Cover: 9 Little Mermaids out of 10.
It's a ethereal-looking blue chick with wings, rising in a lucid splendor above a futuristic city. And she's showing her tits! I like tits, even if they're blue. It's vibrant, colorful and alot more interesting than most album covers in early 90's hard rock.

Booklet: 4 Ugly Ducklings out of 10.
It's got lyrics and credits, but really really basic.

Songs: 7 Thumbelinas out of 10.
I must admit, most of these songs are pretty good, trying to achieve a more majestic level than was typical for hard rock bands of the time. The album was produced by Roger Glover of Deep Purple fame, so that might have something to do with Pretty Maids pulling off some intense arrangements and surprisingly interesting compositions. Tunes to check out include "Don't Settle For Less," "Over And Out," and a song that almost is a power ballad called "Savage Heart." Some of these songs were made to be hits on rock radio, and had this album come out a few years earlier, they may have very well been. But they weren't.

Comments: Pretty Maids comes from Denmark, home of Lego Land, Tuborg Beer, and all those sappy fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen. Formed in the early 80s, the band has centered around frontman Ronnie Atkins and lead guitarist Ken Hammer, along with a revolving cast of rhythm players. Don't let the name fool you - these guys are anything but pretty. Pretty Maids received considerable positive accolades for their 1986 release "Future World." Meant to be their follow-up, Lethal Heroes was plagued with delays and setbacks for 4 years. When it was finally released, it was poorly promoted and went largely unnoticed in the USA. Pretty Maids never released another album or toured in the States, but they've kept at it in Europe and Japan, putting out CDs every few years and touring in Scandinavia and mainland Europe.