Live | Lordi [support: All For Metal] – De Nieuwe Nor – Heerlen [NL]

8 April 2024

Last Monday night, Finland’s Lordi honored us with a visit at Heerlen’s Nieuwe Nor as part of their ‘2024 UNLIVING PICTOUR SHOW’ Tour. These rockers, are best known for their win with their song ,,Hard Rock Hallelujah’’, during the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens.
Meanwhile, of course, we are many records and tours further and still the band around Mr.Lordi manages to put down a nice mix between Hard and Heavy music and a show in their monster suits. Of course inspired by bands like Kiss and Alice Cooper.

ALL FOR METAL

But before Lordi takes the stage, it is first All For Metal’s turn. This band certainly lives up to their band name. Founded by metal enthusiasts Tim “Tetzel” Wagner (known as the singer of the band Asenblut as well as a strength athlete and fitness influencer) and Antonio Calanna (the tenor of the tenors).

Led by these two front men, All For Metal was allowed to give away their show in an already well-filled hall. Tim looks like he was imported straight from a Thor movie, as did the rest of the band, because the warrior theme is beautifully executed. Musically, this band taps from the keg once filled by a band like Manowar.

What I especially liked was the drive and conviction of the whole band. And that also affected the audience, which was clearly entertained and of which a large part was also there to see and hear All For Metal.

Songs with titles like ,,Fury Of The Gods’’, ,,Born In Valhalla’’ or ,,Goddes Of War’’ speak volumes in terms of the band’s musical direction. But fair is fair, it works! The sound is super, the band plays super tight, the vocals are divided between Tim’s low growling vocals and Antonio’s high range and the audience visibly enjoys the band’s performance.

A fine, well-chosen and entertaining support for Lordi.

LORDI

Well and then the lights are turned off for a second time on this night. As an intro sounds, quite appropriately ,,God Of Thunder’’ by Kiss, the parallel with the icons from the eighties is obvious. Especially when you know that Tomi Putaansuu aka Mr.Lordi is president of the Finnish branch of the official Kiss fan club. Combine Mr. Lordi’s fold-out bat wings and 35 cm high platform soles with the knowledge that he once graduated as a film mechanic and you can imagine that we are dealing with the ultimate visual spectacle for any shock rocker. A Lordi show is not just music, but rather a horror-inspired theater show.

In just under two hours, a fake snake, sandman, smoke, skulls, a wolf’s head, zombie pianist, demon baby, confetti cannon, luminous drumsticks, even more smoke, giant wings, a hovering guitarist and more pass by. Fortunately, it’s all done in such a way that it doesn’t become slapstick. Because of course that trap lurks with 5 musicians in monstrous suits on stage.

In any case, you cannot say that Lordi does not know how to put on a show and musically the band just stands its ground. The sound is great and the light show supports all the visual violence on stage. What I don’t really appreciate are the various solo spots. The keyboard, guitar, bass and drum solo may give the rest of the band members a chance to catch their breath, but they add little or nothing extra to the show.

Song-wise, we mainly get to hear songs from the albums ‘Screen Writers Guild’ and ‘The Monsterican Dream’. Whether these songs would impress enough without all those entertaining show elements, I dare not say, however, in the combination it works!!!

The audience on this Monday night therefore gets what they came for and can enjoy all the spectacle. The show ends with the hit ,,Hard Rock Hallelujah’’ and then it’s really over.
A nice entertaining Monday night in Heerlen. Thanks All For Metal and Lordi.

SETLIST LORDI

Unliving Picture Show
Lucyfer Prime Evil
My Heaven Is Your Hell
Blood Red Sandman
Drum Solo
In the Castle of Dracoolove
Scarecrow
Thing in the Cage
Keyboard Solo
The Children of the Night
Who’s Your Daddy?
Wake the Snake
Bass Solo
Kalmageddon
Shotgun Divorce
Guitar Solo
Inhumanoid
Dead Again Jayne
Devil Is a Loser
Would You Love a Monsterman?
Hard Rock Hallelujah

All photos by Raymond Helebrand