The Wiwi Jury — our in-house team of music unprofessionals — is reviewing and rating the 37 competing songs in Eurovision 2023. Next we review Germany, who have chosen Lord of the Lost with “Blood & Glitter”.
Did we lose ourselves in the song? Read on to find out!
Lord of the Lost – “Blood & Glitter” (Germany Eurovision 2023)
Review: Lord of the Lost – “Blood & Glitter”
Pablo: Words can’t put into perspective just how much I love this darn song. After years of “safe”, Germany went with a polarising act poised to make a statement. Lord of the Lost combines a variety of bold creative directions and manages to turn them into something exciting. The glam presentation, the uniquely gothic tone of Chris’ voice that changes flawlessly from singing and growling, the spacy synths that bring a quirky, clubby, Berlin-esque element to this heavy rock offering… Everything checks the right boxes into what is Germany’s most exciting package in years. This deserves to be noticed and go high up the scoreboard.
Score: 9.5
Antranig: I’m not a fan of blood or glitter – they’re both very messy and very hard to clean up. I really like the verses and pre-chorus of this song, but for me it falls completely flat in a totally underwhelming chorus. I go through the three minutes expecting this song to evolve or blossom into something, or simply just explode and go crazy, but that never comes. I appreciate the musical diversity Germany are providing to this year’s contest and I think it is good to have this entry in the mix. However, this could, and should, have been a lot better.
Score: 4
Oliver: From vintage synths to gender-bending fashion, Lord of the Lost pay tribute to the heyday of German glam rock, sparking fond memories of bands like Scorpions and Rammstein. Yet therein lies the problem. Although it stands out at Eurovision, their song is simply an abridged version of its predecessors, lacking originality. Elsewhere, Chris Harms’ complex vocals are hard to replicate for the average karaoke connoisseur, meaning the song lacks singalong quality and replay value. Still, “Blood & Glitter” is Germany’s strongest Eurovision entry in a decade. Outlandish and exuberant, this deserves more points than other German entries as of late.
Score: 6
Rick: I still can’t believe Germany is finally sending a memorable entry this year – and it’s actually good and enjoyable. This is nothing like what I listen to every day, but I can definitely appreciate it for what it is. Not only could metal/glam rock fans fall in love with it but maybe also others since it’s still quite melodic and has a “mainstream-quality”. I’m also in love with the band’s aesthetic and their values since they spread the message of tolerance. This could be a good start for a new German era at Eurovision.
Score: 8
Jonathan: This is definitely a step forward for Germany. Unlike some of the country’s other recent acts that faded into obscurity, there’s no denying that you can’t forget about Lord of the Lost once they’ve rocked all over the stage and drenched it in blood and glitter. But despite the fire and passion, the song lacks some staying power. When you’ve finally got on board with the melody, which itself would have been more ground breaking in past decades, the screamo vocals come along and knock you off course – so you’re never quite able to fully grasp things. Certainly a step forward, but a few more steps are needed before Germany is back at their peak.
Score: 5
Germany Eurovision 2023 ranking
In the Eurovision 2023 Wiwi Jury, we have 20 jurors but only have room for five reviews. The remaining scores are below:
|
Cinan: 7.5 Dayana: 6 Deban: 7 Diego: 5.5 Forrest: 6 Kristín: 9.5 Lucy: 4 Luis: 6.5 |
Renske: 6.5 Ron: 5.5 Ruxandra: 7 Samuel: 5 Simon: 4.5 Tom: 7.5 William: 7 |
We have removed the highest and lowest scores prior to calculating the average. This is to remove outliers and potential bias. We have removed a low of 4 and a high of 9.5.
Wiwi Jury verdict: 6.33/10
What do you think of Germany’s Eurovision 2023 entry? Share your own score and review for Lord of the Lost’s “Blood & Glitter” below!
