Lordi – "Limited Deadition"

Fans of hard rock and horror puns, unite!

Man, I wish Lordi coulda gotten some heavier traction since that Eurovision victory. Yeah, remember that? Motherfucker, that's nineteen years ago today. Unfortunately, the album to support that winning tune wasn't as inspired as their first two ones. And even though the band kept on releasing sturdy material since then, they slipped through my attention sphere as the drudging mundanity of life expropriated. That predictable life to which Lordi's music was – and is – supposed to be the perfect antithesis.

It's a shame in more than one way. Because as I realized with their latest album, 2023's surprisingly fine "Screem Writer's Guild", those same elements that I always loved about the band remain more than intact. And that's in spite of the fact that Lordi, releasing no fewer than two albums during 2021 and FIVE albums during 2022, have put out so much material by now you'd think their muse would be utterly spent. Shit, Bobby Liebling stated that he depleted himself as a songwriter after writing 450 songs in 30 years – Mr. Lordi, however, only seems to be getting better at his craft although going by a much higher per annum rate.

Indeed, in spite of what its highly self-aware title might have you fear, opener "Legends Are Made of Clichés" features some perfect bass harmonizations during the chorus and some impressive modulations in virtually every single part. One might say it's very written, but it fucking works. First and foremost, though, the driving force – the genre itself – is what makes those songwriting tropes come together. Not surprisingly, we're in that wonderful, colorful corner of upbeat, driving hard rock territory that's just as heavy on the keyboards as on the guitars.

Also not surprisingly, just as heavy on the song title puns. The synth in follow-up "Syntax Terror" (tsk, tsk) is a cheesy as it's spacy; however, the pre-chorus is pure, raw heavy metal, providing a subtle, but effective contrast against the melodic, pure Minor-key chorus. One might say that the gargling falsetto scream of "SYNTAX TERROOOOOOOOOORRRRRRR!" is loveably ugly; one might also say it's a bit annoying. Perhaps kinda like the band itself.

Well, then; if we're gonna talk about annoying elements here, those incessant little faux-radio jingles advertising faux-Lordi-related events are exactly that: Annoying. You'd still expect it from the band; that doesn't make them any less annoying. So much so that it deducts from my rating of a record that's otherwise near-immaculate in that only a couple of tunes misfire: "Skelephant In the Room" (tsk, tsk, tsk) is a bit too guitar-impoverished, its melody a bit too strained and uninspiring; its laid-back tempo eventually just drudging. Also, what the fuck kinda animal is a skelephant?? I'm starting to reminisce about the La Brea Tar Pits Museum, and those associations are a bit too random in this regard.

So help me Dio, Lordi is hella fucking overlooked as a band of actual musicians rather than monsters.

Apart from that, the otherwise cutesy ballad "Collectible" is a bit too dumb for comfort, starting off with a rapid lyrical tension-build-up to an instant anticlimax: "There's a voodoo store in Holland / They spell "magik" with a 'k'", is an awesome set-up; "It's a stupid place to steal from / But you did it anyway" is a silly development. And just like the title song, the album cover, and one of aforementioned faux-jingles, its lyrics seem to be hinting at a new series of Lordi action figures seeing the light of day. Yes, I know he's inspired by KISS; the fourth wall still didn't need to get that demolished.

Anyway, criticism aside, this remains solid fucking material. After this, the upbeat horror mag tribute "Fangoria", starting off sounding like this one White Zombie classic, name of "Black Sunshine", features an immaculate call-and-response between verse lines and a rad double-keyboard theme. The chorus may be the most catchy this time around, and that's saying a lot. "Killharmonic Orchestra" (tsk, tsk, tsk) is another example of a chorus that just plain lands and settles immovably after two listens. Also, this is where I become aware of an element as surprising as it's delightful: Lead guitarist Kone shines throughout the entire record with nothing short of classy solos featuring blue notes galore, counter-rhythmic bends, and shredding played impossibly legato. In fact, not unlike with kindred spirits Steel Panther, one could argue the lead guitar here is a tad too tasty and refined for a tongue-in-cheek endeavor like this.

But no. So help me Dio, Lordi is hella fucking overlooked as a band of actual musicians rather than monsters. While side 2 isn't as catchy, it features pure, Lydian pop rock in "Frighteousness" (tsk, tsk), reaching Beatleseque heights. And the tonal touches during the title track verse make me think of Queen. Yes: I just mentioned Queen and The Beatles in relation to fucking Lordi, and I damn well mean it. These tunes might as well have belonged to the musical backdrop of my childhood. And even though "Retropolis" (tsk) isn't necessarily a masterpiece through-and-through, its main riff is pure fucking salvation, making for the ultimate cue of the album.

The singular miss-outs and the annoying interludes aside, "Limited Deadition" (tsk, tsk, tsk) is a safe investment for any fan of the band and/or the genre. On a whole other level, though, it is a testimony to a strange phenomenon:

Actual, undeniable musicality disguised as virtually the opposite. And as such, a unique combination of being downplayed and over-the-top.

Rating: 4.5 out of 6

Genre: Hard rock / heavy metal
Release date: 21/3/2025
Label: Reigning Phoenix
Producer: Mr. Lordi