Hello everyone! It has been a while since I have done a track-by-track album review, so I figured that while the new Lordi album was new and fresh from its release in January - I think it is time to give it a shot and tell you all of my thoughts on the album.
Lordi is one of those bands that I discovered with my close friend while back in high school, and really enjoy a lot. My close friend however, is a huge fan and every new album they announce - she gets rather excited to hear it. After hearing all three singles for this album before its release, I could tell that I was looking forward to this one being that this album is dedicated to all of Mr Lordi's favorites, along with Kiss (who are on their final tour as of the moment).
KILLECTION
Radio SCG10
The album opens up with a radio introduction as if it is a radio station starting for the very first time. A compilation of Lordi songs are performed with voice imitations of Axl Rose, Bon Scott, Ozzy Osbourne and Rob Halford singing Lordi's songs in their own versions as if it were a tribute to them. Like any other SCG, it is always there to open up the album like in each album of the Supermonstars, the exception of the previous album Sexorcism being in the middle of the album.
Horror for Hire
Kicking right into the first song of the album, the roar of thunder and the haunting chime of Hella's keyboards introduce in the album, bringing everything in with a scream from frontman Mr Lordi. A traditional Lordi sounding song, with crunchy sounding guitars that accompany the chilling rhythm.
Shake the Baby Silent
The first single off of the album, this one opens with what sounds like a baby crying. Keyboards kick in, giving the same chilling presence that had been given in the previous song. Loads of distortion in the guitars give the song a rather heavy presence along with the effects added to Mr Lordi's vocals in this one. The chorus is bound to have you sing along to the track. It's not my favorite track, but I thought it was very good with the rhythm bound to have you headbang.
Like a Bee to the Honey
One of my favorite songs off of the album, and the third single. It opens with drums and bass, jumping into what almost sounds like a 1980s rock ballad. It almost reminds me of Kiss, considering that Paul Stanley is one of the song's writers. A song that Lordi hasn't written, had now been given to them by the Kiss frontman himself! The saxophone solo performed by Michael Monroe, definitely gives off vibes of the city itself while driving around in a 1987 version of San Franscisco or New York City.
Apollyon
The one song that if you were to take out the vocals from, it would definitely sound a lot like an instrumental song from Toto. The song opens up with a piano, before kicking into a 1976 sounding mixture of Alice Cooper, Toto and Elton John. The song itself along with the synthesizers bring in a wonderous sound, and also... is that a horn I hear in this song? Very good song, I'm quite impressed.
SCG10: The Last Hour
Another SCG skit is brought into the mixture, continuing the theme of the songs being played on the radio. Anna from the previous album Sexorcism's "SCG9: The Documented Phenomenon", makes an appearance as a caller to the radio station which is a cool way of bringing back the character.
Blow My Fuse
The song begins with what sounds like a mid-1970s Kiss song, along with the sound of what sounds like a rock organ with Pink Floyd / Deep Purple vibes. The lead guitar and solos definitely give off an Ace Frehley sound along with a heavy sounds from the bass guitar if played on the stereo player. (I do recommend playing this on a car stereo or a stereo player if you have one at home!) Very cool tribute to Kiss' older songs.
I Dug a Hole in the Yard for You
Beginning with more chimes from the keyboard, the guitar and drums kick in - beginning a Sexorcism / Monstereophonic traditional Lordi track. The second single off of the album, this one I would consider to be another favorite for me. The chorus itself is very catchy and is bound to have you sing along with the sound. This is one from the album that sounds rather new - a stand out from the rest of the album, it doesn't fail to impress. Love this one.
Zombimbo
I was made for lovin' you! Another one of my favorite songs, which gives off a 1979 sound as if the band were performing their disco hit just like the famous Kiss disco song off of "Dynasty" in the same year. The muted guitar, funky sounding bass and keyboards in this song are bound to have you dancing for this song. The guitar solo definitely gives off the continued Ace Frehley sound from the last other song Blow My Fuse. If the band did a music video for this one, I bet it would be filmed in an old film/tv camera based from the late 70s - early 80s.
