01/05/2022

 

Lordiversity

AFM / BERTUS / SUBURBAN

 

I have really taken my time for doing this review because reviewing 7 albums of a same artist isn't what I'm used to.

 

You read it good, 7 albums of the same artist released at the same time physically (as a box containing all albums) and individually at a different time digitally.

 

When I read that Lordi would release 7 albums, I didn't believe it and must get confirmation that it was true. The previous album of Lordi named "Killection" was a fictional compilation album with songs that Lordi would have written from the 70's until 2019. The album came out out on January 31st 2020. The band was touring for it when a certain virus, we all know way too much, came in our lives and made them cancel the last half of their tour. Since then they got too much free time and just decided to fill it on a good way. Big up to their label for following them in that.

 

"Lordiversity" is the name of the box containing all the 7 albums and it got released on November 26th 2021. They're the successors of "Killection". Understand there that when Killection varies the styles and each song had a different fictional era, "Lordiversity" keep the same styles, the same timeline but done one album by era. You can also find some songs of "Killection” back in "Lordiversity" but they are well remixed. I didn't listen to "Killection" for more than a year, what gave me the occasion to discover "Lordiversity" like it was brand new. As much my opinion about some songs didn't change, as much for one it changed but literally on my big surprise. I may love or dislike but for all I can say that they did an amazing work

 

Now let's see every album in order of digital release.

 

19/01/2020

 

Killection

AFM / BERTUS / SUBURBAN

 

Imagine a best of but not one of the songs you already know. "Imagine" it could had be a name that fits that album but they preferred to name it "Killection" and it comes out on January 31st 2020.

 

 

What if some of their favorite bands had made those songs, how would it have been..they have imagined it. Killection is a fictional compilation album. It contains songs that Lordi would have written from the 70's until 2019 and you clearly hear the inspiration of all their favorite bands.

 

The band has recorded the songs from different eras in different studios with a variety of instruments and using different recording processes as if they were actually aiming a record back in the days. Seven different studios throughout Finland were used.

 

I didn’t expect anything of the album. I said to me that I probably would like some songs and dislike some others.

 

This time we didn't get one SCG, not even 2 but 4 who made us follow a radio show. When hearing it, my first my reaction was "wtf", what does it have to do with Lordi ? But it has to do with them, you just have to listen good to it. When you catch it, it is well still unexpected. Glad to see Anna isn't gone anymore, or is she? Imagination can also be used here.

 

We begin greatly with «Horror For Hire» what's one of mine, if not my favorite song of the album. It's powerful, it's fast and I damn so good imagine it as intro for a show. I imagine me easily have fun on that one. Also a mention to « I Dug A Hole In The Yard For You » who's catchy but not too much. It is what I would name a "typical" Lordi song or at least more close of what they did in the last albums. Another one of my favorite songs is «Up To No Good», the intro and the song remembers me Mötley Crüe. So don't search further why I like it.

 

In the songs I like less, you have «Evil ». I love the music of that song but the vocals don't make it. I know Mr Lordi’s vocal capacity and in my opinion he shows them too less here. «Blow My Fuse», one of the songs I wouldn't have expected for the band, but pretty interesting. Still not a song I will remember the most of them, probably because it is too far of what they usually do. My least favorite song is «Shake The Baby Silent». Don't get me wrong, the music is top, the vocals of Mr Lordi are really nice but the lyrics. With only hearing it once, I already had the chorus in my head. Now I can't read the title without hearing "shake the baby, shake the baby, shake the baby silent" in my head. Catchy but too much.

 

I couldn't do without mentioning those 2 songs. « Like A Bee To The Honey » was probably the song I was the most curious of and for obvious reasons. Lordi playing a not Lordi song, what would it give. It gives something refreshing and they could appropriate them the song. For the anecdote, some years ago I was observing a scene where Amen was surrounded by fans, I told about it that it seemed "like bees to the honey". I will try to not imagine Amen as honey when hearing that song live. « Zombimbo », when the song started I got shocked, disco….It is disco. Really not what I would had expect to once hear coming from Lordi but fast it made me think of KISS. Knowing they are probably the biggest influence of the band, I shouldn't have to be surprised. In the end that song is for me like "I Was Made for Loving You" from KISS is. A song that I enjoy hearing, that makes me sing along but who still don't enter my favorites for some mysterious reasons.

