The rock band Lord of the Lost has been selected to represent Germany in the upcoming 67th Eurovision Song Contest, which will be held in May of this year in Liverpool.

The Hamburg-based group, known for extravagant costumes and spectacular performances, emerged victorious in the preliminary round held in Cologne, where eight singers and bands competed against each other.

'Blood & Glitter' at ESC

Lord of the Lost was considered the favorite to win the preliminary round. The band's album "Blood & Glitter" entered the German album charts at number 1 earlier this year.

The group toured worldwide with the renowned hard rock legend Iron Maiden last year, adding to its global appeal.

An international jury from eight countries awarded half of the points in the preliminary round, while the other half was determined by the audience.

Despite receiving only 43 points from the jury and finishing in fifth place, Lord of the Lost won over the audience with 146 points, catapulting the band to first place in the overall ranking.

ESC final shifted to UK

The Kalush Orchestra from Ukraine won last year's Eurovision Song Contest final. Traditionally, the winning country hosts the next competition. However, due to the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine, the European Broadcasting Union decided to relocate the final to the United Kingdom.

The ESC final is scheduled to take place in Liverpool on May 13.

ss/sms (AFP, dpa)