LORD OF THE LOST: “The only way to survive with your own kind of music is to stay authentic!”

German industrial metal band Lord Of The Lost, released their 8th studio album “Blood & Glitter” on December 30, 2022.

On the new album, the band fully embraces their deeply-rooted love for '70s glam rock visuals and the sound of '80s and its electronic, goth and new wave musical offshoots, without abandoning relevant metal elements. 

The band's mastermind and frontman Chris "Lord" Harms had a very interesting conversation with Katerina Mitika on their recent album release as well as their participation at the Eurovision song contest, representing Germany in a few weeks!

 

Read below their very interesting conversation.

 

 


RockOverdose: Hi Chris! Welcome on RockOverdose! How are you?

Chris "Lord" Harms (LORD OF THE LOST): I'm good! I'm just tired because I'm not getting very much sleep lately. So many interesting and exciting things to do around the Eurovision preperations everyday, like our interview right now. So many new things, new countries but it's amazing, I'm feeling good!

 

 

RockOverdose:  That's great! You're very active. I would like to ask you first about the album "Blood & Glitter". How did you think of it? Did you have a specific concept in mind? Can you describe the writing process of the album?

 

Well, actually I have this photobook here! It's a photobook of Mick Rock took all of these pictures you can see here, Debbie Hary, Freddie Mercury ... so many people of legendary people and pictures taken back in the 70's. He's the most famous British photographer and he took this pictures on this photobook named "Blood and Glitter" 20 years ago. Someone gave me this photobook before 20 years and I had forgoten it, but 2 years ago I found it again and I remembered everything, and I thought  "Blood and Glitter it's such an interesting title! Why isn't there a song about that?! Why isn't there someone to bring back life to this musical lifestyle, from the early 70's?. In Lord Of Lost we don't want to sound like early 70's but we want to create our own vision of how glam rock might sound today. So we asked ourselves if we have this contrast, "Blood & Glitter", blood which is everything inside of us, our feelings, our thoughts and it makes us all the same because we're all from the same blood and if you have glitter around us, the world around us, also lifestyle, clothes, make up also everything happening around us... how we could make this into a record? So, we decided to do something visually beautiful and glamorous but also having like meaningful and serious lyrics. So besides maybe of 2 songs, it's not a party album, the sound may be all vivid and uptempo but the lyrics and the topics are political, emotional and very direct! That is the concept behind the album.

 

 

RockOverdose: That's very interesting! Actually you wanted to reincarnate the glam of this era with something natural to us. Both blood and glitter are elements that we have in our everyday life. 

Chris "Lord" Harms (LORD OF THE LOST): Yes all the sparkles around us, it's not just clothes and everything else. It's a nice way to describe us and the world we're living in.

 

RockOverdose: That's a really interesting concept I would say. Well, "Blood & Glitter" incorporates a lot of 80's sounds. Why did you add this retro feeling in your last 2 albums?

 

Chris "Lord" Harms (LORD OF THE LOST): Because we love it! We started using some 80's elements already in Thorns album (2018) and then we did it even more in Judas album. We loved it so much! So we thought that if we'd do a glam rock record which is emotionaly inspired by the early 70's and if we put in all these 80's sounds that we love so much and mix it with modern dark rock and modern metal music it might be something beautiful. For us at the momment that's the ideal music! It's very simple, what we do, we do because we love it, not because some people might expect it or the record label want's it or the fans ask for it. We need to be happy of what we do and for us right now that was the perfect mixture!

I asked the boys from the band, "Do you like the concept?" "What do you thing about going full 80's style mixed with modern metal  and heavy & low guitars?" and they say "Yeah! Let's do that!". So, it's just what we love!

 

 

RockOverdose: I believe that the most important thing is when an artist has the capacity to do something that actually loves and cares about. It's amazing that you have this artistic and creativity freedom to do what really express you the most. 

