LORDI - “Screem Writer's Guild”

By Iron Sheik

After taking us on a LORDI-style schooling with the massive seven album “Lordiversity” set with original guitarist Amen, that worthy has bowed out thus opening the door for the band's new guitarist, Kone. “Screem Writers Guild” is the band's eighteenth album. Kone does an excellent job of continuing great musicianship in Amen's shadow. His guitar interplay with keyboards is perfect in each song and has created an overall cohesive tone to the whole album setting the stage for his heavier playing and solos throughout. Not that all songs sound the same because they do not. They are each their own monster. All killer no filler.

“Screem Writers Guild” is not a concept album per se, but the title is an allusion to the Screen Writers Guild of the 20s to the 50s. This era encompasses the Universal Monsters which are used more for look than songs about them which in no way detracts from the album. Although there is reference to them in the song “Unliving Picture Show” with further allusion in track “The Bride” which is an excellent ballad setting the stage for the last half of the record. More LORDI takes appear throughout. LORDI also use oldstyle horror sounds to create an aura of campiness, familiarity, and fun. Those sounds as well as lyrics add to the aural fun of this album. Fun is a word I found myself thinking from the first listen.

LORDI have become the world's favorite monsters of rock not just Finland's. An export worthy of achieving great success beyond their homeland where they won the Eurovision Song Contest in May 2006. “Screem Writer's Guild” find these masked monsters on the rise looking to achieve greater success. So, without further ado let's have Nosferuiz take us on a journey through a twenty-first century look at a one-hundred year old organization that made monster memories. 

ATOMIC FIRE RECORDS 

LORDI