LORDI Recording New Material

According to MonsterDiscoHell.com, Finnish monster rockers LORDI are currently at producer Jyrki Tuovinen's studio in Helsinki recording two brand new tracks, one of which will appear in "Dark Floors" — the feature film starring LORDI. A short interview with LORDI mainman Mr. Lordi regarding the recording sessions and the group's future plans follows:

MonsterDiscoHell.com: When were the songs you're now recording written and arranged?

Mr. Lordi: These two songs were composed mainly during the Ozzfest tour. As a matter of fact I remember composing the chorus and the main riff of "Beast Loose In Paradise" in Milwaukee and the chorus and verses of "Studs And Leather" in St. Augustine. The origin of the main riff of "Studs And Leather" goes way back. That one was taken from the unreleased LORDI album "Bend Over And Pray The Lord" (which was supposed to be released as LORDI's debut album in 1999)! Though the tunes were changed, but the rhythm is still the same. The verse of "Beast Loose In Paradise" is from another therapy band sessions from last Christmas. And the rest of both of the songs was basically made between the Ozzfest and TYPE O NEGATIVE tours... Except the c-part of "Studs" was made last week at our rehearsal place with the whole band participating. I think that's the first time some part of a song was made like this in the history of this band. The arrangements are done pretty much while the songs are demoed. The rest while rehearsing the songs and the final decisions in studio when recording.

MonsterDiscoHell.com: Are the songs written especially for the "Dark Floors" movie?

Mr. Lordi: Yeah, the both are written for the movie, although only one of them ends up in it.

MonsterDiscoHell.com: There was a slight misunderstanding in a recent issue of the Finnish music magazine, Soundi, about LORDI going more brutal and raw music- and sound-wise. What's the truth and how's the upcoming material going to be different compared to the "The Arockalypse"?

Mr. Lordi: Our music is not gonna get any brutal or heavier, but not any lighter that's for sure! I think it's gonna be pretty much the same. But it's so hard to think and say for myself. You'll be the judges then. I'd say these two songs are familiar LORDI. Although "Beast Loose In Paradise" is more "movie-esque" and "horror-ish" on purpose. And some might say it's even heavier, but at the very least the chorus will be familiar and melodic LORDI stuff. And "Studs And Leather" is basically "Heaven's On Fire" meet "Balls To The Wall". But as I said, it's really hard to describe them myself. And like I've said before, it's needless to start to get assumptions from what I've said to how's the next album's gonna be like — any way or another. These songs are made for the movie and do not necessarily represent the future material in any way.

MonsterDiscoHell.com: How ready is the concept of the next album music-wise and visually?

Mr. Lordi: Well, like I said, the music is not gonna change. The songs are gonna be the same as on the earlier three albums for sure. But I think we're not gonna go towards "The Monsterican Dream"'s more darker and tentative way. But like I've said so many times before, it's the sound in the mixing, the edit and the production that's gonna define the album's appearance. So the producer has a quite a big part in this. The visual side is still a hell of a chaos of millions of different ideas in my head. From there it's gonna get more clearer (or is it...). But visually the theme is gonna get more heavier and brutal, that I can say for sure.

MonsterDiscoHell.com: Two tours already done in The States. How are you feeling right now and what's gonna happen there from now on?

Mr. Lordi: I'm really tired! Heh heh! The whole band still suffers from the time difference and jet lag although we've been home in Finland for over a week now. From now on it's gonna be there like anywhere else. We've done with the promo stuff for now there. We left them waiting for the new album. Maybe next year we'll visit there again when we have some time and we're not recording the new album.

MonsterDiscoHell.com: Are we gonna see or hear something really special at the gig in Rovaniemi December 14th?

Mr. Lordi: Errrhhhmm... Well... Isn't there always something special on our gig, heh heh?

MonsterDiscoHell.com: How about the much-discussed LORDI DVD? What's up with that?

Mr. Lordi: It's work in progress. I think I'm the one who wants it to get ready the most. At this point, it's not up to the band if and when it will be released. But it's not even ready yet. So there's no shitload of cardboard boxes full of DVDs lying around somewhere, waiting to be released. But every day it doesn't get released, new material gets filmed. Like this week we've gotten some pretty fun stuff from the studio. So the good side of the delay is that every day the DVD gets a couple of minutes longer.

MonsterDiscoHell.com: "The Arockalypse" touring and all the other stuff has been going on for almost two years. The next album will start it all over again. You're still up to it?

Mr. Lordi: Well, yeah of course. All the planning and waiting really makes my motor hum! Mentally I've been working on the next album at least a year now in my head. And all the other members have told me all year long their ideas how their characters or the stage show could and should be improved and so on. And I've got tens of new songs. The first ones I made right after the release of "The Arockalypse". But I'm not gonna lie to you. We're pretty tired right now. We've been on the road since the spring of 2006 so I think it's OK to feel a bit tired. No one could think that this "The Arockalypse" run would last this long. In the last year, we've seen the glamour and the shine of the rock'n'roll world of our dreams, but also some not-so-great things. And this run being almost over, we all feel tired but happy, and unbelieveably satisfied. Much has happened and we've got and received so much, but also have had to sacrifice a lot.

(Thanks: Lord of Noise)