Hellish costumes mask Lordi's gentler side

In their flowing robes, 20-inch platforms and gory masks the Finnish band Lordi could very well snuff out the fluff from the Eurovision Song Contest and win with their heavy metal song Hard Rock Hallellujah.

The band is causing a stir wherever they go in Athens and attracting tons of media attention, even featuring in Eurovision-sceptic publications such as The New York Times, Time Magazine and The Sunday Times of London.

When it comes to the Eurovision, Finland is better known for its failures than for its successes. There is no doubt, however, that this year's entry will go down as one of the most engaging moments in the history of the competition.

Win or lose, the song Hard Rock Hallelujah and its leading performer Lordi will certainly be the one thing every viewer around the continent will remember from the 2006 Eurovision final, to be held on Saturday at the Olympic Arena.

The band still has to qualify through tomorrow's semi-final, but in all probability it will be a breeze for them and betting companies are already placing them among the top six in the final.

So will they be garnering points from all the heavy metal fans across Europe and all those who think the Eurovision stinks?

"There could be some protest votes from those who think the contest sucks but the main voters will come from rock fans. Hey, maybe we'll make the contest more popular since people who don't normally watch it will be tuning in," Mr Lordi told The Times, holding a glass of cola in his rugged, clawed paws as he attempted to drink through a straw.

"We would be so happy if all the rock fans wake up and vote for us."

Wearing red contact lenses, the evil-looking creatures are a scary sight and the band is not somebody you would wish to bump into at night.

"So you think we look scary. Ah, that's too bad because we spent three hours getting ready to look pretty," he said in a polite voice that belies his monstrous image.

Posing for photos, Mr Lordi hugged a little girl who said that she had overcome her fear and wanted to go and speak to them.

The group is renowned for never appearing without their attire. Will they ever regale us with their presence looking normal?

"Not unless you wish to join me in the shower. But just to let you know that we don't wear these costumes when we're at home," he said with a loud guffaw.

Lordi is inspired by bands such as Kiss, Twisted Sister and Alice Cooper, and believe it or not the band has a huge following in Finland.

Originally hailing from Arctic Lapland, Lordi became a phenomenon with the Platinum-selling debut album Get Heavy in 2002. Since then, the band has scored Finnish hits with the albums The Monsterican Dream (2004) and The Arockalypse (2006). The compilation album The Monster Show has also been released in more than 20 countries.

Enjoying the music of evil-looking creatures isn't of course the same as condoning evil. Although some people have misinterpreted Lordi's fascination with monsters and death, the band is by no means the Devil's advocate. Lordi has, after all, had a hit in Finland with a song called Devil Is A Loser.

With their message "Europe get ready to get scared", Lordi has already taken the Eurovision by storm and could be in with a chance to make history by winning the contest.