#lordofthelost — Public Fediverse posts

With 33 songs and over two hours of music, Lord of the Lost has written an ambitious trilogy, mercifully spread across eight months rather than released all at once. On Opvs Noir, the band leans into the darker, more gothic aspects of their pop-infused metal, bringing plenty of guest collaborators aboard to keep things spicy. The first two volumes of this opvs have proven a success, with creative instrumentation and an affecting performance from frontman Chris Harms. The question is whether Lord of the Lost can keep up the momentum across another 11 tracks on Vol. 3. The finale of an ambitious project such as this can often feel bittersweet, as it marks the end of something you have (hopefully) come to love, or, like the finales to the Mission Impossible series or Daniel Craig’s James Bond run, it can just be plain disappointing.

Unlike the more energetic, sometimes ostentatious arrangements of the prior two records, Vol. 3 proves to be a much mellower affair. The gothic symphonic elements often pair with softer pop/rock tunes, many of which aim at mood over hooks. Opener “Kill the Lights” starts off with a poppy beat, some cellos, and a growling Chris Harms, and though the chorus might not stick, it’s an overall good song. The moodier pieces don’t always work, however. “The Shadows Within,” which alternates between slower pop and higher energy techno-pop, is largely forgettable. The minimalist finale, “The Days of Our Lives,” serves as a disappointing send-off for the trilogy, though Harms, as usual, makes it worthwhile with his melodic cadence. Though overall less exciting, Vol. 3 does offer plenty of catchy ballads and duets, including “La Vie Est Hell,” performed with departing Kissin’ Dynamite frontman, Hannes Braun.1 It doesn’t do anything fancy, yet I find it often playing in my head on repeat.2

Opvs Noir Vol. 3 does milk some variety out of a couple of pop-related themes coursing through it: empowerment and doomed love. The two most upbeat tunes, “I’m a Diamond” and “I Hate People,” play out as Rammstein techno-industrial pop anthems for people who don’t quite fit in with mainstream society. While “I’m a Diamond” is the catchiest song on offer, the lyrics are a touch contrived.3 “I Hate People” turns the misanthropic-sounding title on its head by directing its ire towards those who seek to force their limited ideology on others.4 Lyrically, the synth-heavy, hip-hop adjacent “My Funeral” is my favorite, containing tongue-in-cheek lyrics where Harms proclaims that “Black is my happy colour” and “I’m gonna, gonna wear / Pink to my funeral.” Rounding out the pop themes are a few love songs, from the Duran Duran-inspired synth pop track, “Square One,” complete with ’80s toms, to a touching duet with Ambre Vourvahis (Xandria). These touches do help keep a rather mild record from growing stale.

While the songs here are well-written, produced, and performed, there’s no denying that it feels as if Lord of the Lost ran out of gas by Vol. 3. The hooks just don’t come as easily, and the lower energy levels feel like a letdown compared to the highs of the first two volumes. One issue is the blandness of the guitars. While creative riffing has not been one of Lord of the Lost’s fortes, they made up for it in the past with more creative arrangements. The generic riffs that fire up on choruses from “The Shadows Within” to “Your Love is Colder Than Death” feel like halfhearted attempts to inject some life into tepid tunes. Much more effective is the penultimate song, “Take Me Far Away,” which ends with an exciting burst of drums and riffs that brings the record to life, albeit briefly.5

This finale ends up bittersweet, feeling more like a whimper than a bang. Yet for fans of Chris Harms and co., it’s not a total loss. Chris Harms is able to elevate even the blandest of tunes; there’s not a single bad song, though many are only mildly enjoyable. Unlike a lot of the dreck that some of the more popular metal bands release, however, Lord of the Lost puts a lot of thought and care into their music, and the Opvs Noir trilogy has plenty to offer those who like their metal less extreme, yet still carrying an edge.



Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream
Label: Napalm Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Site
Releases Worldwide: April 10th, 2026

New & Noteworthy: Mirror Releases – 12/12/2025:

#NewNoteworthy #Volumes #LordofTheLost #DecemberReleases

Link: https://metalinsider.net/columns/new-noteworthy-columns/new-noteworthy-mirror-releases-12-12-2025

Lord of the Lost – Opvs Noir Vol. 1

By ClarkKent

Chris Harms has been in the music business since 1999, but it wasn’t until founding Lord of the Lost in 2007 that he seems to have found his home. I say this not because I am familiar with him or the band, but because Harms has released ten full-length albums, three orchestral albums, four live albums, and one compilation since forming Lord of the Lost. Probably Lord of the Lost’s biggest claim to fame is their participation at Eurovision in 2023, representing Germany, where they unfortunately placed last in the final round. But wait, isn’t Eurovision for pop music? Why are these guys being covered on Angry Metal Guy? Apparently, they’re metal enough to sign to Napalm Records and also have toured with KMFDM and Iron Maiden. And now with Eurovision in the rearview mirror, Lord of the Lost look to return to their darker roots with Opvs Noir Vol. 1, the first in a planned trilogy.

