LORDI – Lordiversity: Humanimals [the late ’80s era] (2021)

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-winninig 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 we have here our favorite from the box; “Humanimals“, covering the rock sound & style from the second half of the ’80s, embracing the radio-friendly sheen of peak DEF LEPPARD, BON JOVI and SAMMY HAGAR-era VAN HALEN, delivering several genuinely great songs along the way: “Be My Maniac” and the loping groove of the distinctly LEPPARD-like “Like A Bee To The Honey” both standing out.
What?…Lordi doing bombastic, hugely produced Melodic Hard Rock / Pop-Metal? Yeah, and they are darn good!

The album starts off with a televangelist – the quintessential southern Baptist preacher, preaching to a TV audience about the evils of rock and roll!
In the promo material famed producer Desmond Child was name-dropped and man have Lordi nailed that production style! This sounds like any and every project that Desmond, Beau Hill, etc, had their hands on in the late ’80s to early ’90s.
From Def Leppard, commercial Aerosmith & Alice Cooper to Bon Jovi, Ratt and naturally Kiss it is all here. Super smooth synths, big back-up gang vocals, saccharine sweet melodies and even a saxophone solo!
The blend of crunchy guitar and ’80s synth sounds are impeccable.

The band’s patented humour comes to the fore with tracks like ‘Girls In A Suitcase’ and ‘The Bullet Bites Back’. Lordi chickens out from using the ‘F’ word with ‘Rucking Up The Party’ although it might have been deliberate as many of the major label bands back in the day skirted controversy by applying tongue in cheek lyrical double entendres and still get retail distribution.

The bouncy, keyboard, pop infused melodies are not strangers to Lordi. If you listen to any of the ‘real’ Lordi early albums many of the songs are as catchy as hell. Buried not too deep under the costumes of Lordi is one hell of a melodic rocking band.
If Cher had written and recorded the lead-off track ‘Borderline’ back in 1990 it would have been a multi-platinum smash.

The musical evolution from the mid-80’s Metal of ABUSEMENT PARK to the late 80’s stylings of this HUMANIMALS is the smallest leap, sonically and spiritually. That puts these albums nearly tied due the best of LORDIVERSITY.
Lordi are much more than masks & growls; these are consummate musicians whom have absorbed the last 40 years in Rock in their formation, and it shows here.
You need to listen to “Humanimals”, it’s pure late ’80s quality stuff.
HIGHLY Recommended

01 – SCG Minus 3: Scarctic Circle Telethon
02 – Borderline
03 – Victims Of The Romance
04 – Heart Of A Lion
05 – The Bullet Bites Back
06 – Be My Maniac
07 – Rucking Up The Party
08 – Girl In A Suitcase
09 – Supernatural
10 – Like A Bee To The Honey
11 – Humanimal

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

Pre order:
www.amazon.com/Lordiversity-Humanimals-Lordi/dp/B09FPT46S3