LORDI

No matter how many styles the journalistic fraternity invents in their relentless pursuit of originality, there will always be someone ready to mess with the great cause of classification, evil smirk and all. Finland's demons LORDI are exactly that sort. So we're supposed to invent a style for them... Fine, let's go with samantha-fox-metal -- no one's sported that label yet, it seems. "The Monster Show" is thermonuclear heavy metal, assembled according to all the canons of true rock 'n' roll, with instantly memorable refrains and shocking makeup. With the right arrangement approach, many of these songs would fit comfortably in the repertoire of Diana Ross or BONEY M, but in their final form they strongly resemble a heavier version of ALICE COOPER circa "Trash" and -- of course! -- the great and terrible KISS. Best tracks: "Devil Is A Loser," "Blood Red Sandman" (released as a single), and the opener "Bring It On." The cover art, I must say, is a letdown (ahem!), but it does present the "little monsters" in their finest form -- complete with all their Hellraiser-grade gear. And if the fact that the album was produced by Hiili Hiilesmaa (AMORPHIS, H.I.M.) hasn't helped you dispel your last doubts about this release's merit, run to the store as fast as you can! Otherwise -- you risk being late...