 

Chris "Lord" Harms (LORD OF THE LOST): Yes we have 100% artistic freedom with our label. You know, when you're doing something that you're not entirely love you end up hating your own music, lying to yourself and I think if you're not being authentic. Actually when you're doing alternative music that's so important. When you're part of a pop art which might be constructed by a label and you're just a model within that thing that's totally OK, I don't have anything against constructed acts, it's interesting and sometimes it's what the industry needs, just looking forward for the perfect pop act.

But if you're a grown band like us, which has grown for 15years the only way to survive with your own kind of music is to stay authentic!

 

RockOverdose: That's very true and I honestly believe that this record with 80's style really fits with your aesthetic and also your industrial music. 

 

Chris "Lord" Harms (LORD OF THE LOST): Thank you! I think so too.

 

RockOverdose: Of course I couldn't skip the fact that you're representing Germany for Eurovision song contest 2023. How come your decision to participate? Congratulations for your win too. 

Chris "Lord" Harms (LORD OF THE LOST): We were trying to go to the Eurovision for many years already because it's really interesting. At first it came out as a curiosity, to see how it would turn out for an alternative music act might fit in this world and how far we might go, and on the other hand it's something we watched on TV when we were kids. So, we found ourselves in front of the TV as kids looking at the stage and wishing we could be there someday. That's actually the main reason why we did that, we didn't stop trying to get into that stage for 5-6 years now and this year it worked!

 

RockOverdose: That's very inspiring. Your dream came true because you never gave up. That's very important. 

Chris "Lord" Harms (LORD OF THE LOST): Never stop trying and the momment that you have your first success don't stop but keep on doing the things you do not just 100% but 200%! This is the biggest mistake that young artists, they're working on their first stuff and because nobody expects something from them, they thing they have all the time in the world and then the biggest mistake you can do is to lean back and wait.  If the first success comes, keep on fighting! No matter how successful you are, keep on fighting. If you really want it you can't stop.

 

 

RockOverdose: Well, this is a general rule in life. If you don't fight for what you want and what you dream off the chance wont come from the heavens' above! 

 

Chris "Lord" Harms (LORD OF THE LOST): There's always the element of luck and we should never forget this. Being at the right place at the right time. I have so many friends playing in great bands with great songs but many of those will never be heard worldwide because there's the element of luck! It doesn't matter how much promotion you do or how big your label is, there are some things that you can't control, but of course if you don't fight (which is the basic element of success) you will not get anywhere!

 

RockOverdose: That's very true actually. You never know how people will receive a piece of media, they may hate it or love it. But that doesn't mean you should rely on that luck element.... Well, about Eurovision, were you inspired from previous rock contestants in order to participate?

 

Chris "Lord" Harms (LORD OF THE LOST): As I already said, we liked Eurovision since we were kids. I wouldn't consider me or the other guys being a fan, because this means you're following all the preliminary shows from all the countries, all the artist, it means you're fanatic, you have really focus on that. We like it, we watch it but I wouldn't consider myself a fanatic. We're not inspired by Eurovision rock artists, I know lot of metal or rock bands that took part in Eurovision but none of them is on the list of bands I'm a fan of. I like them but I'm not a fan, it's not the music I would listen privately. Actually, I listen more pop music than metal!

 

RockOverdose: That's a very interesting fact, that a rock artist is listening to pop music. 

 

Chris "Lord" Harms (LORD OF THE LOST): I'm producing music all day, in the universe of Lord Of The Lost it's all about heavy sounds and stuff. So I like to contrast when I listen music privately. So I listen to pop female voices actually, I don't want to hear a guy shouting because I'm doing that all day... I like to listen to classical music, to film soundtracks, 80's pop music and I also like 70's psychedelics rock. I always need this difference. I very rarely listen to metal.

 

RockOverdose: I can say you have a great taste of music. I also love female voices and pop music and of course soundtracks. We already have a lot in common. 

 

Chris "Lord" Harms (LORD OF THE LOST): Very good!RockOverdose: Why did you use to participate with the single "Blood & Glitter" out of all songs?

