These monsters from Finland needs no introduction so I’ll skip that. But what can be said of them is that they’re one creative bunch. Since the debut back in 2002 the band has released new records every other year which is pretty unusual in this day and age. They also tour every album, sometimes less, sometimes more. What is also kinda mind-blowing is that the quality of their records usually are really high. Sure, there are albums that are on the uneven side but they’re not that many. When the band released a box called Lordiversity in 2021 that contained no less than seven album with new songs in different styles in Hard Rock where the material mostly was surprisingly strong I thought it’ll take a few years for a new album to come out because they now had shitloads of material to promote. Well I was wrong because here comes another one. With the pace that they write songs and record albums I wonder when the first downfall will come. Because it has to come one of these days, right?
Usually Lordi opens they’re album with an SCG intro piece of some sorts but this time they decided not to as the latest single “Dead Again Jayne” is the album’s opener. Horror-like and ghostly the song opens with an ominous intro which takes the song into a rocking state, heavy and punchy in a faster pace with hard-hitting rhythms and rough guitars which contrasts nicely with strong, Melodic Rock flirting melodies and a catchy and distinct chorus. Splendid. Why they decided to put the album intro “SCG XVIII: Nosferuiz Horror Show” in second is strange and feels weird and wrong, actually. Well, it’s one of Lordi’s humorous spoken-word intro’s with slasher references. You know them by now.
Going for a big pop-vibe “Unliving Picture Show” is an upbeat, driving Arena Rock stomper, party-rock style. So it holds some spooky sounding keyboard work but also more 80’s flirting synthesizers and even though there’s a crunchy guitar in there the tune brings on some live-friendly and hooky melodies all over with a mastodon chorus that sticks faster than super-glue. A damn fine tune that holds some major hit-potential. In a Metal mood the faster paced “Inhumanoid” is concise, punchy and hard-hitting. It’s riffy, ballsy and invites to some headbanging but on top comes memorable melodies and chorus that hits home with a Melodic Rock hook. Good one.
Second single “Thing In The Cage” is one catchy maddafakka. This upbeat and uptempo rocker throws in Pop and disco-fueled rhythms 70’s style and blends it with classic Hard Rock and melodies that are not so little AOR after the spooky chants in the intro. It’s a groover that holds an infectious main melody over some glueing riffings and a hooky chorus that’s vastly contagious and catchy as hell. Great stuff. Also big on keyboards, the dark and haunting “Vampyro Fang Club” rocks with big guitars, a powerful rhythm and uplifting melodies that brings on more of those pop-hooks that brings on a big 80’s strike. It’s massively catchy with more hit-potential in its luggage. Awesome.
With “The Bride” it’s time to slow things down and it’s ballad time. It’s not a power ballad as such even though there are some tendencies leaning that way, no this is a quite smooth 70’s laden Classic Rock ballad that even flirts with Rolling Stones at times and holds both clean vocals and a Country twang with a bluesier outlook. It’s down-beat and calming with a gorgeous melody arrangement and a catchy yet dark chorus. Brilliant. Opening up with a theatrical and demonic sounding intro, lead-off single “Lucyfer Prime Evil” soon goes off as a solid hard-rocker with chuggy guitar riffage over a bouncy beat and a driving rhythm. It’s metal-fueled, heavy and edgy yet with some embracing keyboards, hooky melodies and an in-your-face refrain that really hits. Very good.
The upbeat, uptempo and direct “Scarecrow” blends classic 80’s Hard Rock with a distinct poppiness where the band’s AOR influences really shines through. It’s a crowd-pleasing number on a steady beat with a smooth, 80’s Arena Rock outlook all over complete with “oooh”‘s and a massive chorus that’s impossible to shake once heard. A great tune that should be a single because it sounds like a hit to my ears. “Lycantropical Island” looks back to 70’s pop-rock and brings along an infectious groove where the melody-arrangements do look back to the mid 80’s but also parts that’s borrowed from ABBA. That said, it’s not sugary by any means, it do rocks and the melody-hooks are plenty with another phenomenal refrain. Very good.
The mid-paced rocker “The Castle Of Dracoolove” might contain some big 80’s style keyboards but it also holds a groovy stomp that has at least one foot in 70’s Classic Rock and a shameless wink to Southern Rock. It’s brings an organic and rootsy vibe and is live-friendly as can be. The contrast with the big AOR-laden refrain is splendid. I dig this. “The SCG Awards” in a humorous interlude and the title speaks for itself which leads us to “Heavengeance”, a mighty groover with a fat and bouncy bass-line and a juicy drum-beat. The guitars and keyboards meets half-way with some chunky riffing – and it even contains a keyboard solo. It’s a ballsy yet melodic hard-rocker with a punchy refrain that catches on by first glance. Good one.
With a title like “End Credits” it’s easy to assume that we’re given a spoken-word outro as a closer but it’s nothing as such. No, Lordi closes the album with a big ballad. Big as in bombastic inside a grandiose soundscape but the song is pretty stripped down, fragile and laid-back based around piano and vocals but with acoustic guitars, a church organ and a musical-theatre arrangement where the vocal-lines throws a nod to 70’s Alice Cooper. It’s a soulful, solemn piece of music, heartfelt even and when the whole band joins in towards the end the song goes into power ballad mood. I’ve never heard anything like this from Lordi before and it’s a welcome move – unexpected and unpredictable. This is simply superb.
I know that lots of rockers have a hard time taking Lordi seriously and it’s not very credible and true to be fan of them. Like I give a shit! Many are the times I have gotten a smirk or a condescending laugh when I have mentioned them and that I like them and I guess the monster costumes and the play-on-words horror lyrics/song titles brings that along but the fact is, remove those attributes and you’re getting a damn good Hard Rock band that flirts with both Metal and AOR.
Sure, the quality has been a bit up and down on some of their releases but fact is the band has upped their game when it comes to song-quality on later releases and their brand new album is actually one of their best albums – their best since Deadache (2008). So, with Lordi you more or less know what you’re getting, they have their musical style and that hasn’t changed but on this album there are no weak spots, no real fillers – no song is worse than good. So, listen to the music and forget about the image and you’ll have a damn enjoyable hour in front of you – and hour that at least brought the urge for repeated listening for me.
8/10
More Lordi reviews:
Babez For Breakfast
To Beast Or Not To Beast
Scare Force One
Monstereophonic
Sexorcism
Killection
Lordiversity: The Box Set
Tracklist:
1. Dead Again Jayne
2. SCG XVIII: Nosferuiz Horror Show
3. Unliving Picture Show
4. Inhumanoid
5. Thing In The Cage
6. Vampyro Fang Club
7. The Bride
8. Lucyfer Prime Evil
9. Scarecrow
10. Lycantropical Island
11. In The Castle Of Dracoolove
12. The SCG Awards
13. Heavengeance
14. End Credits
CD & Festival reviews 