My LORDI, The Beast Returns
The beasts are back, and ready to serenade you into a nightmarish sleep to horrify your senses, and make you awake in that cold, wet sweat, with trembles of either ecstasy, excitement or just intense, orgasmic delight from their auditory assault.
Lordi were originally founded in 1992 by Mr. Lordi who isn’t just the lead singer, but also the songwriter, visual art designer and costume designer as well! Coming from deep Finnish roots, originating from the city of Rovaniemi, in Lapland. They gained international recognition in 2006, by winning the Eurovision Song Contest.
The Beast Returns With a New Hunger
Their newest album, Killection is an album that makes you ask, “What if LORDI had been around for the past few decades”? This new album is a compilation album done as if that statement were true. Coming on January 31st on AFM Records, Killection is that fictional compilation album from the masters of the macabre. So, buckle your seatbelts, and grab a hold of reality because this album is a real trip!
For some reason many of the LORDI albums have a skit theme throughout. Known as the SCG10 segments, they usually contain the horror themes between songs. I personally cannot name one other group that does this in this genre, but I do seem to find it entertaining, and on an album like this that is going throughout those fictional decades it works.
Kicking off the album is one of those segments. “SCG10 Radio” introduces you as if you’re just starting to tune in to a new radio show that is about to begin. Taking you back to those Headbanger’s Ball days! You are quickly taken into sound bites and clips as if you’re hearing those opening credits, then bang…you’re rocking along with the actual first opening full track on Killection.
“Horror for Hire” is a fast-paced, ass-kicking track. With blasting guitars and growling vocals, the song is truly a great kick-off, and still just enough melody that you can sing along and enjoy the track. I am not sure what decade they assume to start in, but my guess from listening through the album a few times, that we start recent, and head back in time.
The band is not known for their “politically correct” song titles, that’s for sure, but the next track is called “Shake the Baby Silent”. Another fresh sounding track, with a heavy Rob Zombie feel to it. Being a huge fan of Zombie, I personally love this track. It could have very easily fit onto American Music To Strip By.
The Sweat begins to trickle over the Spandex, and Shoulder Pads
The next song is called “Like A Bee to The Honey”. As mentioned, before I believe us to be time travelling back so I’m hazarding a guess that now we are in the mid-’80s period. With a vocal spoken beginning, this song sounds like a hard rock Rick Astley tune. LOL. No, I don’t think we will be Rick-Rolled by LORDI, but still this tune has an appeal that I cannot seem to shake.
“Apollyon” is next, and still holds that early ’80s pop-like sound, and remember you have to imagine this as if LORDI was around for all these decades! With a piano/synth playing along, you can almost imagine the music video with those blurry angles from the feet pointing upwards, mullets, and tons of lighting flares on the lens. As silly as it seems going from the visual and theatrical aspect of LORDI, you expect Slipknot or KISS-like tunes, but get this instead! Regardless, it’s still a cohesive, fun mashup so far!
So, I’m guessing the radio segments are inserted to separate the decades here, but we have reached the second instalment, or maybe we can call them “commercial breaks” with “SCG10 – The Last Hour”. Maybe it’s just me, but whenever I hear the DJ on this fictional station, I think he sounds like Bender from the Futurama television series!
The Next Decade Awaits!
Following that strange and disturbing radio segment is a heavy bass and loud guitar sounding “Blow My Fuse”. An argument could be made here whether this is still early eighties or late ’70s, but I’m going with the late ’70s now. This track has a heavy KISS vibe to my ears, mixed with a bit of a Zepplin-ish flavour and crossed with some Sabbath drizzled on top to get that heavier sound. A great song, however. It even has some of those Doors sounding keyboards buried in there a bit too!
“I Dug A Hole In The Yard For You” is another of those non-politically correct titles, but hey…who gives a crap? This is Rock and Roll, right? Still sticking with that heavier ’70s vibe, this one is a lot more straight-ahead rock sounding. No fancy instrumentation here.
I cannot however say the same thing here on the next track. “Zombimbo” had to be written to compete directly with the KISS disco track of “I Was Made For Loving You”. So grab your largest lapelled shirt, strap on the roller skates and let’s hit the floor rolling because I wouldn’t be shocked if “Disco Duck” was next! I actually laughed out loud for this one, but then still noticed myself bobbing back and forth in time with the music.
“Up to No Good” is next, and after the last disco beats, I wasn’t sure what to really expect here. Was it going to be a Donna Summers type, or were we heading in a different direction? I was quite happy when that left turn signal came on, and we headed into the Rock Realm once again. Nothing I can really compare this one to except maybe a slight similarity to early Judas Priest and a “Parental Guidance” sound, and I personally am good with that particular sound.
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Back again with another commercial Break. “SCG10 Demonic Semitones” has a comedic moment, and still has that horror theme built in. It does take me back to the days of call-in radio shows before screening off the air began. Fun Times!
“Cutterfly” leads us into the last decade of LORDI’s fictional gallop through the ages. I can’t really say however that we have stepped back into the ’60s. Maybe I seemingly skipped the ’90s here, but really, being a fan of the type of music I love, I try to forget as much of the ’90s as I can! So it is very possible we could still be in the ’70s here, but it doesn’t change the fact that “Cutterfly” is actually a rocking tune, with a great guitar tone, and some great melodic vocals to carry the song to “Hit Status” to this listeners ears!
The next track is a straight forward in your face heavy track. It could fit at the beginning of the album because this track is fresh as hell. “Evil” is a fantastic track and is exactly the sound one would expect from a theatrical looking band like LORDI. Two thumbs up on this tune from me!
“Scream Demon” is another great tune and could almost fall into that ’80s decade again. A fun beat, and great lyrics on this one. Could almost pass for an Alice Cooper style here, and honestly were could one go wrong with a sound like that!
Last but not least is the final track and yet another radio interlude. “SGC10 – I Am Here” is a fitting send-off to end the album. A fun but retro feeling of “The call is coming from in the house” vibe of many classic, yet cheesy horror flicks. All I can say folks, is just have fun with it.
Psycho Thoughts
Yes, LORDI looks one way and sometimes sounds another. A prime example of how you cannot judge a book by its cover. Yeah, I’ll admit there are some general cheesiness on this album, but honestly, it’s a rocking album with plenty of good hard rocking tracks that just make you smile and move, and anything that can make you smile these days is a good thing in my books. It’s all good clean fun, and isn’t that what rock and roll is about? It’s about having a good time and forgetting all the crap that the monkey of life flings at us day in and day out, so go out there and check out the newest from LORDI on the end of January, and start this new year with a huge grin, and just have some fun, while rocking your ass off!
Peace!
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Trevor “Psychoone” McDougall
Email Me at: Trevor “Psychoone” McD
Band
- Mr. Lordi – Vocals
- Mr. Amen – Guitars
- Mr. Hiisi – Bass
- Ms. Hella – Keyboards
- Mr. Mana – Drums
Tracks
- Radio SCG 10
- Horror For Hire
- Shake The Baby Silent
- Like A Bee To The Honey
- Apollyon
- SCG10 The Last Hour
- Blow My Fuse
- I Dug A Hole In The Yard For You
- Zombimbo
- Up To No Good
- SCG10 Demonic Semitones
- Cutterfly
- Evil
- Scream Demon
- SCG10 I Am Here
