One of the guest vocalists is actually served up during the first track, as the opening Two Horns Up features the occasional guttural rasps of Dani Filth (Cradle of Filth; Devilment) who adds a bit of menace to Jyrki's Jim Morrison-esque croons. The track is a fairly heavy moment in the wider context of the band's sound, but it helps to kick things off with a pulsing bass and keyboard intro and a tough opening guitar riff. The guitar tones here are a bit more snarling than usual, which helps the riff to really cut through the dense keyboard arrangement - something that is actually a bit of a throwback to the Back in Blood sound. Despite having been in the business for thirty years now, time has not touched Jyrki's voice at all and his deep Elvis-isms still sound as good as ever. The second verse however is turned over to Filth, which I think was a bit of mistake as his voice is extremely divisive. I like how his growls really add depth to the simple chorus, but I did not need to hear him screeching his way through a whole verse in the place of the excellent Jyrki. It makes for a mixed start to the album, but one the whole the song impresses with its heavy tone and strong atmosphere. 27 & Done is more typical of the sound found on the rest of the album, with the sparkling piano melodies and subtle guitar chugs that the band have become known for - and it recalls those early Sisters of Mercy albums at the same time. It was the first song released from the album a few months ago, but despite loving the overall sound and feel of the piece I was really turned off by the lyrics. The 69 Eyes' lyrics have never exactly been top quality pieces of writing, but the chorus here is particularly poor in my opinion and just sounds crass. It is a shame, as musically the song is excellent and it really sets the tone for the poppy gothic melodrama that follows over the next nine songs. A great guitar solo from Bazie adds some aching melody to the piece, and if you can look past the silly lyrics then the song is a strong one. Black Orchid is better, with Archzie's snaking bassline opening the piece slowly before a distant keyboard riff takes over. 2004's Devils is probably my most-listened to 69 Eyes album, and this track sounds like it could have come straight from it, with a perfect mix of up-tempo hard rock and deep gothic atmosphere. Keyboard melodies have always been a big part of the band's sound, and the ringing piano lines throughout the track really help to set the scene - while the two guitarists lay the foundations with some tight rhythms. The chorus is not as anthemic as some of the band's efforts, but Jyrki's vocal melodies are still very accessible. His voice always has a way of sounding appealing, and that really helps the dark chorus here stick out - while the keyboards swirl around in the background adding depth and melody. Change is more of a ballad with a gentle piano opening and delicate strings, before Jussi crashes in with his drums and changes the song into a slow-paced chug. I have always loved the band's slower songs, and this is because they often push the vocals right to the fore. Jyrki has such a distinctive voice, and the emotional qualities that he has makes him perfect for the slower material. The strings form a strong soaring backing for his emotional delivery, while the steady chug is maintained by the rest of the band. This is certainly more of a goth piece than a rock piece, so those who like their music a little darker will enjoy it.
