New Music Corner #124 (Pretty Maids, Black Sabbath)

[Scott]

by "Your Metal Master" Scott ... 

Two Stellar releases and you get to write the review!  

Click to listen - http://snack.to/atc3em3n

 

1. End of the Beginning
2. Loner
3. Live Forever
4. Methademic (Deluxe Edition Disc 2)
5. Pariah (Deluxe Edition Disc 2)

 

6. Mother of all Lies
7. Sad To See You Suffer
8. Hooligan
9. Motherland
10. I See Ghosts

[Niels (Mod)]

BLACK SABBATH - 4.5 out of 6

This album is just as good as it can be. I did not expect this to be yet another Sabbath-classic, but this will do just fine. Tony Iommi is on fire on the album. I mean, he's what, 65 and has cancer, but still he's the best Iommi-sounding guitarist out there. Ozzy sounds used, and he is. But after lestening more than a few times, I think he's doing a fine job. I don't have much to say about Butler, and that leaves whatshisname from RATM. Probably the best drumming I've heard on a new album this year so far. Too bad he's not in the live version of the band. As I've said before, it's most likely the best Sabbath-album since "Born Again", maybe even "Mob Rules". Maybe they should had included a fast track, because a lot of the tracks sound pretty much the same, but not in a bad way.

PRETTY MAIDS - 3 out of 6

Ahh, that danish band! I never liked PM, and have only bought one album by them, back in '84. I can hear, that this is probably pretty good, for those, who listen to this kind of rock-music (I don't anymore, and that's probably not much of a surprise). The production sounds good, and the singer, I forgot his name, and it's not even his real name, so who cares, is pretty good. He must be pushing 50 or 55, so it's a good job done. If you like Europe, Dokken and Accept these days, you'll like this, I guess. The synths are sounding too 80'ish for my taste, well come to think of it, so does the whole album. Nobody knows of this album here in their homeland, and that's not fair to them, because the audience, that love this kind of music, should know about it. Hmm, they probably do :-)

[Scott]

Good stuff ... I'm am surprised that Pretty Maids are not available in there home country. I like them though, just stumbled onto them with there previous album which I still spin considerably.

I know RJ and I both really loved Butlers bass work on the early Sabbath, I think he's fantastic again on 13. And your right, the detail that can be heard in the drumming is really cool! I'm digging both of these albums a lot more than I expected to...

[RJhog (Admin)]

Black Sabbath - Thumbs Up

This is certainly a better than average album.  I thought Ozzy still sounded great, and I agree totally with Niels that Iommi is just dominant on this album.  I also thing Wilk did a very good job on the drums, but I've heard another drummer that will most likely be the drummer of the year for me.  Geezer is fantastic, and he may be the bassist of the year.  I really can't imagine why any Black Sabbath fan would not buy this.

Pretty Maids - Thumbs Somewhat Up

I really like the first two songs.  They are very melodic and sound better than anything on the album from earlier in the year by the much acclaimed W.E.T.  The third tune drops a bit for me, a little to 80's sounding.  The fourth track is average and the fifth track picks back up where the first two left off.  Overall, not bad, but I'll probably hold off for now.  I have a definite leading candidate for Melodic Album Of The Year at this point.

Nice post Scott, nice to hear the Pretty Maids tracks.

[Scott]

I've really liked the Pretty Maids release, its still very new to mew and I haven't got through it all yet, but its been a solid pick up.  I think they sound more loose than WET, more like they know what they want and gettgin ti is natural - and WET is still trying to find that.

I'm totally with you on the Geezer stuff though!

[Jon]

Pretty Maids--Thumbs 3/4 Up

I remember the "Red, Hot & Heavy" album from the early 80's. Never picked it up because the band's name had "Pretty" and "Maids" in it and that sounded like crappy rock. This album is always popping up whenever I'm looking on stuff on Amazon and I've kept an eye on it, but don't like the price. I'm cheap. 

This isn't bad at all, except for the second song. It's treading too much on Bon Jerki territory for my tastes. Nice geetar solo though. Hey, was that a nod to Abba on that last track with that keyboard bit right before the vocals kicked in? Interesting. 

Really not a bad listen at all, I am pleasantly surprised at this because it's quite good and that you actually have this.

Black Sabbath--No vote

Reserving judgement until I listen to the whole album which I managed to find for less than $10. I am proud of myself!

[Scott]

I liked them too, I'd love to hear some of their older stuff. Do you have any?

[Jon]

Alas, no.

[Jon]

Black Sabbath--Thumbs Up

Better than I expected. Niels did make a good point about the songs sounding the same, but that's not necessarily a bad thing when it comes to Sabbath, I guess. What suprised me most were the bonus tracks, would think they weould be throwaways, but they're not. If this is the last BS album, a very nice way to go out.

[Scott]

I also felt the bonus tracks were real good, they give the album a boost in feel and tempo.  I don't think I would have thought quite so highly of this package without them, thus I included 2 in my playlist...

[Jon]

...which I didn't listen to.

I actually listened to the whole album this morning.