Up to No Good
Following a drum intro and the roar of a guitar pick scratching against the strings, the song gives off Twisted Sister similarities in this one, this one reminds me a lot of both "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock" from mentioned band. Giving off 1985 vibes, the heavy distortion in the guitars are definitely another headbanger. Not really much of a favorite song for me, but enough listens will definitely have you singing along with the chorus once memorized.
SCG10: Demonic Semitones
Another SCG kicks in with the radio host receiving more calls from people outside of the studio. The first caller calls in making the warning to stop playing the music as the Scarctic Circle is getting restless from the order the songs are being played in, with the second caller from the previous SCG10 segment giving off an Exorcist reference.
Cutterfly
Following another interlude, the song opens up with another 1980s rock ballad with traditional Lordi style added into it. It is going to have to take a few more listens to get into this song. The keyboards in this one are quite enjoyable in this one, along with another stand out guitar solo. The chorus in this song, sung by backing vocals and Mr Lordi would definitely make a great song to perform live.
Evil
Jumping right into a heavy song, this one song gives off more heavy beats to the drums and a sound that resembles the second half of Monstereophonic. Mr Lordi's vocals are very reminiscent of Accept's songs, along with the haunting keyboards that raise up the song. While this song is not a favorite for me, I like that Mr Lordi brings out more of his screeches in this one. The distortion of the guitars in a bridge gives off a Slayer sound to them.
Scream Demon
Scream on! The final song off of this album, and this one definitely gives off Alice Cooper vibes as if I was hearing both "Poison" and "Feed My Frankenstein" from his 80s and 90s albums. The keyboards and choir in this song make this song feel complete itself as a ballad. The guitar solo in the middle and at the end of the song sound quite amazing for the vintage sound that was used for this song. You are bound to sing along to this song's chorus whether it be Mr Lordi or the choir itself. Even with a Phil Collins sounding drum fill near the end, the song will make your day. The final song concludes with the choir and the backing vocals finishing it with a straight out "Whoahhhh!". Love this song, almost want it to never end.
Carnivore (Bonus Track)
A bonus track exclusive to the vinyl version of this album, I gave a listen to the vinyl rip of this one on YouTube. This song definitely gives off more classic mid-1970s Kiss sounds to this one as if it is the first three albums, though more directly towards the Dressed to Kill era. The tom-bell in the pre-chorus definitely is one of my favorite moments in the song, which makes this song stand out from most of the other bonus tracks Lordi has done over the years for their older albums. Like this one.
SCG10: I Am Here
With the final song of the album concluded, we move right onto the last SCG interlude of the album. The radio host picks up a caller who is set to win a competition, only to turn out that a mysterious force has taken over all the lines to the station with only a creepy three worded message. Having dealt with that, he goes on about a lost album from a band that no one has heard before and had been found. Just as he begins playing it, things at the station start to go crazy as everything starts to get loud while the host begs to take the song off of the air. Then in the silence, there is a deep sounding breath along with the last three words in a demonic tone: "I am here." Then like that, the album concludes.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
I really enjoyed this album a lot. Is it better than the band's previous album Sexorcism? Yeah, a little bit. If you asked me what I liked about this album, I would say it would have to be all of the 1970s to mid 1990s vibes and pieces that were given to this album to make it sound great. However, the 2016 album Monstereophonic remains a favorite album for me while this one is tied in the race between that album. I will definitely give it another couple listens.
SCORE:
8.5 OUT OF 10
And that concludes my thoughts on the new Lordi album as if recently. Being that I last saw the Supermonstars in Toronto back in 2017, I am still holding onto the hope that they will return to Toronto again. Hey, you never know! Maybe they will do a crowdfunder to fund their next North American tour if needed!
The next album track-by-track is bound to be a great one and one of the most anticipated that everyone has been asking me about. Yes, you are right! The next album review will be the one and only Nightwish with their new album coming out in 15 days!