A lot of good things in the comments about the song so why is the verdict so low? You know bands like Lord of the Lost and Voyager to an extent already have their niche market – metal fans that is – have already established careers and already tour globally so they see Eurovision as a medium to boost their popularity a little as well as open up to a greater audience. They also do it for a laugh. It’s all those former TV talent shows contestants plus the regional acts that their music cannot find a wider audience that… Read more »
I mean common, LOTL have been touring with Iron Maiden since last year so do they really need Eurovision? Not really.
It’s been years since I last was this proud of our entry – or even simply not ashamed of it. Whatever the outcome may be, I’m glad Lord of the Lost even applied and over the moon the German public for once went with the best choice.
I feel like this could resonate well with mainstream audiences, yet doesn’t put the metalheads off. It’s just a bit of bad timing they will have to compete with Voyager, Käärijä and Let 3. Still, this might even slip into the Top 10 if the juries acknowledge Chris’ complicated vocals.
Agreed, and to back that up: Germany’s Lord Of The Lost would probably be in my top 5 this year if it wasn’t for Australia’s Voyager.
Voyager is superb. I had a look through their entire discography and I’m really surprised they haven’t made it much bigger. Mixing metal with elements of prog, electronica and 80’s pop is their thing, I don’t think there’s any other band that does this.
Käärijä’s is not really metal though is it?. It has a few elements of industrial rock but that’s about it.
LOTL are well-known around Europe so their fans could boost them into the top 10. About the rest of the public I’m not sure. It’s still a bit of a quirky song It’s also a departure from anything they’ve done before so I’m sure they made the song with Eurovision in mind. For this type of band it is the right song to be represented with.
It’s probably the fact that I’m a sucker for old school glam rock and gothic metal, but this is one my favourites this year and I’m extremely happy that Germany is finally sending something that represents genuinely their music scene. Everything is very high impact, from the music and the vocals, to the image and the outfits and I’m loving it. The genres meddle really nicely and although Lord of the Lost moderated their style a bit to make it more accessible to larger audiences, it still maintains their personality and authenticity. The theme of the song is not a… Read more »
I’m a fan of Lord Of The Lost, so please forgive me if I cannot objectively look at this song. I’m really happy they’re in Eurovision, and this is easily my favourite ever Germany entry. Chris Harms has wonderful stand-out bass vocals and is very good at communicating with the camera. The outfits are of course OTT and interpretations of the song cover at least 15 different meanings. Yes it’s a pastiche, but it’s a perfectly executed one. Musically I like the rock guitar and synth melodies working together, I like the rhythms throughout and the triplets in the Pre-Chorus… Read more »
Really pleased that you’ve enjoyed this from a technical, music perspective Purple.
Are “bass vocals” really a thing? I mean, it’s a musical term? Because it’s the perfect way to describe Chris’ skills.
Indeed, it’s the range below Tenor and Baritone. It’s vocals that are roughly on or below the stave when the bass clef is used, basically. As far as I know, only Germany and Greece have Bass vocals this year. (Greece is more of a Baritone sound though, whereas Germany has a Bass sound for sure.)
I really enjoyed to read your review. Thanks!
GERMANY – After a few bad results, Germany decided to switch things up and send a glam-rock / metal song. I understand this choice, as the song is loud and hard to miss. The chorus has a memorable melody, and it’s easy to sing along to. The issue is, once you hit that chorus, it repeats quite a lot with little variation. The strength of this band is their energy on stage, and that they come off as quite authentic. The lyrics describe a yin and yang principle, using visually striking terms. I like the idea behind them, even if… Read more »
It’s interesting to see that even people like you, who in principle like the song, are still only giving it a middling score. This fact does not bode well for the final result, I think. Being everyone’s 11th still equals zero points in Eurovision, as we all know.
Nope, it’s 6th for me haha. I think this will get elevated very much when performed live in a big stage and it will definitely get some votes from people that like it but are not completely sold yet by just listening to the track.
