Only in the world of rock and roll could a group of Finnish musicians band together, dress up in costumes that make KISS look like a bunch of petite women and win the 2006 Eurovision contest with their ball-busting rock anthem “Hard Rock Hallelujah.”
To be perfectly honest, I was shocked this album turned out to be as good as it did. I know of the reputation of the Eurovision contest, and the winners aren’t necessarily your most groundbreaking artists. After viewing Lordi on YouTube, I had to admit they had a sense of the grandiose, but that couldn’t carry over to The Arockalypse...could it?
It does. From the opening, hilariously campy “news report,” to the final note in “Supermonstars,” Lordi refuses to let up on over-the-top theatrics. A cursory glance of the track list: “It Snows In Hell,” “The Chainsaw Buffet,” “Bringing Back The Balls To Rock.” It’s obvious these guys are more on the AC/DC side than the Dylan side of song and lyric writing, but that's ok.
Lordi doesn’t give up on its sound. Loud, crunching metal riffs abound, as do vintage '80s-era chorus sing-alongs (i.e. “You Give Love A Bad Name). Of course, there are plenty of insanely fast guitar solos to satisfy, along with some decidedly retro synthesizer use (“Good To Be Bad”). This is the sort of record where you shouldn’t be surprised to wake up at 3 in the morning with the riff to “They Only Come Out At Night” playing over and over again in your head.
This is one of those albums people will either love or hate. If anything I mentioned sounds appealing, then strap yourself in for the ride and just enjoy The Arockalypse. If you’re more a of Tipper Gore personality or don't really like Tenacious D, then stay away.