LORDI
Sexorcism
AFM Records
4.5/5
Lordi are back, with what I’d consider to be one of their strongest albums in a long time. If you remember the days of The Arockalypse, then you can understand what I’m getting at here. After Monstereophonic (Theaterror Vs. Demonarchy) left me a bit bored and rather confused, it was refreshing to hear a much less bombastic and more streamlined approach to the sound that felt natural. The record is chock-full of sing-along choruses, like those that can be found on “Polterchrist”, “Slashion Model Girls”, “Rimskin Assassin” and my personal favorite, “Hot Satanned.” I will say that this record is a bit more vulgar than their previous outputs, in reference to some of the lyrics featured on the title cut and “The Beast Is Yet To Cum” which almost put the band closer to what some might say is their antithesis, GWAR. I actually never expected to see the word “cum” actually featured anywhere on a Lordi album, especially when I remember that these guys were quite popular with Finnish kids around the time of Scare Force One. Though if we fast-forward a bit, it is also possible that many of those kids are now adults and can accept this more mature approach from the band, which is fine for me. I’m a bit tired of these guys being referred to “GWAR for kids” and other such misnomers. “Naked In My Cellar” is another track that I think will drive some controversy, even though it is yet another high watermark on a record that is nearly full of them. The cover image should of course, have sparked some controversy as well; but I’m quite glad for that. It was also the band’s intention, once again picking up where GWAR seems to have left off. So with Oderus gone, is Mr. Lordi attempting to pick up from where he left off?
“Your Tongue’s Got The Cat” injects a huge dose of AOR into the album, which is quite commonplace for the band and an integral element of their formula, but as with such a hefty dose of AOR; there must also exist a strong sense of keyboard work and that is displayed here just as beautiful as the unexpectedly crunchy guitars. Yes, a few of these cuts even thump a bit, and you might not expect that. “Romeo Ate Juliet” nearly goes into a full-on thrash solo before being cut unexpectedly short, though it shows what kind of band Lordi could be if they went for a slightly rougher edge. Even more thunderous approaches that I might expect from GWAR are apparent here on “Hell Has Room” which might be one of the heaviest numbers that I’ve ever heard from this band, bar none. The classic Accept influence is certainly there, as well as Mr. Lordi trying one of Udo Dirkschneider’s classic screams right at the end. It’s great to see Lordi approaching a much heavier direction, but not losing what made them catchy in the first place.
I need to add in this observation that because of the nature of our times, some people may discourage your purchasing of this album on the basis of the cover controversy. Know that you, the consumer, are entitled to any purchasing decision that you make and don’t allow outside forces to decide that for you. If you happen to be a Lordi fan and are upset with the imagery or some of the lyrical content here, I have to inform you that you may be missing out on what is undoubtedly one of the best albums that these Finns have ever recorded. It carries with it the rebellious spirit of classic heavy metal and comes with more crunch then we’ve ever heard before, in addition to some of the best keyboard and guitar work that I’ve heard from them. Sexorcism is the definitive Lordi album for this era and you definitely don’t want to miss out on it. For those of you worried about the lineup changes that can easily make or break a band, I am here to tell you that you need not worry in this case, because the album is truly monstrous! (The Grim Lord)