Search - Lordi :: Arockalypse (W/Dvd) (Spec)

All KILLER, no filler (pun intended)

Larry Davis | NYC/Long Island, NY | 04/09/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"OK, I'm finally writing a review of Finnish rock & roll monsters Lordi's 3rd album (and US debut), "The Arockalypse"...one of the cooler album titles in recent memory.



I've had this album since it came out here in 2007, and I've dug it all along, but I REALLY love it now, ever since I put it on my iPod and for some reason, "Supermonstars (The Anthem Of The Phantoms)" kept coming up on shuffle and knocked my socks off...originally I would just play "Hard Rock Hallelujah", (the funny and tongue-in-cheek sexist) "Who's Your Daddy" and other assorted tracks, and the DVD, but "Supermonstars" just killed and I decided to listen from top to bottom...now, for me, Lordi rank among my other fave Finnish bands, ie HIM, Nightwish (and Tarja solo), the Rasmus, and even girlpowerpoppers TikTak.



What I love most about Lordi is their amazing powerpop sensibility, with hooks that hit you between the eyes (this somehow can only come from Scandinavian countries like Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark & Iceland...Max Martin & Dr Luke would KILL to have hooks this good), combined with an 80s hard rock approach and over-the-top, tongue-firmly-in-cheek lyrics, plus hilarious and cool monster costumes.



However, I think Lordi's secret weapon is their female keyboard player & backup singer...her keys add color and musicality, and backup harmonies raise their tunes to a higher level.



The songs are so good on this record (and that hilarious intro featuring my friend Dee Snider...I had dinner with him and his family once in NYC, cool folks), that I am going to have to get the rest of their catalogue...their latest album "Deadache" (I'm interested in hearing their experimental phase), their 1st 2 albums, and their new 3CD "hits" collection "Zombilation" (cool title).



Lordi ROCKS!!!"

A hard rock monument that literally made history!!!

Nikiforos V. Skoumas | Athens Greece, Cambridge UK | 09/06/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"`Lordi' is the Finnish shock hard rock band probably known as the metal group that experienced the greatest popularity boom in recent history within the European market, literally becoming superstars overnight. Having established themselves as recording artists since 2002, the band was chosen to represent their home country in the annual European POP song contest `Eurovision' of 2006 (held in Athens, Greece that year). The band was set to perform the track `Hard Rock Halleluiah' from their latest at the time, 3rd album `The Arockalypse'. And it won! Most European countries voted in favour of `Lordi' placing them in the first position, with the rest following far behind.



Without doubt the 10th of May 2006 will be remembered as the metal celebration of the European metal community; and the track `Hard rock Halleluiah', as glorious as it sounds, perhaps was not all that amazing or, put more accurately, was not the strongest track on `The Arockalypse'.



`The Arockalypse' was perhaps the most 80s oriented hard rock album of 'Lordi' and despite the monstrous (yet catchy vocals) featured the biggest choruses than any other hard rock album of that year. Beyond that, the guitars are thick on the riffs and unexpectedly technical during the leads (including twin guitar melodies and shredding). In addition the keyboards add the very essence of 80s AOR to the album making the opening riffs so exciting and the choruses even more climactic. Finally the rhythm section is totally metal with a huge-as it deserves- production.



I have to admit that there are very few albums released in `00s that were as infectious as `The Arockalypse'. Summing the recipe of their success? big song openings straight to the point lyrics, mega choruses, at to that loads of melodic guitar and there it is!



Furthermore this special edition of the album including the original 12 songs plus re recorded versions of 3 of their older tracks is the REAL DEAL; NON STOP HARD ROCK HEAVEN absolutely no fillers allowed on this monumental album! And very honestly, to this day songs like `Good to be bad', `Who's your daddy', `Now it snows in Hell' and `Would you love a monsterman' are amongst my favourite hard rock tunes of all time.



A true monument of Hard Rock.





"Metal Hammer" Greek magazine (issue 259) marks this album with 7/10 commenting: "Old school 80s hard rock to the bone in the style of Kiss, Alice cooper, WASP and Twisted sister"





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