SO...there I was watching Eurovision a couple of years ago, just in case I saw a song I needed to hunt down you understand AND lo and behold five people in monster suits belted out a damn fine peice of rock n roll...and thus my likedom of Lordi had begun.
You might have figured out by now that I like a bit of flash with my riffs and anybody that goes to any great length to put on a show (musical quality must be up there) ussually gets my thumbs up...and Lordi and his various backup guys definately get a thumbs up from me.
With their power metal vibe and monster-movie stage persona, Lordi seemed a most unlikely choice to represent their native Finland in the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest. So just imagine how many jaws hit the floor when the group not only claimed top honors, but also earned the most points in the venerable event's history.
Vocalist Tomi Petteri Putaansuu, aka Mr. Lordi, assembled Lordi in 1996 in Stockholm, Sweden, following a concert headlined by his favorite band, Kiss. After recruiting guitarist Jussi Sydänmaa (known as Amen), bassist Magnum (real name unknown), former Children of Bodom keyboardist Erna Siikavirta (Enary), and drummer Sampsa Astala (Kita), he began writing songs as well as creating the elaborate foam-latex monster costumes and pyrotechnic effects that would become the hallmark of their theatrical live performances.
Get Heavy After a series of label auditions went nowhere, Lordi signed to Sony BMG's Finland branch and issued a debut LP, 2002's Get Heavy, which rose to the number three spot on the Finnish charts on the strength of the number one single "Would You Love a Monsterman?" Magnum left the group soon after, and with new bassist Pekka Tarvenen (Kalma), Lordi cut a sophomore album, 2004's The Monsterican Dream, which returned them to the Top 20 with "Blood Red Sandman."
After touring in support of the LP, both Tarvenen and Siikavirta left the lineup, and with new bassist Samer el Nahhal (Ox) and keyboardist Leena Peisa (Awa) on board, Lordi released a third full-length, The Arockalypse. When the record's chart-topping lead single, "Hard Rock Hallelujah," was appointed Finland's official entry in the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest, some religious leaders criticized the move, charging the band with advocating Satanism (even in the face of their 2003 hit "The Devil Is a Loser").
Deadache Controversy notwithstanding, Lordi scored the most points in contest history with a total of 292, over 40 votes more than runner-up Dima Bilan of Russia. In the wake of Lordi's victory -- Finland's first in Eurovision competition -- tabloids from across Europe scrambled to publish photos of the band sans makeup, which earned criticism from fans and media rivals alike and forced public apologies from the offending parties. On May 26, 2006, Lordi celebrated their triumph with a free open-air performance in Helsinki's Market Square, playing to more than 80,000 fans.
Finland president Tarja Halonen even took the stage to award the band for its global recognition. In 2007 the band performed at several American festivals, including Bamboozle and Ozzfest, before touring the States alongside Type O Negative. Lordi then returned to the studio in May 2008 to begin work on Deadache, the band's fourth studio effort.
Released later that year, the album featured a stronger emphasis on keyboard parts and horror themes, as well as songwriting contributions from every member of the group. In 2010, the band released their first single, “This Is Heavy Metal”, from their fifth studio album Babez For Breakfast.
"THE RIFF" lyrics....potentially Lordis greatest song....in my humble
It was during this year that drummer Kita left the band. His replacement was Otus but he sadly died, according to an announcement that the band had made on their Facebook page. In September 2012, they released a compilation CD/DVD entitled Scarachives Vol.1 and in 2012 they began recording their sixth album To Beast Or Not To Beast.
Although the band is often perceived by the media as a heavy metal band due to their monster costumes, their musical style has more characteristics of the hard rock genre. Over the years, the band's musical style has taken a very varied direction between hard rock and metal, with the pattern seeming as though it changes between the two with every album released. Their debut album, Get Heavy, represented a large part of traditional hard rock music, but by the release of their The Monsterican Dream album in 2004, the band had shifted considerably toward heavier music and horror effects were prominently displayed.
However, in their 2006 album The Arockalypse, Lordi shifted back toward hard rock, eschewing horror themes and special effects. Their 2008 studio album, Deadache, included more typical horror elements, leaning once again toward the heavier side of the spectrum. Babez For Breakfast saw the band once again shift back to the traditional hard rock elements, with an even greater exposure to the 1980s than the band's previous albums.
