radio-rock with classic Hammer riffage and a slick pop-laden main melody that culminates in an intensely catchy refrain that sticks from go. Good one. Unfortunately the cover of Wiz Khalifa’s cheese-ballad “See You Again” is way too saccharine for comfort. At times it reminds me of Hinder’s slickest and cheesiest moments and sure it can be a hit but this is way to dull, post-grunge ballady and obviously radio-flirtatious for me. I say pass.
“Sensational” comes with some ballady, held-back verses but goes heavier with some metal-esque guitar riffing in the chorus with a smooth and comfortable melody on top. A good song but hardly sensational. The album ends with a slow pop-rock piece called “Daydream”. It’s a modern sounding piece on the ballad side clearly made with radio in mind. It’s more Pop than Rock, very slick and mainstream and feels more aimed at younger pop-fans than rockers. There’s a distinct hook in there but it doesn’t pick me up at all and is underwhelming and somewhat meh.
I’m disappointed. Very disappointed. On the other hand, I’m not sure what I had expected with this record as I’m not familiar with neither Stjerne or his band H.E.R.O. But c’mon, it’s Ken bloody Hammer were talking about. The riffmeister of Pretty Maids. Of course, he’s already in Pretty Maids so there’s no reason for Taboo to sound like Pretty Maids. But this? Autotune, sampled drums and bass and a lifeless, modern production? Post-grungy? I don’t hate this because it’s very competent but it’s just not my kind of music – and maybe it’s aimed at a whole other audience. There are some really cool Hammer-riffing here but not even remotely enough and the songs just don’t leave a lasting impression on me at all. Where did his project with Åge-Sten Nilsen (Wig Wam) go? That, I’d look forward to.
4/10
Tracklist:
1. Flames
2. Bleeding
3. Learning To Breathe
4. Demons
5. Into The Sun
6. Powerless
7. It’s About Time
8. See You Again
9. Sensational
10. Daydream
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