Burn Witch Burn ups the tempo again, and kicks off with a strutting guitar riff and a kinetic drum pattern - which helps to give the album a bit of a shot of energy after a couple of darker, more atmospheric pieces. The keyboards are still present, but they are certainly less prominent here than usual - with Bazie and Timo-Timo instead shining with some tight rhythms and catchy riffing. Overall the song just feels a little more simple and organic too, with the guitars giving the song more of a hard rock edge, while Jyrki's catchy chorus delivery has a bit of a punky energy despite his deep, melancholic voice. A short, sharp guitar solo helps to add some more energy to the song, and the song is almost over in the blink of an eye. The band have always done these more potent rockers well, and including a couple on each album helps to up the overall pace and add some respite from the gothic atmospherics elsewhere. Cheyenna is one of my favourite songs on the album, and it is another track that marries a hard rock sound perfectly with a gothic atmosphere. The keyboards are prominent again here, joining forces with Bazie's soaring intro guitar lead for a catchy focal point, before the guitars and bass lay down a rock solid foundation for a crunchy, mid-paced verse. When I first heard the song I thought the chorus was extremely repetitive, but on repeated listens I think it really works. Jyrki's delivery of the song's title is filled with such emotional and tone that not much else is really needed - but the soaring intro guitar lead also joins the fray to add a hypnotic melody. The song is a future classic in my opinion, and I imagine it will be a part of the band's setlists for a number of years to come. The Last House on the Left features three guests vocalists, with Filth once again joining in along with horror punk icon Wednesday 13 and Calico Cooper (Beasto Blanco). It is another real standout track here, with the heaviness of the opening track returning with the band's two guitarists laying down sharp riffs throughout and the keyboards providing some really dark soundscapes. Filth mostly just adds his snarls to the choruses this time, while 13 sings the second verse in his distinct style. He contrasts with Jyrki well, while still sounding like he fits in the song. I did not think Filth's contributions on Two Horns Up really fit in with band's sound (apart from bulking out the choruses), but both 13 and Cooper sound at home in band's signature gothic sound. Having so many vocalists does make for a bit of a strange listen at first, but each brings something different to the piece - with Jyrki holding it all together during the up-beat, punky choruses. Death & Desire slows things down again, with a melodic guitar lead opening the song up before a downbeat verse takes over with chiming clean guitar passages and a gentle string backing. It is not a bad song, but the band have certainly written better ballads in the past. The main weakness here for me is the chorus, which does not grab hold in the manner that I would expect it to. The verses are pretty strong, and I particularly like the way Jyrki's voice is pushed to the fore during them, but for me the chorus is a bit of a plodder that does not include enough big melodic hooks.
Outsiders serves to give the album another shot of adrenaline after the ballad, with a big guitar riff kicking everything off before a tight punky arrangement sets in with a chugging verse backed by an AC/DC-esque riff. The atmospherics are largely in the background throughout most of the song, although they are pushed to the fore again during the chorus which is a subtly catchy moment that has really grown on me over repeated listens to the album. The heavy riffing never really lets up, but the additional keyboards and clean guitar layers added during the chorus help to change up the tone a little while never needing the song to divert too far from its core. The final reprise of the chorus even adds some upbeat hammered piano notes too, which further deepens the song's sound. The song is a good lesson in how to shake things up without radically diverting from a formula - and the track sounds fresh as a result. Be Here Now opens with some Eastern-inspired sounds, but they are short lived as the track soon becomes another mid-paced gothic crooner. Archzie's bass playing is quite prominent throughout, which is certainly a change from the norm. The guitars lay down snaking riffs here and there, but the verses are largely Archzie's territory as he lays down a muscular riff throughout while the guitars add colour. It is the only song on the album that he is credited with co-writing too, so you have to imagine that much of the music for this one - as well as the arrangements - came from him. It helps to provide a bit of a late-album diversion, although in truth the band's signature sound is still more than intact - it is just more bass-focused than usual. Hell Has No Mercy is the album's final track, and it is the longest piece here at over six minutes in length. It opens slowly with a simple drum beat which the bass and guitars gradually build up around. The opening moments of the songs are extremely simple, with little of the extra production quality the band are known for - instead letting the rawness of the simple instrumentation and Jyrki's booming vocals really shine. For a big album-closing piece, the song has little of the fanfare you might expect. It is not a heavy, bombastic piece that throws the kitchen sink into the mix - but instead the piece revels in its simplicity and allows the band's core songwriting to shine. As the song moves into the chorus the production is ramped up somewhat with some subtle keyboard textures, but the focus is still on Jyrki's vocal tones. It is clear from this track how bands like Fields of the Nephilim have influenced The 69 Eyes over the years; and Bazie's aching guitar solo is an example of pure gothic emotion. It does end the album on a slow, downer note - but in my opinion the choice works well and the band shine as a result. Overall, West End is another strong album from The 69 Eyes - and it is one that celebrates the band's thirtieth anniversary in style. There are a couple of weak tracks here, but on the whole the band are sounding as strong as ever on West End, and here's to a lot more successful years for the Helsinki Vampires!
The album was released on 13th September 2019 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Cheyenna.
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