Lord of the Lost play Rammstein-inspired industrial metal with a gothic tinge and pop beats. Synths typically dominate the mix, but occasionally the guitars take over on heavier cuts like “Damage” and “Lords of Fyre.” What surprised me most was the variety of sounds on Opvs Noir Vol. 1, from the folk-y instruments on “Lords of Fyre” to the use of symphonics throughout. The chants, organs, and strings on cuts like “Moonstruck” evoke Fleshgod Apocalypse, and they often bring a cinematic touch, which is appropriate given the musicians’ penchant for elaborate costumes and makeup. On top of this already grandiose blending of genres is a touch of hip hop, most apparent on “Bazaar Bizarre,” where Harms semi-raps over rhythmic beats. While these descriptions might scare many of you off, this is actually a lot of fun. The songs are catchy and the mix of styles means you never know what you’ll get from track to track.

Anchoring the music is the performance of Harms, as well as the choice of collaborators throughout Opvs Noir Vol. 1. Harms has an undeniable charisma–his voice has a dark, sexy tenor that fits perfectly in either pop or heavy metal. He reminds me of Billy Idol and that dude who sings “Blue Monday.” Harms also tries on some occasional death metal growls, and while his voice isn’t as brutal as those more practiced in the style, they’re effective in the few instances he uses them. Aiding Harms is a well-curated mix of collaborators, from the obscure to the more well-known. Notably, Within Temptation performs a duet with Lord of the Lost on the slow tearjerker, “Light Can Only Shine in the Darkness,” where Sharon den Adel’s soft lilt contrasts nicely with Harms’ deeper resonance. Probably my favorite is a collaboration with cellist Tina Guo on “Ghosts,” though the catchiest chorus belongs to “Lords of Fyre,” performed with fellow Napalm-signed Germans, the power metal band Feuerschwanz. 1

Lord of the Lost make very few missteps on Opvs Noir Vol. 1. The 11-song record clocks in at a tidy 44 minutes, though it’s almost eerie how many songs come in at the 3:40 mark. While they largely play to a traditional pop structure, Lord of the Lost also succeed on the more progressively-structured “The Things We Do For Love,” which weaves from soft piano to heavy Eisbrecher-inspired riffs to hip hop to a chorus that absolutely nails it. Yet a few tracks keep this from being yet another 4.0 notch in my belt. “The Sadness in Everything” ruins a talented performance by Anna Maria Rose by having her sing a melody that sounds an awful lot like “This is Halloween” from A Nightmare Before Christmas. The finale also veers into self-parody when Harms sings “Twinkle twinkle brittle star” like a dramatic re-imagining of the classic children’s tune. These moments may be small, but they do undermine the album’s conclusion.

Opvs Noir Vol. 1 is a very good start to this planned trilogy. Don’t let the pop tag scare you away. Lord of the Lost has some quality songwriting–the performances and collaborations should be enough to interest anyone who is a fan of industrial metal, symphonic metal, or even power metal. This is yet another Napalm act, like Warkings, where the songwriting improves on older material–at least that which I’ve sampled from both bands. Yes, that material is well-polished, poppy, and catchy, but it’s a ton of fun and a welcome break from the bleakness of death and doom metal.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream
Label: Napalm Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Site
Releases Worldwide: August 8th, 2025

#2025 #35 #Aug25 #BillyIdol #Deathstars #Eisbrecher #Feuerschwanz #FleshgodApocalypse #GermanMetal #GlamMetal #GothicMetal #IndustrialMetal #IronMaiden #KMFDM #LordOfTheLost #NapalmRecords #OpvsNoirVol1 #Pop #PopMetal #Rammstein #Review #Reviews #Stimmgewalt #SymphonicMetal #Warkings #WithinTemptation

My friend Tommy @thewolffandthemelody sat down for a talk with the one and only Chris Harms and I warmly recommend that you watch the end result.

#music #metal #heavymetal #metalmusic #chrisharms #lordofthelost #interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-KtGAhMrWQ