I agree, I like it, but it’s barely in my ”ideal final” (top 26). It’s not my favorite song in the German NF, but I certainly find it to be the most competitive one. Retroactively, I still find it to be a solid set of diverse entries, but with a high low-bar, and a low high-bar. Mostly 6s and 7s. I guess that people are thrilled that Germany stayed away from songs like Soap and whatever that vanilla peace song in German was last year. Still, we need something even bolder from The Big Five. Despite of its generally welcoming… Read more »
Our first disagreement in the season haha 🙂
It would appear so (our ratings have been quite similar so far)! I am okay with this song, and I really appreciate the oomph in visuals and glam aspect of things. I just find the lack of variation in there, and glam-metal isn’t my go-to style (although there are occasional songs in there that I find really amazing).
It seems we are very well aligned this year Colin, and I really like the way you approach your reviews which makes me anticipate your next ones. 🙂 On Germany – I don’t think that the song requires a lot of variation, because there are many striking elements already there, both sonically and visually and that’s already interesting for me. I think adding more variation could actually harm its authenticity. I guess I’m easier on my scores for this one, not because it’s an amazing song -it’s definitely a very good one though-but mostly due to the fact that it’s… Read more »
That’s why it still edges on the positive side for me. I find it fun, authentic, and very professionally executed. For fans of the genre, this is a treat. This year, we are quite in-sync, which makes me very excited for the last 11 songs. 🙂
The German national final was surprisingly good this year, especially considering how bad the selection was in 2022. It was nice that the broadcaster actually put forward an option that the general public could really get behind and support. They even did so over the obvious car-crash joke act, which considering the absolute exasperation many Germans feel towards Eurovision at this point, was not a given. So, in some ways, I am really happy with the choice that they made. I believe that every country should have an entry that truly represents them and has the support of their public.… Read more »
I agree with you on the song but not on the assessment of the german national final. 😉
I’m a big fan of European metal, and enjoy a lot of metal from Germany. I really love that Germany chose this route with their song. I just can’t say that I like the song itself. It’s fine, it’s catchy, but it feels more like an imitation of metal rather than the real thing. The lyrics especially feel like they were written by someone who was unwilling to fully commit to the genre. It would work if the singer could sell it properly, but he looks and sounds completely bored by the whole thing. There’s just no energy coming from… Read more »
If you don’t see energy in this one, may I ask, wich entry you find energetic, accept of Cha-Cha-Cha?
12/12
I think the score is far too low. This is a dark horse and will do much better in May than many of you assume. Rock and Metal isn’t for everyone, especially not in Eurovision, so you can’t take this result seriously, especially not by removing the highest and lowest score which doesn’t make sense if you have such a specific genre. The ones who really love this will call for it because it’s a) awesome and b) always a pleasure to have Metal in Eurovision. This song is really amazing and I‘m happy Germany made a step into the… Read more »
It was time to see some metal from Germany; they have one of the most solid metal scenes in the world, after all. It’s not my favorite effort, BUT I highly respect it, and I hope it’s just the beginning for Germany. This participation can encourage other German metal artists to participate!
High hopes on that. Good song.
Wow, that score is almost offensive. This type of music is truly not for everyone but has always had its place on the Eurovision staged. Lord of the Lost are seasoned performers even more than Voyager and I’m sure “Blood & Glitter” will stand out in May on stage. I hope they are preparing a superb staging. It’s true though this can go both to the bottom or to the top 15, who knows. Whatever, Germany is my 6th. 6. Germany (7.5) 8. San Marino (7.25) 9. Azerbaijan (7) 10. Ireland (7) 11. Armenia (7) 13. Serbia (7) 14. Moldova… Read more »
Fair play to Germany for trying something different. I like the heavy metal, rock style but the lyrics sound like it was written using ChatGPT. Overall, it’s ok – expect a low scoreboard finish for them, not last though
Last place contender for me. Sorry Germany.
I’m truly happy to see that Germany’s taking a risk again this year, instead of sending another act that is bound to remain in the bottom 5. While the potential success of this song is wildly unpredictable, I too can’t say I’d vote for this, purely because this kinda music is not my taste. I can still appreciate it to some extent, but I can’t do it fully.
I’m giving this a 5/10. One of few acts this year that I find really difficult to rank.
