The original monster band of rock’ n roll is back with another fist-pumping romp inspired by the 80s. I have been a long-time fan and have caught them live a bunch of times, so when a new album is about to drop, I’m totally onboard and stoked for new music! Lordi really needs no introduction, but for those unaware, they hail from Finland and have been around since 1992. They won the 2006 Eurovision Song competition and have never looked back since. This will be the band’s eighteenth record, and it’s exciting when Mr Lordi and crew unleash new music to the masses.

I love the album title Limited Deadition. The cover art alone is a real hoot, depicting a boy and girl playing with a Mr. Lordi action figure. Everything about this screams the 1980s, and the throwback is glorious in my mind, as I’m a child of the 80s as well. I bet you may be wondering what the songs on this new release are like, given the band’s penchant for writing 80s-inspired music. Well , there are many sing-a-long choruses, big guitar hooks and tons of tongue-in-cheek humor. These elements are the key ingredients you will find on a Lordi record, so I won’t go through every song, but rather point out the standouts instead. I can say the first few tracks are hook-laden and intertwined with the keyboard playing of Hella. Sometimes, bands like Journey, Saga and Survivor come to mind, but let’s not forget Alice Cooper and KISS. I hear it in every song, and it’s such a delight to the ears of this fifty-plus geezer. 

Tracks like ‘Syntax Terror’, ‘Skelephant In The Room’ and ‘Killharmonic Orchestra’ lay down some serious licks. Kone is a hell of a guitar player and he gets to shine right away on this record. Of course, Mr. Lordi belts out the tunes and has written some funny lyrics to make you laugh out loud. Take, for example, the track ‘Collectable’, which relays the joys of being a toy collector. That song hits so close to home since I myself am a longtime collector of action figures. The next song to tickle me pink is ‘Fangoria’. I can’t say I have ever heard a metal band write a song about the greatest horror magazine in existence! But yet they did and this track is killer. I bring this song up because I used to be a Fango scribe back in the day, so it’s like this song was tailor-made for me. Right after this track, we get the rousing ‘Hellizabeth’ with tons of sing-a-long energy guaranteed to get your feet going and your fists pumping hard.

The last half of the record delivers the goods with fun tracks like ‘Retropolis’ followed by the wonderfully whimsical ‘Frighteousness’. Then we get the title track, ‘Limited Deadition’, bounding in with an anthemic chorus and the declaration of the melodic guitar playing courtesy of Kone. This song is a one-two punch for any fan; however, they top it off with the final track ‘You Might Be Deceased’. The guitars are heavy as hell and I could easily see this as an added track to Alice Cooper‘s 1987 classic Raise Your Fist and Yell. 

Lordi are a fun act for those who want to be brought back to the glorious decadence of the 1980’s. After listening to Limited Deadition, I feel like this album was written explicitly for me, but that’s the great thing about Lordi as a whole. They worship that great decade and find many ways to bring fresh and vibrant songs to every new album they record. I am essentially a long-time fan of horror and heavy metal, so this album should satiate anyone with the same love I have for both genres. 

Buy this record! That is my declaration to any fan of hard rock, metal and horror movies. Lordi are the only famous monster band out there and everyone should experience their sound. I say hard rock hallelujah to all!