Review: Lordi – Sexorcism

For those not familiar with Lordi, they’re a horror-themed band who perform live wearing rather exuberant costumes made up to look like monsters. They were also the first band with any degree of actual talent to win Eurovision in decades with “Hard Rock Hallelujah” in 2006. And I’ve just realised this is twelve years ago. Bloody hell, time flies.

Talking of time, we got this album well in advance of next week’s release date and as such it’s had a chance to grow on me somewhat, though it really didn’t need this opportunity. Sexorcism is catchy rock n’ roll from the off with very little in the way of let-up. The horror theme is played to the full, though as tongue-in-cheek as a Steel Panther album, replete with dodgy puns in the titles (“Polterchrist”, “Slashion Model Girls”, “Sodomesticated Animal”…) and over-the-top vocals. Eurovision-suitable this isn’t.

You’ll likely have heard “Your Tongue’s Got The Cat” already, and if you haven’t then click away to watch the lyric video. It’s simple, romping hard rock/metal with a singalong chorus and its witty and tasteless lyrics are typical of the rest of the album. In terms of subject matter inappropriateness, it’s already been beaten by follow-up single and first proper video “Naked In My Cellar” which you can enjoy below. It’s also that bit better of a song, and likely to crawl every bit as deep into your earhole as “Cat”.

Early in the album, we also have “Romeo Ate Juliet” which is about as heavy a number as you’ll get from Lordi. The opening/repeated riff reminds me of Youthanasia-era Megadeth, and the lyrics are a mixture of growls, screams and clean singing (or as clean as it gets from Mr Lordi). “Polterchrist” is as blasphemous as you could expect/hope for/dread (delete as applicable), while “Hot & Satanned” is just silly – and wonderfully so.

Probably the biggest fist-pumper of a chorus comes from “Hell Has Room” which also features a chugging post-chorus bout of riffage which stands every chance of kicking off a pit if they play it live.

With influences ranging from the darker depths of Black Sabbath, through to the airy tones of a keyboard-based Van Halen, and Alice Cooper at his most puritan-annoying, Lordi have a great release on their hands here. I’ve played it through maybe a dozen or so times from beginning to end and it just gets that bit better with each listen.

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