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Lordi: Scare Force One
Lordi - Scare Force One CD Album Review

Lordi: Scare Force One

Melodic Hard Rock/Metal
3.0/5.0

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AFM Records
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 30.10.2014

America has the 'dung slinging gross-you-out', loosely talented, musically speaking, Gwar. Finland and the rest of the world have Lordi. What's the difference? Not much, you say. Obviously the common denomiator is that both bands wear creepy costumes. For Gwar it's an evil alien theme, for Lordi more horror movie. Lordi's lyrical themes tend toward the same. Gwar just wants to gross you out, in all ways possible, while playing some form of heavy metal punk thrash. I don't really care because Gwar are basically idiots in costumes playing mediocre metal in a satrical theater context. Hello. Didn't Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie, and moron and copycat Marilyn Manson do the same? Yep.

Lordi Scare Force One Photo

Lordi

Musically, Lordi goes for more melodic hard rock, with an obvious metal edge and a strong layer of synthesizer embellishment, which gives them a bombastic, almost power metal, sound. After this, there's Mr. Lordi's gruff whiskey vocals, and the comical B-movie horror lyrics. You get Nailed By The Hammer of Frankenstein, Cadaver Lover, Mr. Presideath, and my personal favorite, How to Slice A Whore. Of course, Mr. Lordi has to include his obligatory 'monster man' song with Monster Is My Name.

While all this is supposed to be creepy and scary, when put to the music it's really not, more comical at times. For instance Hell Sent in the Clowns begins with carnival music and has, what sounds like, a children's chorus later, making the song sound cheesy. But there's a terrific guitar solo. later House of Ghosts should seem eeirie or spooky, but comes off as this bouncy happy melodic rock piece. So, now I'm guessing that's Lordi's point. Where Gwar wants to puke their filth on you with the edge of thrash punk metal, Lordi wants to spook you with the sweetness orchestrated melodic metal. Whatever. Either or. If you like Lordi's monster jams in the past, here's more of the same and you'll like it.


Lordi - Nailed by the Hammer of Frankenstein (Lyric Video)


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In Short

If you like Lordi's orchestrated melodic metal monster jams in the past, here's more of the same and you'll like it, too.

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