Happy New Year!
Greetings noble citizens of Amen-Ra Dynasty Kingdom 🙏 How have you been? We have gathered here today to celebrate New Year's Eve, so here's a little peek into 2022. First, this year was like a two sided coin. A lot of shows were canceled and postponed. It was expected but not accepted. Then again, Lordi released seven phenomenal studio albums! I can't be more happy and privileged to be part of such a great project. But, what's the point of the whole music business if you can't play live? These times are crazy and we just have to be patient and wish for better times to come. And they will. I want to thank you all who are with me and with the band during these times, we need each other more than ever. 🤟🏼
2021, right. Goodbye. 2022, welcome, what do you have for us? Entertain us. I'm afraid we will have some shows canceled and postponed again. Maybe it's a new normal. Sometimes you play, sometimes not, it's quite simple. We have a lot of shows booked for next year, so if you shoot with the big guns, I think sometimes you hit somewhere, right? I do this because I want to play live, for you, with you. Period.
2022 is going to be a BIG year for me. It's a year when I celebrate my 25 years in Lordi. It's half of my lifetime. Yeah, I know I know. And yes, as you can do the math, it means that I will turn 50. I think it's just another gear in my rock 'n roll gearbox, so let's hit the highway. So much has happened during these years and I started to think about how I could celebrate this remarkable year. Yes, more music. That's essential. Amen-Ra's Dynasty will release more music, hopefully the full album. Also, I will finish my ambitious saga called "Before Life - Life - After Life". It's an instrumental, half an hour story about how I see this cycle of life. The plan is to release it not only as audio but also in digital artwork format. What else? Well, as we are on fire here, maybe I should tell you, noble friends, there's a book on the way! Oh yeah, that's the plan. I wanted to put down my memories and experiences and stories from these Lordi years as long as I still remember something. The writing process started over a year ago, now we are a little behind our schedule but it will be finished before the summer. If the actual release goes to '23, then that's what it is, but anyway, the book is on the way. I hope you'll like it then. At least me and my writer have had so much fun writing it so it has already been worth doing it, haha.
Sounds like a great busy year for me and that's the way I want my rock 'n roll! Also Lordi's debut album "Get Heavy" will turn 20 years old so that's one reason to celebrate 2022, this little firstborn. Of course Lordi hopefully plays many shows and on top of that, there's a plan to do "An evening with Amen-Ra" -guitar clinics in autumn. I hope you have lot of fun, happiness and love in 2022, stay safe, stay cool and never stop rock and roll.
Photo edit: Royal Nightmare
So be it, it shall be done,
Yours,
Amen
Photo by MapleStorm