I am not sure if I like this one. The song IS ok(ish) but the leading singer’s voice seems too cavernous. I am not sure if that IS his voice or he is just forcing It to sound more “rocker”.
It’s his voice, he’s just using it performatively, playing a character. There’s more than just one way to sing.
1. Lord of the Lost – Blood and Glitter (Germany) – 9.5/10 – Oh, the contradictions that course through every vein of this entry – a reflection of the imperfect masterpiece of life itself – light and shade, positivity and melancholy, the rough and the smooth, it feels very satisfying that this tops my list yet doesn’t hit a 10/10. The song sits in my natural sweet spot yet is accessible to all. Lord of the Lost aptly demonstrate the benefits of experience in delivering an accomplished performance which is engaging and entertaining. I am very much looking forward to… Read more »
We’ve had a lot of ranking/rating matches recently that we were due a big difference of opinion and, yeah, we’ve got a huge one here.
That’s absolutely fine with me Briekimchi, it kinda fits the vibe of the song, completely different yet somehow the same. I can absolutely guarantee that the reverse will be true very soon. I am already preparing to break the downvote button!
It’s been a while we’ve been waiting for Germany to send something like this to Eurovision, right? Ironically, they may had picked the wrong year for that, because the metal elements in “Cha Cha Cha” and the caustic attitude of Let 3 make this considerably tame in comparison. It’s still fun to watch though and Chris Harms’ firm vocals deserve appreciation, though we know juries won’t fall for that. So Germany will depend on the televote and they can’t save on blood and specially glitter if they want to succeed. 6.25
I would hope that juries will recognize the skill in his voice, and not judge vocals solely on hitting high notes and how long they can be sustained. Which can be soulless, but unfortunately what reality shows have drilled people into thinking is talent.
Then again, I’m not even sure that juries should be voting on vocals at all, good or bad.
Juries shouldn’t be *as picky as they are* regarding vocals, that’s for sure. Nor should they put vocals ahead of composition, melody, or lyrics of the song itself. Still, it’s okay that the most skilled vocals get a point or two more, and those who are signing in a way that even regular audiences, who know nothing of keys and tempo, cover their ears, get a point or two less.
We’re on the same page on the disservice reality singing competitions provided to the general audiences’ view about what are good vocals. I believe vocals should be judged in Eurovision, but since it’s a song contest, it should be a limit about how a good vocalist can do with a so-so entry. More important than belting high and/or long notes is to have vocals that take your song to the max. Konstrakta and Monika Liu were good examples last year. They were perfect for their material.
“Tame” is a good word for the musical side of things in “Blood And Glitter”. As you suggest towards the end, Germany’s best bet for a good result is to cover up the song as much as possible with over-the-top staging.
This is literally the one single thing that Germany could’ve done in Eurovision to impress me.
This is not that good. I’m ready for downvotes but I see this ending in the bottom 5.
“Blood & Glitter” is 10% blood and 90% glitter. It could be the opening theme of a cartoon about a fictional rock band – the melody is cheerful and straightforward, it teaches us the importance of being yourself and the metal components add a cute, rainbow garnish. No parental advisory required. The message is not too different from Ireland’s, however something about the line “we’re so happy we could die” seems poignant when shouted by a bird of paradise. It’s disappointing how uneventful the staging is compared to the band’s glam(orous) outfits – I would listen to every Ikke Huftgold song… Read more »
I don’t think any Rammstein comparison is intended favourably for LOTL, sadly.
Yeah, the bands aren’t remotely the same. I mentioned that Chris’ voice has a slight tinge of Till’s vocals during the chorus but overall the comparison isn’t really warranted.
As someone who listens to metal, I’m glad to see the genre being represented at Eurovision. “Blood & Glitter” is far from the worst song in this genre we could’ve had to participate in Eurovision either. It’s quite catchy, will have appeal to the televote and the band members are all very experienced performers. It’s not in my top 10 this year but I hope they’ll have a decent result 🙂
That being said, it’s not a song I’d listen to outside of Eurovision, as it’s not the kind of metal I gravitate towards.
