LORDI – Lordiversity: Skelectric Dinosaur [’70s Arena Rock] (2021) CD1

LORDI will release no fewer than seven new studio albums in 2021. And frontman Mr. Lordi admits that he was had originally hoped to release 10 new albums, only to have that idea vetoed by the Finnish group’s record label.

Titled ‘Lordiversity‘, the box set will be available as seven CDs, or seven vinyl records. Each album will see the former Eurovision-winning Finns tackle a different genre: hard rock, disco, progressive rock, heavy metal, AOR, thrash/speed and industrial metal.

The albums will be standalone available, and here’s Lordi’s take on classic arena rock; “Skelectric Dinosaur“.
The disc kicks things off with an inch-perfect homage to early KISS and ALICE COOPER; the guitar tones and strutting, New York-via-Detroit simplicity of the songwriting is absolutely bang on the money throughout, and songs like “Maximum-O-Lovin’” and “Blow My Fuse” are very nearly the equal of the ageless anthems they are saluting.

In the press release all the ‘imaginary’ albums were recorded in a certain year and in a certain style. SKELECTRIC DINOSAUR was recorded in 1975, and the main inspiration is… KISS. Yes, it is no secret that Mr. Lordi yearns to be Gene Simmons, or more likely ’The Demon’. Mr. Lordi’s admiration for Gene is obvious, even more so if you watch the Lordi documentary, from a few years back.
It is a natural choice and opportune time for Lordi to record the KISS-inspired album he always wanted to.

When I heard this I was blown away. It was like hearing a rare unreleased Kiss album from 1976, more specially before Ezrin rebuilt them for ‘Destroyer’.
Funnily titled, “Skelectric Dinosaur” captures vintage ’70s KISS perfectly. Mr. Lordi does an amazing Gene vocal imitation but in hindsight he has always had that mildly guttural (by 70s standards) voice and that similarity is really brought to the fire.
It’s almost uncanny and naturally Mr. Lordi plays it up.

Every song is rocking and fun and drummer Mana does a great job doing the laidback style of Peter Criss, cowbell and all. The 10 track album runs about 31 minutes, tight and compact except for the obligatory comedy/spoken word introduction of the long running SCG series.
The band capture the time, tempo and style of that great band perfectly. I would not be out of line to say that KISS is in the DNA of Lordi and without KISS there may not be a Lordi today.
There’s other influences as well, from ALICE COOPER to THE SWEET, mid-Seventies arena rock / glam.

All the other albums in ‘Lordiversity’ set emulate a sound or a short span of time, and this one is a brilliant homage to the bands whom started all – especially this kind of shock-rock arena type of rock n’ roll that Lordi took as focus since its inception.

01 – SCG Minus 7: The Arrival
02 – Day Off Of The Devil
03 – Starsign Spitfire
04 – Maximum-O-Lovin’
05 – The King on the Head Staker’s Mountain
06 – Carnivore
07 – Phantom Lady
08 – The Tragedy Of Annie Mae
09 – Blow My Fuse
10 – And Beyond The Isle Was Mary

Mr. Lordi – Vocals
Amen – Guitars
Mana – Drums
Hella – Keyboards
Hiisi – Bass

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