When Lordi came to the attention of the U.S. audience with their Eurovision win and 2007 Ozzfest appearance they were hard to miss. Their masks, costumes and larger than life persona were compelling and entertaining. But now that the novelty factor has worn off and their familiarity has increased, does their music hold up on its own?
A Lordi live show will probably always be more entertaining than a Lordi CD, but Deadache has a lot of fun moments. It's exactly like their previous CDs, packed with simple anthemic songs that are extremely catchy. Mr. Lordi is a huge Kiss fan, and their influence along with '70s and '80s glam is apparent.
Lordi doesn't take themselves too seriously, but there are some serious hooks on Deadache. "Bite It Like A Bulldog" is a standout, as is the closing track "Missing Miss Charlene."
Mr. Lordi's melodic rasp adds some distinctiveness to the band's sound, and although the lyrics are as cheesy as '80s pop, Lordi's 15 minutes has been extended for at least one more album.
(released October 28, 2008 on The End Records)
