Mädhouse – Plead the Fifth
Release Date: 11th July 2025
Label: ROAR
Order/Stream
Genre: Glam Metal, Hair Metal.
FFO: Ratt, Guns N’ Roses, Mötley Crüe, Cinderella.
Review By: Hillary Wisniewski
My 2025 bingo card didn’t have quite a few things on it which have been happening, and I certainly would not have expected glam metal from Austria to be in the mix. Am I upset? Hell no! I needed a good reprieve from the daily grind, and Mädhouse brings exactly that to the table. Formed in 2017, this crew from Vienna have been busy perfecting their craft with 3 albums prior to the release of their latest, Plead the Fifth. Their sound is an homage to the Sunset Strip during its height in the 80s. Maybe some of you old heads were living it up during those years, and if that is the case, I hope your liver is doing alright. I myself was still a bit young for those shenanigans, but I sure do have fond memories of what we called ‘hair metal’ playing pretty much everywhere you went. What an auditory trip down memory lane!
Right from the start, Plead the Fifth brings intense energy; all of the songs are loaded up and ready to rock. You want fast, aggressive, dirty riffs? Done. Flashy solos done in the shadow of guitar greats such as Eddie Van Halen? No problem. Vocals that give you attitude, but also deliver catchy harmony during choruses? You got it. This album really grabs all the best traits of glam metal and ups the ante. Plead the Fifth is ready to party; it’s a vibe that makes you ready to put on your finest snake skin boots, leather, animal prints, and get that hair as tall as you can. It’s a sleazy and trashy romp about the town that you will vaguely remember the next morning, but no matter because you are going to do it all over again. There is heavy influence from some of the greats in this genre, with Ratt being one that really came to mind for me. Although not glam metal, a couple of tracks have a pretty hefty Guns ‘n Roses influence that might make Axl Rose throw a fit (admittedly, it doesn’t seem to take much to make that happen). One track, Loveplace, started out in such a way that I figured it was going to be the quintessential ballad, but no dice. In fact, it ends up sounding a bit like a Cinderella track, which was a welcome addition. The only true ballad to be had is actually a fantastic cover of Giant’s powerhouse I’ll See You In My Dreams.
This album is well-crafted and the musicianship is solid. If you aren’t a fan of glam metal, then clearly it won’t be for you. But if you are, or you just want a trip down memory lane, you won’t be disappointed. It’s fun, fast, and flashy. I also suspect Mädhouse would put on quite an entertaining live performance. Overall, Plead the Fifth is the good time I didn’t realize I needed. Here’s to albums that just make us smile and feel like we can let our hair down (or tease it up).
(4 / 5)