 

As you can see my opinion is mixed, from very good to less good but it is no surprise knowing that this album contains a big variety of songs. Some will prefer the 70’s and some the most modern songs. Reason is also that as a die hard fan, it is hard to not have some expectations, hard to take distance of what sounds familiar. It totally brings us out of our comfort zone. You like it or you don't but it definitly shows us another side of the band. With OX’s departure and the entrance of Hiisi in the band, a new era begins and I have the feeling that the band will keep surprising us but one thing is sure...Monsters of rock, they are for real.

 

 

 

Tracklist :

 

Radio SCG10

Horror For Hire

Shake The Baby Silent

Like A Bee To The Honey

Appollyon

The Last Hour SCG10

Blow My Fuse

I Dug A Hole In The Yard For You

Zombimbo

Up To No Good

Demonic Semitones SCG10

Cutterfly

Evil

Scream Demon

I am Here SCG10

 

The vinyl contains the bonus song «Carnivore».

 

 

19/08/2016

 

Monstereophonic (Theaterror vs. Demonarchy)

AFM / BERTUS / SUBURBAN

 

Monstereophonic (Theaterror VS Demonarchy) is the 8th album of Lordi and will get released via AFM Records on the 16th of September. FI Musica got the occasion to hear it and make you discover it.

 

The album begins with a message on an answering machine. It makes me somewhere think on the movie “Scream” and makes me like for not having blue eyes. Seeing the atmosphere of the intro, I expected all except it to be followed by…..keyboards.

 

The “too long title” song (“Let’s Go Slaughter He-Man (I Wanna Be the Beast-Man in the Masters of the Universe)”) ,that most simply call “He-Man”, indeed begins with a lovely keyboard sound. That song has a good energy what makes it a good choice for beginning a show, specially with its catchy chorus, where people will like singing along.

 

After this, we arrive on “Hug Your Hardcore”, the first single of the album. My first reaction was clearly a WTF face. It’s maybe a typical Lordi song but trust me when I say that it will surprise a lot of people with its riffs that you definitely can’t forget and that no matter if you hate it or love it. It will certainly be great live but it’s the kind of song where you will maybe also fast wish you never heard that damn riff, that stays in your mind.

 

The next song “Down with the Devil” is totally different and it first made me confused when I begin to think on mermaids. But the melody of that song and the female backing vocals gives very well and brings a fresh changing but don’t worry, the song isn’t about mermaids at all.

 

Every Lordi album has at least one song that you can call a ballad and here this song is “Mary Is Dead”. Slow vocals and a duo piano-guitar, who good complete each other.

 

It’s followed by a song who would give well live. “Sick Flick” has a tune that you will remember and lyrics who will make you sing along. A mention for the bass who good brings depth on the song for the solo, who’s really great (take note I didn’t say guitar solo ;) ) and for the variation in the song as much in musical than in vocal.

 

First part of the album closes with “None For One” what’s a good song with a pretty nice chorus but on every album, there are songs we will more remember. This one isn’t one of them.

 

Knowing the second part of the album would begin, I somewhere began to be kind of nervous as I know it would be different than what I am used with them. I expected to be surprised but certainly not as much than that.

 

It all begins with an opening scene who make me think on fairies. I was imagining me entering in a world who seems a fairytale but how more you walk in it, how more you discover it isn’t as beautiful than expected. Really beautiful, I was relaxed, somewhere reassured by that intro that still seemed familiar but it made I wasn’t ready for….

