With their own credit card from Sampo Bank, their own restaurant, and their own soft drink (Lordi Cola, baby!), you can bet that the rock monsters of Finland don’t mind the tacky side of life. Lordi, the Finnish metal quintet with a menacing plan for world domination, comes off like an upgraded, updated KISS with no pause for selling out, going big, and rocking out with giant 80s-style shout-and-stomp anthems.
Led by Mr. Lordi, this Finnish monster rock outfit has been celebrated for their elaborate costumes and theatrical stage shows. In fact, they dropped out of some club shows booked during their time on the Ozzfest tour because they couldn’t launch enough pyro. Now that’s dedication to art!
After winning Eurovision 2006 and winning over the masses with their larger-than-life personalities and stage theatrics, Lordi was more than set to drop Deadache on the world. Of course, a new Lordi album means a new look for The Monsters of Finland.
Mr. Lordi, described in the Lordi universe as “The Most Fearsome Khan of All,” still leads the way with his growling, dominant vocals. Amen rocks guitars as a mummy avenger or the “god of gods.” Kita pounds the drums and is a man-beast from an alien race. OX is the band’s bassist and bulltaur, of course. And last but not least, Awa handles keyboarding as a vampire countess.
Deadache finds the band doing their best to mesh the gruesome personas with the hard rock theatrics and fist-pumping tunes they so clearly adore.
The album opens with a ghostly quasi-lullaby and breaks into an industrial pulse that stops suddenly and blasts right into the first song, “Girls Go Chopping.” And yes, it is as fun as it sounds. Led by a guitar riff that is as fatal as a zombie cheerleader with a chainsaw, Mr. Lordi takes his vocals to the limit and Awa lays an underpinning to the track that sounds like something out of a Vincent Price movie. The chorus is big, extravagant anthem shit. Nice.
Article comments
1 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
Yea...I dismissed them as a horribly untalented & watered down version of GWAR after seeing the Eurovision finals in 2006(Actually, I think they give The Darkness a run for their money *smirk*). Nice Review but,yup, I still feel the same way...
2 - Christopher Rose
Are you guys kidding? Lordi were the best thing on Eurovision for decades and clearly had their tongues firmly thrust into their cheeks.
Kiss and GWAR, the latter of which I worked with back in the day, took themselves far more seriously.
Oh, and Brian, I still need you to delete or complete that partial URL you have in the box directly above where you type in your comments. Do it. Do it now! Or Lordi will get you!!
3 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
I can agree about KISS but GWAR in concert were not only damn good at playing but their stage show was f*cking insane. I guess you gotta have some sort of seriousness to pull off that kind of act. But, that's the difference between GWAR & Lordi... They both wear funny costumes but GWAR can back it up with some killer tunes & a sick show. Lordi is just a hacked up comedy routine. I can't say much for KISS,ya know, the whole Gene Simmons-King Diamond thing... I f*cking hate Gene Simmons!
4 - Christopher Rose
Maybe so, but right now, I can't remember any GWAR or Kiss songs but I doubt I'll ever forget the Arockalypse. Plus Lordi have better outfits!
5 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
Even though I can only stand a few of their "Greatest" hits, I cannot believe that you would remember a Lordi song over a KISS song. Personally, I will always remember Green Jello over Lordi.
Sorry, GWAR has the best costumes ever!! Especially the chicks that roam around on stage...
6 - Christopher Rose
Maybe it is something to do with being European, Brian. I've no definite info but would be surprised to learn that Kiss have had enough UK hits to fill a greatest hits compilation.
Not totally sure that GWAR took it seriously though. On this Jerry Springer show GWAR interview, they say they are about entertainment. Totally agree on the GWAR girls though!
7 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
I had no idea you are located in the UK...Cheers! I'm here in the good'ol USA.[musically, you know what that means]
...but would be surprised to learn that Kiss have had enough UK hits to fill a greatest hits compilation.
Well, considering you have such a true hard rock & metal following over there I would be surprised too. IMO, KISS only had enough great songs to make up one album not 18+. It was proven with Double Platinum but that's off the point.
Ofcourse, GWAR was about the entertainment but they really had the talent & sick minds to not only write such cool shite but to pull it off in a live setting while wearing those costumes.
8 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
LMAO!! That link to Jerry brings back some memories. BUT, they had to do shite like that for the people who just don't get it! Probably like what Alice Cooper had to endure(on a smaller scale)
When I say seriously, I don't mean as serious as rape. They take their music serious in a professional sense. You still have to have talent, creativity & (when in a band) musicianship in order to be successful at entertaining.
Ironically, Jerry went from a show with concerning topics to a fight night/whore fest(not that there is anything wrong with that)
They should have brought back GWAR to play on a few specials.
9 - Curtis
I completely disagree that Lordi's stage show is a comedy act. Gwar are like a second rate carrot top with all those props and gags they use.