Lordi members have stated that their costumes were inspired by Kiss and the horror genre. Mr. Lordi himself has said that without Kiss, Lordi probably would not exist.[3] The monster masks and costumes the band use are made of foam latex. The masks and costumes of Lordi are all and always made by Mr. Lordi himself. As a professional make-up artist and sculptor, Mr. Lordi has the necessary knowledge to produce those things easily. The band members do each other's makeup. The band updates their outfits and masks for each new album
It takes the other band members about one hour to put their masks and costumes on, though it takes Mr. Lordi two to three hours to put on his. He has also said that the suits cost them "a few hundred euros".
In a vein similar to the early days of KISS, the monster costumes are such an integral part of Lordi's publicity image that they refuse to be photographed or even interviewed without them, even if in some cases it leads to their own discomfort. Lordi has done interviews without their masks but the interviews are always filmed from the back so that their faces are not visible. Previously during interviews, Lordi members spoke only English to the cameras, not their native Finnish. In a brief segment on the BBC reporting about the band attending the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, they were shown lounging beside a pool in full sunlight, while wearing their monster costumes.
Monster's
Mr. Lordi - vocals (1992–present)
Amen - guitar (1996–present)
OX - bass (2005–present)
Mana - drums (2012–present)
Hella - keyboards, backing vocals (2012–present)
Former monsters
G-Stealer - bass (1996–1999)
Magnum - bass (1999–2002)
Enary - keyboards (1997–2005)
Kalma - bass (2002–2005)
Kita - drums, backing vocals (2000–2010)
Otus - drums (2010–2012)
Awa - keyboards (2005–2012)
Studio albums
Bend Over and Pray the Lord (1997)
Get Heavy (2002)
The Monsterican Dream (2004)
The Arockalypse (2006)
Deadache (2008)
Babez for Breakfast (2010)
To Beast or Not to Beast (2013)
Compilation albums
The Monster Show (2005)
Zombilation - The Greatest Cuts (2009)
Scarchives Vol. 1 (2012)
Singles
"Would You Love a Monsterman?" (2002)
"Devil Is a Loser" (2003)
"My Heaven Is Your Hell" (2004)
"Blood Red Sandman" (2004)
"Hard Rock Hallelujah" (2006)
"Who's Your Daddy?" (2006)
"It Snows In Hell" (2006)
"They Only Come Out At Night" (2007)
"Beast Loose in Paradise" (2008)
"Bite it Like a Bulldog" (2008)
"Deadache" (2008)
"This Is Heavy Metal" (2010)
"Rock Police" (2010)
"The Riff" (2013)
Music videos
"Would You Love a Monsterman?" (Directed by Pete Riski) (2002)
"Devil is a Loser" (Directed by Pete Riski) (2003)
"Blood Red Sandman" (Directed by Pete Riski) (2004)
"Hard Rock Hallelujah" (Directed by Pete Riski) (2006)
"Who's Your Daddy?" (Directed by Pete Riski) (2006)
"Would You Love A Monsterman 2006" (Directed by Pete Riski) (2006)
"It Snows In Hell" (Directed by Pete Riski) (2006)
"Hard Rock Hallelujah" Special Edition (Directed by Antti Jokinen) (2007)
"Bite It Like A Bulldog" (Directed by Limppu Lindberg) ( 2008)
"This Is Heavy Metal" (2010)
"The Riff" (Directed by Martin Muller) (2013)
DVDs
"Market Square Massacre" (2006)
"Bringing Back The Balls To Stockholm 2006 (2007)
"It Snows In Hell music video" (available from Finnish Posti outlets) (2007)
"Dark Floors" (Horror movie) (2008)
Other
"Napalm Market" (1993), unreleased demo album.
Cover songs
"Almost Human" - a song from the Bend Over and Pray the Lord album (original by Kiss)
"Midnight Mover", a live song from 2003 - released in the single "They Only Come Out at Night" (original by Accept)
"He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)" - performed in concerts in 2003 (original by Alice Cooper)
"The House" - lyrics by Mr. Lordi, recorded for Dingo's tribute album (original by Dingo).
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