NEXT ALBUM REVIEW COMING SOON:
HUMAN. :||: NATURE. (NIGHTWISH)
Lordi is one of those bands that I discovered with my close friend while back in high school, and really enjoy a lot. My close friend however, is a huge fan and every new album they announce - she gets rather excited to hear it. After hearing all three singles for this album before its release, I could tell that I was looking forward to this one being that this album is dedicated to all of Mr Lordi's favorites, along with Kiss (who are on their final tour as of the moment).
With that and having acquired my own CD copy of the album, here it is in its entirety! The track-by-track review for the tenth Scarctic Circle Gathering...
KILLECTION
Radio SCG10
The album opens up with a radio introduction as if it is a radio station starting for the very first time. A compilation of Lordi songs are performed with voice imitations of Axl Rose, Bon Scott, Ozzy Osbourne and Rob Halford singing Lordi's songs in their own versions as if it were a tribute to them. Like any other SCG, it is always there to open up the album like in each album of the Supermonstars, the exception of the previous album Sexorcism being in the middle of the album.
Horror for Hire
Kicking right into the first song of the album, the roar of thunder and the haunting chime of Hella's keyboards introduce in the album, bringing everything in with a scream from frontman Mr Lordi. A traditional Lordi sounding song, with crunchy sounding guitars that accompany the chilling rhythm.
Shake the Baby Silent
The first single off of the album, this one opens with what sounds like a baby crying. Keyboards kick in, giving the same chilling presence that had been given in the previous song. Loads of distortion in the guitars give the song a rather heavy presence along with the effects added to Mr Lordi's vocals in this one. The chorus is bound to have you sing along to the track. It's not my favorite track, but I thought it was very good with the rhythm bound to have you headbang.
Like a Bee to the Honey
One of my favorite songs off of the album, and the third single. It opens with drums and bass, jumping into what almost sounds like a 1980s rock ballad. It almost reminds me of Kiss, considering that Paul Stanley is one of the song's writers. A song that Lordi hasn't written, had now been given to them by the Kiss frontman himself! The saxophone solo performed by Michael Monroe, definitely gives off vibes of the city itself while driving around in a 1987 version of San Franscisco or New York City.
Apollyon
The one song that if you were to take out the vocals from, it would definitely sound a lot like an instrumental song from Toto. The song opens up with a piano, before kicking into a 1976 sounding mixture of Alice Cooper, Toto and Elton John. The song itself along with the synthesizers bring in a wonderous sound, and also... is that a horn I hear in this song? Very good song, I'm quite impressed.
SCG10: The Last Hour
Another SCG skit is brought into the mixture, continuing the theme of the songs being played on the radio. Anna from the previous album Sexorcism's "SCG9: The Documented Phenomenon", makes an appearance as a caller to the radio station which is a cool way of bringing back the character.
Blow My Fuse
The song begins with what sounds like a mid-1970s Kiss song, along with the sound of what sounds like a rock organ with Pink Floyd / Deep Purple vibes. The lead guitar and solos definitely give off an Ace Frehley sound along with a heavy sounds from the bass guitar if played on the stereo player. (I do recommend playing this on a car stereo or a stereo player if you have one at home!) Very cool tribute to Kiss' older songs.
I Dug a Hole in the Yard for You
Beginning with more chimes from the keyboard, the guitar and drums kick in - beginning a Sexorcism / Monstereophonic traditional Lordi track. The second single off of the album, this one I would consider to be another favorite for me. The chorus itself is very catchy and is bound to have you sing along with the sound. This is one from the album that sounds rather new - a stand out from the rest of the album, it doesn't fail to impress. Love this one.
Zombimbo
I was made for lovin' you! Another one of my favorite songs, which gives off a 1979 sound as if the band were performing their disco hit just like the famous Kiss disco song off of "Dynasty" in the same year. The muted guitar, funky sounding bass and keyboards in this song are bound to have you dancing for this song. The guitar solo definitely gives off the continued Ace Frehley sound from the last other song Blow My Fuse. If the band did a music video for this one, I bet it would be filmed in an old film/tv camera based from the late 70s - early 80s.