 

Fucking fast playing guitar…whattt ? Are you sure I good listen to Lordi ? Wowww it’s great, hell yeah it is good metal. The tempo of song stays almost the same all song long but the song itself seems to go from fast to more calm again to faster again for waiting that I calm myself, for in the end continuing. Impressive but I also fast understood that it is close to impossible to play it live. Not only because it asks 2 guitars but also because I don’t want to imagine how hard it can be to play such a guitar part and that in a very hot sauna and after keep playing other songs or after having to play a show with a lot of songs. For the sanity of their guitarist, I think it’s better to maybe play a part in a medley but certainly not the full song

 

Next song indeed seems to be a following on Demonarchy but "The Unholy Gathering" is more slow in general. It's more a song that you will hear in your mind, even a while after hearing it. The vocals reminded me on Bend Over And Pray The Lord at a moment, what's the very very first Lordi album.

 

I think on the same album when listening to “Heaven Sent Hell on Earth" and that in the way Mr Lordi sings. From that song I like the little bass solo but it took me a certain time before really entering in it.

 

After comes the energic “And the Zombie Says". From this song you will good remember the keyboards but I found that how the other instruments complete each other is just top. The musical structure is also a very unusual one for Lordi. That song is my top 3 equality with...

 

"Break of Dawn". That song gives a good place on the rhythm section with a preference for the drums. When you think that you guessed how the music will follow, you get a changing which made that even after listening a lot of times to it, you will still be surprised .

 

And here comes the last song already, "The Night the Monsters Died" with its intergalactic Sci-Fi intro (like I call it) followed by a more classic piano sound. All song long you will go from one music style to another before going back to the first style and that all in a complex musical structure. It's a great closing song what somewhere makes me think on an end but what will lead to a new departure

 

From all the Lordi albums, this one is my favorite. The general atmosphere makes that you can good imagine and there isn't any song that I dislike. I wouldn't say that it is a “half conceptual album” but more an album “2 in 1”. Two versions of a same band in one album and I like as much the Theaterror side, which is a typical Lordi one than the Demonarchy one. Definitly not what they habit us with a preference for the first and last songs. I don't remember never hearing the keyboards on a Lordi album as good that I could hear it here and it's really something I like.

 

If I must choose a bad point, I would say that it is the fact band made us used to play each song of their albums live and here it would be the case only for the first side, as the second would need to have 2 guitarists. Mr Lordi can play guitar but I really don't see him do it at the same time that he sings and that with such fingers and specially that kind of technical guitar sound. An option can be to do a medley with only play the part of songs that can be played with just Amen. Otherwise, make from him a spider mummy and so give him 4 arms. That could also be a solution.

 

Don't forget the date...16/09 for go discovering it yourself and I hope you will love it as much as I do

 

07/02/2015

LORDI - Scare Force One

AFM / BERTUS / ROCK INC.

New costumes but same line-up with the addition of Mana (drums) and Hella (Keyboard) getting much more involved in the album's creation. SCARE FORCE ONE, the 7th album of Lordi gets released on 31th october. What better day than Halloween when we are monsters ?  This is my opinion of the songs which make up the album...

 

"SCG7: Arm Your Doors and Cross Check" : A very unexpected intro. Once you hear the album you will understand, but the very first time you really think « what the hell ??? » first very slow so you think « Am I in a church ? » at the end you hear the drums of Mana and I then totally imagine that moment at a gig with all the fans shrieking nervously knowing the show will soon begin...drums continue and...

 

"Scare Force One" : Scare Force One begins, the transition is perfect. The band has a habit of using a much more punchy and fast song as their opening track but this is definitly one of the songs they must put on the setlist. I imagine the crowd shout SCARE FORCE ONE with the same enthusiasm they would shout nonstop nite ! (Babez For Breakfast). Take note that the song isn't that slow, just slower than the usual opening song. I also advise you to go take a look at the clip from that song.

 

"How to Slice a Whore" : It's one of the songs where I found the music not exceptional. I wouldn't say it's bad, just that it doesn’t have that wow factor (well mention on the guitar solo). At the opposite the lyrics are priceless! Love them, so Lordi. Like they say at the WWE “don’t try this at home” ;)

 

"Hell Sent in the Clowns" : You are directly in the ambiance of a circus. There you get the opposite of the previous song, I found the music pretty nice. Effects are there but not too much, just a touch which makes all the difference, but even here I found the song very well sung, but there was something  in the lyrics which makes me not sing along. Still, that impression did vanish after a time and the song grew on me, like it just needed more time than the rest to be really appreciated on a level it deserves. 

