The Riff (Lordi song)

Last updated

"The Riff"
Lordi the riff.jpg
Single by Lordi
from the album To Beast or Not to Beast
Released8 February 2013 (2013-02-08)
Genre Hard rock, heavy metal
Length3:47
Label Sony Music
Songwriter(s) Tracy Lipp, Amen, Mr Lordi
Producer(s) Michael Wagener
Lordi singles chronology
"This Is Heavy Metal"
(2010)
"The Riff"
(2013)
"Nailed by the Hammer of Frankenstein"
(2014)
Music video
"The Riff" on YouTube

"The Riff" is a song by Finnish hard rock band Lordi. It is the first and only single from the album To Beast or Not to Beast , released on 8 February 2013. [1] The band has also made a music video for the song. [2] It's also the first Lordi song that has been released also as an official lyrics video. [1]

Contents

Lordi performed "The Riff" in a German television competition Wok WM in 2013. [3] The song is also featured in a Pinball Rocks app game. [4]

Track listing

  1. "The Riff" (3:47)

Music video

The music video of "The Riff" was filmed exclusively in Czech Republic, in a local supermarket Albert. The video was filmed by Martin Muller. A Czech playmate Dominika Jandlova is featured in the video. The music video got censored by the label Sony Music; they didn't let Dominika Jandlova appear naked in the video. [5]

The song

The lyrics speak figuratively about a near-death experience narrated in the first person. The narrator meets and is offered transport by the grim reaper, which he tries to refuse. The grim reaper insists he "take a peek", referencing visions of the afterlife frequently encountered in near-death experiences. The grim reaper plays a song on guitar and asks the narrator for his honest opinion, to which he uncomfortably replies that "the riff is a killer, but the rest is a throw-away". The grim reaper subsequently dies, and the narrator plagiarises his song, signifying resuscitation and drawing inspiration from the experience. [6]

Related Research Articles

Army of Lovers is a Swedish dance-pop group which formed in 1987 and had a number of hits in Europe throughout the 1990s. Some of their biggest successes include the song "Crucified", which was a big hit in Europe, charting 31 weeks in the Eurochart and peaking at number 14 in 1992. It remains their best-known song internationally. Their second international hit, "Obsession", charted 32 weeks and peaked at number 29.

Lordi Finnish hard rock band

Lordi is a Finnish hard rock/heavy metal band, formed in 1992 by the band's lead singer, songwriter and costume maker, Mr Lordi. In addition to their melodic metal music, Lordi are also known for wearing monster masks and using horror elements with pyrotechnics during concerts and music videos. The band rose to fame in 2002 with their hit single "Would You Love a Monsterman?", and won the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 with their song "Hard Rock Hallelujah".

(Dont Fear) The Reaper Song by Blue Oyster Cult

"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" is a song by American rock band Blue Öyster Cult from the band's 1976 album Agents of Fortune. The song, written and sung by lead guitarist Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser, deals with eternal love and the inevitability of death. Dharma wrote the song while picturing an early death for himself.

Grim Reaper (band) Heavy metal band from the UK

Grim Reaper are a British heavy metal band from the new wave of British heavy metal era. The band was formed in 1979 in Droitwich, England, by guitarist Nick Bowcott.

Seven Nation Army 2003 single by the White Stripes

"Seven Nation Army" is a song by American rock duo the White Stripes. It is the opening track on their fourth studio album, Elephant (2003). V2 Records released the song to American alternative radio on February 17, 2003, as the lead single from the album. Worldwide, the single was issued through XL Recordings. Written and produced by Jack White, the song consists of distorted vocals, a simple drumbeat, and a bass-like riff created by playing a guitar through a pitch shift effect.

Dont Pay the Ferryman 1982 single by Chris de Burgh

"Don't Pay the Ferryman" is a single by Chris de Burgh from his 1982 album The Getaway.

Mr Lordi Musical artist

Tomi Petteri Putaansuu, best known by his stage names Mr Lordi or Mr L, is a Finnish musician, businessman, special effect make-up artist, songwriter, actor, painter, comics artist and graphic designer. He is best known as the lead vocalist of heavy metal/hard rock band Lordi. In the band he is responsible for songwriting and creating all the masks, costumes, graphics and stage props.