Up to No Good
Following a drum intro and the roar of a guitar pick scratching against the strings, the song gives off Twisted Sister similarities in this one, this one reminds me a lot of both "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock" from mentioned band. Giving off 1985 vibes, the heavy distortion in the guitars are definitely another headbanger. Not really much of a favorite song for me, but enough listens will definitely have you singing along with the chorus once memorized.
SCG10: Demonic Semitones
Another SCG kicks in with the radio host receiving more calls from people outside of the studio. The first caller calls in making the warning to stop playing the music as the Scarctic Circle is getting restless from the order the songs are being played in, with the second caller from the previous SCG10 segment giving off an Exorcist reference.
Cutterfly
Following another interlude, the song opens up with another 1980s rock ballad with traditional Lordi style added into it. It is going to have to take a few more listens to get into this song. The keyboards in this one are quite enjoyable in this one, along with another stand out guitar solo. The chorus in this song, sung by backing vocals and Mr Lordi would definitely make a great song to perform live.
Evil
Jumping right into a heavy song, this one song gives off more heavy beats to the drums and a sound that resembles the second half of Monstereophonic. Mr Lordi's vocals are very reminiscent of Accept's songs, along with the haunting keyboards that raise up the song. While this song is not a favorite for me, I like that Mr Lordi brings out more of his screeches in this one. The distortion of the guitars in a bridge gives off a Slayer sound to them.
Scream Demon
Scream on! The final song off of this album, and this one definitely gives off Alice Cooper vibes as if I was hearing both "Poison" and "Feed My Frankenstein" from his 80s and 90s albums. The keyboards and choir in this song make this song feel complete itself as a ballad. The guitar solo in the middle and at the end of the song sound quite amazing for the vintage sound that was used for this song. You are bound to sing along to this song's chorus whether it be Mr Lordi or the choir itself. Even with a Phil Collins sounding drum fill near the end, the song will make your day. The final song concludes with the choir and the backing vocals finishing it with a straight out "Whoahhhh!". Love this song, almost want it to never end.
Carnivore (Bonus Track)
A bonus track exclusive to the vinyl version of this album, I gave a listen to the vinyl rip of this one on YouTube. This song definitely gives off more classic mid-1970s Kiss sounds to this one as if it is the first three albums, though more directly towards the Dressed to Kill era. The tom-bell in the pre-chorus definitely is one of my favorite moments in the song, which makes this song stand out from most of the other bonus tracks Lordi has done over the years for their older albums. Like this one.
SCG10: I Am Here
With the final song of the album concluded, we move right onto the last SCG interlude of the album. The radio host picks up a caller who is set to win a competition, only to turn out that a mysterious force has taken over all the lines to the station with only a creepy three worded message. Having dealt with that, he goes on about a lost album from a band that no one has heard before and had been found. Just as he begins playing it, things at the station start to go crazy as everything starts to get loud while the host begs to take the song off of the air. Then in the silence, there is a deep sounding breath along with the last three words in a demonic tone: "I am here." Then like that, the album concludes.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
I really enjoyed this album a lot. Is it better than the band's previous album Sexorcism? Yeah, a little bit. If you asked me what I liked about this album, I would say it would have to be all of the 1970s to mid 1990s vibes and pieces that were given to this album to make it sound great. However, the 2016 album Monstereophonic remains a favorite album for me while this one is tied in the race between that album. I will definitely give it another couple listens.
SCORE:
8.5 OUT OF 10
And that concludes my thoughts on the new Lordi album as if recently. Being that I last saw the Supermonstars in Toronto back in 2017, I am still holding onto the hope that they will return to Toronto again. Hey, you never know! Maybe they will do a crowdfunder to fund their next North American tour if needed!
The next album track-by-track is bound to be a great one and one of the most anticipated that everyone has been asking me about. Yes, you are right! The next album review will be the one and only Nightwish with their new album coming out in 15 days!
NEXT ALBUM REVIEW COMING SOON:
HUMAN. :||: NATURE. (NIGHTWISH)
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