Moldova 2017 - Sasha Bognibov - Stop All The Liars

(Click here to join in the protest...)

I can now officially declare the 2017 Eurovision on season officially open. Yes, the dark lord of haunted goth pop has finally risen, only this year he's provided us with a massive chunk of gnarly rock, albeit with his still fabulously willowy pipes floating about all of the top of it.

It's his noisiest attempt since the fabulous Against Discrimination, and his best stab at glory since the peerless Wounded Swan, but it's still distinctly 100% Bognibov. He's clearly got a metal band of decent heritage on his roster, because the thumping drums, and soaring Rammstein-flavoured key changes underlay another plaintive protest about the badness of politicians stealing the country, before he kicks into the mantra playout of "Stop All The Liars" that continues until the bitter end. It's so damn addictive that Mrs Apocalypse has been singing it all morning after a single listen.

But of course, we know the folks in TRM towers are going to drop this in the bin without even giving it a listen - and more fool them. Just imagine the air-grabbing and meaningful looks down the camera pipe that our hero could execute to this one, with a phalanx of windmilling metallists at his rear. Once again, Moldova, it really is your loss.