Lordi – ‘Scare Force One’

It may be four-fifths of a decade since Lordi firmly put their particular brand of comic book metal well and truly on the international map with their sensational, tongue-in-cheek win at the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest – an achievement which equally abhorred and united metallians across the continent – but the fascination with the band nevertheless endures, with the memory of that night in Athens attracting an interesting spectrum of fans – including many who freely admit to not being heavy metal fans but are drawn to the band out of curiosity as much as anything.

While many “true” metal fans may regard them as a joke, there as just as many who are in on the same wavelength as the band, taking their outrageous costumes and theatricality, which combines the tongue-in-cheek lyrical approach of Alice Cooper with Rob Zombie’s sense of the absurd grotesque set to an updated 80s hair metal soundtrack at face value.

‘Scare Force One’ is Lordi’s darkest album in a decade, bearing more resemblance to the likes of ‘The Monsterican Dream’ than post-Eurovision outings such as ‘Babez For Breakfast’ and, particularly, last year’s ‘To Beast Or Not To Beast’:  yes, those albums had a foreboding monstrosity about them, but this release re-ignites the dark flame which first inspired Tomi Petteri Putaansuu to done his OTT alter ego and produce damn fine kickass commercial metal tunes.

Having said that, ‘Scare Force One’ doesn’t stray too far from the established Lordi formula:  ten songs (plus three instrumentals) which adopt the most simple of approaches – musically, lyrically, stylistically and structurally:  but, that’s the whole point, as they are merely the vehicle for Lordi’s message about the redemptive power of good old-fashioned no frills rawk ‘n’f’n’ roll music.

Yes, it’s cheesier than a 1lb block of cheddar… but, it’s all damn good fun, albeit with a morbid twist, and should be treated as such.

Tracklist:  SCG7: Arm Your Doors And Cross Check / Scare Force One / How To Slice A Whore/ Hell Sent In The Clowns / House Of Ghosts / Monster Is My Name / Cadaver Lover / Amen’s  Lament To Ra II / Nailed By The Hammer Of Frankenstein / The United Rocking Dead / She’s A Demon / Hella’s Kitchen / Sir, Mr Presideath, Sir!

Recommended listening:  Monster Is My Name

‘Scare Force One’ is released from today on AFM Records.

Check out the official Lordi website at http://www.lordi.fi/

Follow the band on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/LordiOfficial

Live photograph by Marc Leach © PlanetMosh.com