This will definitely get points from both the public and the jury.
As time to the eurovision was going closer this song grew on me a lot. Actually it made me fiscover their discography from their start in 2007. And me and my friend were shocked we didnt hear for them until now because this is the kind of music we personally love and listen onna daily basis! However, at my ranking it is at high 2nd place (I know, it shocked me as well but I cant help myself) and when I got the results in the sorter I actually didnt want to change anything. One of my favourites this year… Read more »
I truly believe this is one of the dark horses this year. Even when I don’t like dark metal. The song is very listenable and there are a big community of rock fans’ out there that also watch Eurovision and also vote.
This is irrelevant from the article but anyone have an idea when the rehearsal schedule is released?
I think there will be official footage from the EBU. I really hope we will get the exclusive rehearsal clips during the second rehearsals specifically
Not sure if anything is confirmed yet but some things I heard were:
No tik tok videos this year (apparently).
No videos of the first rehearsals and no press access for first rehearsals (like last year, dont know what that means for those getting online press passes).
It might only be photos for first rehearsals.
Again,I’m not sure but this is what ive heard some people say so I thought if this is the case, it’d be good to share.
I wonder if the second rehearsal clips will be shown like they will look like on TV.
Finally Germany comes out of the safe zone for ESC to bring a really interesting song ….. watch the public votes for this one because Lord of the Lost have a massive fan base.
This is my no. 2 this year and mostly thanks to the live performance – only then the song comes alive. Also I’m not one of those metal “purists” with very narrow view on what music is “real” rock/metal and what isn’t. This rocks and I want to see some pyro.
btw I also listened to the rest of Lord of the Lost’s latest album and wasn’t wowed. Blood and Glitter is the best song there.
General point list has not been updates for days.
All the reviewers above who say that Germany is getting back to sending good entries or has the best one in a decade have forgotten about fourth place Michae Schulte from 2018. That was a great song! But like Antranig, blood and glitter are literally very messy and their video which show so much of it is a bit off putting.
People saying this is heavy metal really need to check out real metal bands.
This is a Eurovision pastiche
Germany being actually brave to take the risk and offer Europe something different for once? Pinch me if I’m dreaming! I’m not a sucker for metal and overall, dark rock/pop etc. but I’d be totally lying if I was to admit this is not one of my favorite entries this year! The message is quite simple, about self acceptance but the lyrics work greatly with the genre,speaking about blood and glitter and it is right at the verge of “as dark, over-the-top and heavy as I can take”, which actually gives it some extra points. My #8, with a 9.5/20… Read more »
9.5/10, whoops, damn you, phone keyboard.
I enjoyed them enough at Germany’s selection (compared to Ikke they were practically gods), but there’s a low ceiling for me on this kind of kitsch, and LotL aren’t bringing the musical or topical interest that Let 3 are. It’s fine, they seem like good guys (I’ve enjoyed their supplementary material more than their actual song), but they’ll be in my bottom five of the final unless the semi voters really screw up. 5/10
19th place: GERMANY: The song on its own is actually catchy even if the lyrics are too simple. Some of the metal and industrial influences are actually nice, even if they are more oriented towards fitting the ‘Eurovision mold’, with a more pop chorus, a self-acceptance message and a soft approach to the rock genre. However, the over-the-top presentation is off-putting for me: it makes the whole result border on being tacky. Still though, I can’t rank them lower since the song on its own has its moments. I am really curious to see the result Germany will achieve this… Read more »
Ouch, so the one thing I thought could set this entry a little bit apart and benefiut it is off-putting for you. That’s unfortunate, I’m getting more and more worried for this.
To be honest I am also not really optimistic about Germany’s chances of escaping the bottom 5. You said it correctly that this song is perhaps neither for hardcore hard rock fans nor for viewers that are more oriented towards pop music. The presentation is also divisive. Perhaps it would work for more people if it was coupled with a more impactful song. As it is, I am also worried.
