A slight misfire – reviewing new Lordi album “Limited Deadition”

Springtime is yet again upon all monstermaniacs, figuratively and literally. We are just a few days shy of the second birthday of “Screem Writers Guild”, the previous album of Finnish rock titans of Lordi, when the monstersquad is set to unleash a follow-up upon the world. Continuing the tradition of more or less clever word plays, “Limited Deadition” hits the shelves and streaming platforms this friday the 21st of March. Greatly pleased by the sound of their previous album, and for a good reason, Lordi is determined to have “Limited Deadition” follow in the footsteps of its predecessor. Seeing as “Screem Writers Guild” is rather high in my personal ranking of all Lordi albums, I was simultaneously delighted and skeptical when hearing Lordi intended to continue in the same vein. Could Lordi produce back-to-back albums in the same style with equally excellent results? The answer isn’t an obvious yes, which is not to say that “Limited Deadition” would be a waste of time for either the band or its fans.

As a return to tried and somewhat tired formula, Lordi album number nineteen opens with a “Scarctic Circle Gathering” intro that segues quite seamlessly into the first proper track “Legends Are Made of Cliches“. The song title and lyrics are a staunch defence of the most common and most worn out tropes of most horror flicks, and quite possibly, of the band’s own gimmicks. I can’t quite agree with the lyrical message of the tune, just as I can’t argue against the music’s uptempo catchiness. Next up on the menu is “Syntax Terror“, the first single released from “Limited Deadition” and the one that kickstarted this exciting new era of Lordi last December. This particular track showcases the heavier aspect of the album compared to the previous one, all the while sacrificing nothing of the infectious 80’s vibes that are the trademark of Lordi. Aside from being more of the melodic hard rock excellence that Lordi excels at, “Skelephant in the Room” contains a guitar solo that is dreadfully reminiscent of a soap opera theme from the 80s. Depending on one’s constitution the listener will find this detail anywhere from endearing to painfully annoying.

Of the sixteen tracks on “Limited Deadition”, five are intros or interludes to divide the album in separate sections, just like commercial breaks during a tv-program. Aside from reinforcing the nostalgic retro outlook of the album, the value of these mercifully brief intermissions is questionable. Since Lordi has in recent interviews promoted this album as a companion piece to the previous one, “Screem Writers Guild”, I feel like direct comparisons between the two are in order. Whereas the 2023 record had two distinct tunes I didn’t like, this one has three: “Fangoria“, “Frighteousness” and “You Might Be Deceased“. In contrast, I would have to name the record’s title track “Limited Deadition” and the designated ballad “Collectable” as the highlights of the album. Overall, however, “Limited Deadition” loses the battle in all areas to “Screem Writers Guild”. The new album is shorter, riddled with more disrupting interludes and weaker songs all across the board. That being said, “Limited Deadition” is still a must for all Lordi fans and a worthy addition to their discography, even though the record is unlikely to end up on my regular rotation.

Tracklist:

1. SCG XIX The Hexecutioners
2. Legends Are Made Of Clichés
3. Syntax Terror
4. Skelephant In The Room
5. SCGTV Saturday Night Main Event
6. Killharmonic Orchestra
7. Collectable
8. SCGTV Monstersquad Action Figures
9. Fangoria
10. Hellizabeth
11. SCGTV The Hexecutioners Season Finale
12. Retropolis
13. Frighteousness
14. SCGTV Crazeee Ralph Promo
15. Limited Deadition
16. You Might Be Deceased