Chris "Lord" Harms (LORD OF THE LOST): Well, some of the songs wouldn't really work because they are too obviously political and some I find too hard. So, for Eurovision you need a song that kind of represents the band in a way, or represents the band most.

"Blood And Glitter" is a song in which within 3 minutes, you have 90% of the elements which Lord Of The Lost is about. You have the silent piano momments, you have low voice, you have a high voice, you have an anthem as the chorus, you have like a little 80's in the versus... some screaming, a quitar riff... This song represents Lord Of The Lost very well, and also the concept of Blood & Glitter is so easy to visualise for a stage, with colours, clothes... it's just the perfect match for Eurovision.

 

 

RockOverdose: I agree on that one! Because Eurovision needs glam! "Blood & Glitter" gives it! It fits perfectly! What does it mean to you personaly?

 

Chris "Lord" Harms (LORD OF THE LOST): Well, for me personally the message of the song is that we are all from the same blood. Also in the versus of the song we sing "What we are is but a choice ... You're free to break and change!". It means that you have life in your hands, you can decide where to go .. however, not everyone in this world is free to decide and that's a problem! Not everyone can break and change, but luckily most of us are able to. What I like about it most is when we say "You're free to change" which means that you can embrace the change and that's ok. Some people, even open minded people are stick to this one thing that they have given themselves a while ago, I'm embracing the fact that I can be a different person everyday. So, this song for me is about the choice of personal freedom and the change that comes with it. This is what I like about that song and I hope it can give perspective and hope! Although when you first look at the song it's just a heavy party song, but if you take your time and listen to the words you can see this little more behind it.

 

 

RockOverdose: It's a song that I like very much this year and I'm very happy that it has a beautiful message behind it. Can you give us some hind about the staging? Will it be the same as in your national finals performance?

 

Chris "Lord" Harms (LORD OF THE LOST): Yes and No. The basic concept is going to be the same, Blood and Glitter so it will be red and gold. We are a rock band, so the whole show will be based around a typical rock show, like it was in the German final. So, there's not gonna be dancers or any flying elements etc It's going to be the same but much bigger , more fire, more lights, more extreme! Basically it's going to be the same, because we want to be authentic and we need to keep it a rock band on stage and not a show! Everything is planned already!

 

RockOverdose: Sounds cool! How did you find the process of shooting?

Chris "Lord" Harms (LORD OF THE LOST): It was interesting but nothing different of what we have used to. We've been doing such things in music videos, it was pretty much like that. It was a long interesting day but nothing new for us, we didn't feel strange! It was natural for us.

 

 

RockOverdose: I've seen that you play the cello! Any plan of doing a cello version of Blood & Glitter?

Chris "Lord" Harms (LORD OF THE LOST): Maybe not a cello version but I'd like to do an orchestral version. Because every couple of years we are releasing orchestral albums with some new and old stuff which are being transformed.

Since "Blood & Glitter" will become one of our biggest hits, which is obvious as lot of people are going to see it, in 2-3 years it might be this song that many people will connect with us, it will be very stupid not to transform it into an orchestral version.

 

RockOverdose: What do you remember from your last time in Greece?

Chris "Lord" Harms (LORD OF THE LOST): We played in Athens last summer at the Olympic Stadium with IRON MAIDEN! It was amazing, 50000 people at a warm summer night! I remember siting behind the stage and watching the audience singing along on "Fear Of The Dark" and teardrops fell of my face... It was one of my greatest memories! It was our first time being in Greece and hope to come back soon!

 

RockOverdose: Would you like to send a message to your greek fans?

Chris "Lord" Harms (LORD OF THE LOST): Of course! I actually tried to learn some greek words to say in between the songs last summer in Athens, but sadly I forgot them!  When I come back I hope I can learn something because it's a very interesting language! Hope to see you all soon live!

 

RockOverdose: Thank you so much for your time! We will enjoy you at the Eurovision contest soon! 

Chris "Lord" Harms (LORD OF THE LOST): Thank you very much! Bye!

 

 

For RockOverdose,

Katerina Mitika

 

 

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