Yeah, I’m completely the opposite when it comes to this entry where I think the song is so weak, that distracting the viewer with the over-the-top-presentation is the optimum way for Germany to attain points.
I definitely think the word “tacky” applies more to what I’m hearing, rather than what I’m seeing.
I would apply the word tacky to what I am hearing as well actually. It’s a classic case of Eurovision rock/metal, meaning that they have tried to adjust the song to the Eurovision mold. If it was a more representative song of the genre I would like it more.
Discount Lordi
4/10
Germany: In a selection with a number of entries that I quite like (a number of them not the most liked by other fans such as Will Church’s song Hold On and Réne Miller’s Concrete Heart), German televoters selected Lord of the Lost as their entrant for this years contest. For my own personal taste, i’m not the biggest fan of metal songs (usually I find them a bit abrasive and quite loud, I don’t love loud music and whatever the metal scream is called, just not my cuppa personally). In terms of this entry, initially I thought in terms… Read more »
The biggest reason by far for the praise this song receives is just that it’s not as bland as the last few German entries, that’s pretty much it. Judging Blood and Glitter on its own, it’s basically a massively uninspired and repetitive stereotype, from the kitschy stage show to the lyrics themselves: blood and glitter, saint and sinner, sweet and bitter. I mean, come on now… They’ve written a schlager chorus that they’re repeating over and over again, even during the bridge, they don’t deserve to finish anywhere near the left-hand side of the scoreboard for that alone.
Although this act is more competitive than everything Germany has sent since 2019 combined and certainly more competitive than Ikke Hüftgold who loomed over this national final like a bad omen, “Blood and Glitter” is still nothing I’m sure will bring them out of the bottom five. For fans of real hardcore rock, this is too tame, and for listeners of pop music, the growling and screaming will be off-putting. Melodically and looking at the instrumental side, it’s solid, although there is not a ton of variation here, so what will make this entry memorable is their styling which admittedly… Read more »
Both you and Sabrina use the word “Tame” in your reviews of LOTL and I think it’s such a good word to use. I’m starting to genuinely worry about what the target listener/viewer of this song at Eurovision actually is. I think the heavier moments of Australia’s entry does a lot of what LOTL are attempting to do, better than they do, and even Slovenia have more energy and drive in their Indie-rock offer…so I don’t see any reason for rock fans to gravitate to it…and with Finland offering a much more dynamic and interesting “hardcore” spectacle, I think that’s… Read more »
Sabrina and I often come to similar conclusions, I have also noticed that. It’s all the more interesting for me to see where we do not agree on first listen, it usually means that I give these tracks another spin to see if I have missed something.
I really like metal. This is not the kind of metal I’m into nor do I think it’s particularly good within its genre. I think if you’re somebody who’s new and generally not big into metal it’s a great rock song that’s mainstream friendly. It’s a solid 5 to me. I’d like more akin to Hatari.
12) Germany – WE ARE BLOOD AND GLITTAHHHHHH! I always appreciate a song like this, purely because it makes me nostalgic over my taste in music in high school. Chris Harms is a fantastic frontman and he has the tiniest tinge of Till Lindemann (from Rammstein) in his voice, which I definitely love. Staging was great in their national final and hopefully it stays that way. I will be so sad if Germany lands in the bottom again as they definitely don’t deserve to be. Just thank the Lord (lols) that Ikke didn’t win, because that would’ve definitely been my… Read more »
I’ve been waiting to do that joke for ages, btw.
On the surface it’s a badass song, but actually it’s quite generic. It does nothing different from what has already been done 20 years ago but better.
PSA: Don’t put glitter up there.
I didn’t even know you could make a “metal” song generic. It’s also kinda repetitive in lyrics. The chorus alone exists like 6 times or something. Undoubtedly excellent vocals. But the song doesn’t go anywhere for me. I’m happy for them though, cause this definitely won’t get bottom 3.
P.S. Frida Gold, I’m in love. Please try again!
Rating: 4/10 (27th)
Germany 7/12
Cringe
I would love to see Germany get a good result this year. I really like Blood and Glitter