Hammer to Fall 1984 Queen single

"Hammer to Fall" is a 1984 song by the British rock band Queen. Written by guitarist Brian May, the song is the eighth track on their 1984 album The Works. It was the fourth and final single to be released from that album, although the single version was edited down by thirty seconds in contrast to the version on the album. Different sleeves were used to package this single and the live picture sleeve is now a collector's item. The song harks back to the Queen of old, with a song being built around a hard angular and muscular riff.

Beast and the Harlot 2006 single by Avenged Sevenfold

"Beast and the Harlot" is a song by Avenged Sevenfold, the song was released as a single taken from their third studio album City of Evil. The song peaked at #19 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart, #44 on the UK Singles Chart., and #1 on the UK Rock Chart on March 12, 2006.

Amen (rock musician) Finnish guitarist (born 1972)

Amen is a Finnish guitarist. He is one of the founding members of the Finnish metal band Lordi and is still playing in the band.

(I Cant Get No) Satisfaction 1965 song by the Rolling Stones

"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" is a song recorded by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. A product of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards' songwriting partnership, it features a guitar riff by Richards that opens and drives the song. The riff by Richards is widely considered one of the greatest hooks of all time. The song lyrics refer to sexual frustration and commercialism.

<i>The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy</i> American animated television series

The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy is an American animated television series created by Maxwell Atoms for Cartoon Network, originally part of Grim & Evil. It follows an extremely dimwitted happy-go-lucky boy named Billy and a cynical remorseless girl named Mandy who, after winning a limbo game to save Billy's pet hamster, gain the mighty Grim Reaper as their best friend in eternal servitude and slavery.

Steve Grimmett is an English heavy metal vocalist.

They Only Come Out at Night (Lordi song) 2007 single by Lordi feat. Udo Dirkschneider

"They Only Come Out at Night" is the fourth single from Lordi's third album, The Arockalypse, and is one of the band's five singles that has not been made into a music video.

<i>To Beast or Not to Beast</i> 2013 studio album by Lordi

To Beast or Not to Beast is the sixth studio album of Finnish hard rock band Lordi, released on 1 March 2013. As is traditional for the band, their costumes were renewed again for the release of this album. The album was produced and mixed by Michael Wagener and engineered by Shani Gandhi. It is the first album to feature members Mana and Hella. It also marks the first and only appearance of former drummer Otus, who died in 2012.

Hella (musician) Musical artist

Hella is a Finnish keyboardist and singer. She is best known as the current keyboardist of Finnish metal band Lordi. Hella uses Korg keyboards. She claims to be a big melodic metal fan, and her favorite bands include Behemoth and Children of Bodom. In January 2014, Hella recorded a song with a Finnish band called Postikortteja Helvetistä.

Lordi discography

Lordi is a Finnish hard rock/heavy metal band formed in 1992 by the band's lead singer, songwriter and costume-designer, Mr. Lordi. The band is known for wearing monster masks and using pyrotechnics during concerts. They rose to domestic success in 2002 with their first single, "Would You Love a Monsterman?". The band's eleventh through their seventeenth studio albums were released as part of the box set Lordiversity.

<i>Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper</i> 2015 studio album by Panda Bear

Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Panda Bear. It was released on January 9, 2015 by the Domino Recording Company. Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper was preceded by the digital release of an extended play, Mr Noah, and two singles, "Mr Noah" and "Boys Latin". It was followed by the extended play Crosswords.

Reapers (song) 2016 single by Muse

"Reapers" is a song by English rock band Muse. It was released as the second promotional single from the band's seventh studio album Drones, and was given a 7" single release, as part of Record Store Day 2016, on 16 April 2016 as the fifth and final single from Drones. It peaked at number 75 on the French Singles Chart, 71 on the Swiss Hitparade singles chart, 37 on Billboard's Hot Rock Songs, and became Muse's highest-charting single on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs at number 2.

"Bathed in Light" is a song by Canadian rock band The Dirty Nil. It was their first single off of their second studio album Master Volume.

References

  1. 1 2 "The Riff (2013)". LORDI Army. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  2. "Lordi – The Riff video released". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  3. "Lordi in TV-shows". LORDI Army. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  4. "The Riff on Pinball Rocks app game on the appstore". Lordi.fi. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  5. "The Riff music video (2013)". LORDI Army. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  6. "Lyrics To Beast or Not to Beast". LORDI Army. Retrieved 2 February 2014.