Lord of the Lost promise to resurrect Germany from their Eurovision grave with their powerhouse glam-rock stylings.
The band make up one of the Big Five acts and more than meets the social expectation of delivering one of the most show-stopping performances of the year. Their striking visuals are backed by the classic, glory days sound of 1970s rock music that's been somewhat diluted over the years.
During their national selection process, Unser Lied für Liverpool, Lord of the Lost took to the stage with their irreplaceable sound and crimson red garments that eventually solidified their spot in the UK. They join the Eurovision family as one of Germany's most established artists but the road to the contest has taken somewhat of a back seat to cater to their long-time fans.
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While this year's Eurovision artists are prepping their production and staging, Lord of the Lost's lead vocalist, Chris Harms, told the Liverpool Echo there's no room to relax.
Chris said: "I don't really have time to feel a lot of excitement because it's so much work every day with preparations but this is actually what keeps me calm and relaxed.
"As soon as I sit around and do nothing, which actually never happens, then I feel weird and anxious... So I'm relaxed and I feel positive right now."
The busy schedule is made tolerable by the band's preferred presence on stage. He added: "As a rock band, we don't really have choreography. We don't have dancers and we don't have moving elements on stage and all of the pyrotechnics and LEDs are taken care of for us. That being said, our staging is going to be much bigger than Unser Lied für Liverpool.
"We're still hoping for red fire rain because in the music video, we have this blood rain but this isn't something you can do on stage because it looks way too brutal. I liked it in the music video from an artistic perspective so what I want is this gold rain in a red colour. We're still working on that because while it's technically possible it's super expensive and not easy to create."
Chris teased their outfits will be similar to Unser Lied fur Liverpool's but amped up a notch. Lord of the Lost will still bring the glam-rock stylings but given the millions of new fans they'll be performing to, it's only right everything, including the wardrobe, gets an upgrade.
Because Lord of the Lost is part of the Eurovision Big Five, it means they automatically qualify for the Grand Final. There's been some contention over the years given the standard of performances allowed to progress but Chris is very much aware of fans' expectations.
He said: "I have to accept it. I'd happily go to the semi-final as well and see how we're doing but of course when you look at it from the outside, especially if you're a fan of a country that's not in the Big Five, then yeah, I totally understand that there's more pressure because people expect from you to be at a different standard.
Germany's track record over the last few years doesn't help the Big Five debate. They've been placed on the lower end of the leaderboard, despite their show-stopping performances, but Europe just hasn't vibed with what they were offering.
Chris said: "I have to feel carefree because if I let all this pressure be put on myself, I wouldn't be able to perform and enjoy it... and if I don't enjoy the performance it will be bad. I just relax and enjoy knowing that some people hate everything about us but whatever happens know that so many others love us too.
"Some say 'Hey, finally Germany's sending something different. This element of surprise might be a recipe for a little bit of success,' whereas others say, 'Okay, this is the end of it for Germany... last year was so bad and it couldn't have gotten worse and now they sent us.' So there are two sides to it."
2023 marks the first time Germany has dabbled in such a gritty yet glamorous sound which Chris hopes will turn the tide for the nation. Rock has historically always done very well in the contest which he added will resonate with new fans discovering the group and those who grew up loving a similar sound.
Lord of the Lost has paid tribute to all of this year's entries by shining a spotlight on them via social media, refusing to let the competitive aspect get in the way of celebrating music. When quizzed on this year's lineup, Chris said: "I don't see myself in a position to say what's good or bad.
"I just say what I'm feeling or what I'm not feeling and of course, there are some songs I can feel a lot. Some songs I listen to and they're just not touching me. But that doesn't mean that it's a bad song. It just means that it's not really touching me.
"That being said, I have two favourites so far - Israel and Estonia. The Estonian song... I just got boost goosebumps. With Israel, I don't know what it is but I'm fascinated in such a great way I've not felt since 2007 when I saw Lady Gaga for the first time. After watching [Noa Kirel], it just got to me and I can't explain why. I really love both of them this year."
Some artists enter the competition to open doors in the industry, boost their careers or to prove their musical prowess. For Lord of the Lost, the Eurovision experience has been with them from an early age. Discussing the impact of what the contest means for everyone in the band, Chris said: "We grew up with Eurovision on our television.
"I remember when I was a kid, it was one of those nights where you were allowed to stay up a little longer and watch TV with the whole family and everybody was rooting for a different country. It really got me excited but I remember being maybe eight or nine years old and from year to year I wanted more on more to be on that stage one day.
With our kind of music, we knew it may take a while [to be considered for Eurovision] and knew it might never even happen but now it has those five little boys who used to watch it have had their dreams come true."
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