 

"House of Ghosts" : The intro of song is perfect, just perfect and the mix of keyboard-drums is a pleasure for me to hear all song long. The only thing is that there is just some moments of the song where I have the impression that Mr Lordi could sing it better, he has the capacity to give you the impression of being in that house where you would hear those Ghosts whisper but here he sadly didn't do it enough. That song is in my top 3 and would be one of those I would love to try covering.

 

"Monster Is My Name" : « We return to the electronic dinosaur of get heavy ! » that was my first thought but like for Get Heavy I ask myself what does have an electronic dinosaur have to do with the song. « You know what, I think you love me » don't think, be sure 'cos we love you monsters. Mention on drums in that song. 

 

"Cadaver Lover" : Here comes one of my two least favorite songs. I can't really explain why but maybe because at the beginning of the song I think « yeahhh, music is great » but just the first minutes of song, all the rest of it is, in my eyes, not exceptional. The lyrics never seem to really catch me

 

"Amen's Lament to Ra II" : We had discover “Amen’s Lament to Ra I” in the album Babez for Breakfast. I didn’t like that solo and even felt it was something that could be played by a beginner. Let me say that I was pretty sceptical for the II but was already a bit reassured when see that the actual one is longer than 30sec. When I heard it I was fully reassured. I like it and I could imagine a lake and a fire, sitting there enjoying the warmth and around us just Amen playing his solo. Some of you maybe know Seurasaari Island, when I hear that song I remember the feeling I had when being there, feeling close to nature and in peace with myself

 

"Nailed by the Hammer of Frankenstein" : When I discovered the single I at first liked it but I still had in my head that there would certainly be another song of the album that I would prefer. When discovering the album and hearing the song I realise that it was the first of album where, at the first listening, I like music AND vocal AND the speed. I am then glad to be sure it will be played during the tour and think it will become my favorite song until...

 

"The United Rocking Dead" : This is my favorite song of the album. More than once I have tried to compose music without arriving exactly on the sound I really would like and when I hear that song it's exactly what I would get. The kind of sound that I hope someday I can do with my band and that includes the effect on the voice. Some may find it too slow, too simple but me it's exactly what I like, it's a kind of’ back to basic’, simple but effective. The guitars in this song are just a pleasure for my ears.

 

"She's a Demon" : Right after the one I prefer comes...the one I prefer less. The keyboard piano is good, the drums are pretty nice too, same goes for other instruments but still, once Mr Lordi begins to sing I can't say it's bad or I really dislike it but I am feeling nothing from this and even instruments that I found good at first just don't make me react anymore. Maybe is it definitely too slow for me, ...or dare I say, boring

 

"Hella's Kitchen" : The schizo doll is back. When hearing this solo I imagine a movie with someone sad and alone looking from afar at the child who is playing....without her

 

"Sir, Mr. Presideath, Sir" : The vocals could be a bit faster but then we might have been lost in the understanding of the lyrics. The chorus is good and when Mr Lordi accelerated the speed I noticed it doesn't miss a lot for that song to enter into my top 3. The song is closed by ETA which is, in reality, a vocal and it's there that I fully understand the intro, like the circle is complete

 

The album is cool and good but at the opposite of most fans I personally still prefer Babez for Breakfast. I recognize that Scare Force One has the advantage of not being too far off To Beast Or Not To Beast, while at the same time being more like what Lordi had always been. At any moment I thought that I would regret that it’s not more heavy but I sometimes regret the impression that the songs are slow, that a faster tempo would have been better but at the same time I never would have thought that a song was too long when they were more long than what the band usually do.

 

Scare Force One is definitely worth a listen. If for you Lordi are still “the Eurovision monsters” then I reccommend it even more as the band definitely evolve. That evolution may even be the object of a future new review.

 

The monsters are back and they are waiting you at one of their show ! Check out their website of Facebook for see the tour dates (01/02 – 06/04/2015)