The 69 Eyes' 'Death of Darkness' - Album Review

Like most fans of heavier music, my love of such did not happen overnight. I am certainly no extreme metal expert, but I think that it is fair to say that my music taste is significantly heavier than average - and gateway bands are a big part of the reason why. I am continually looking to expand my knowledge of heavier music, but there are a handful of bands which helped to transition me from the classic rock sound to an appreciation of heavier and darker music. One such band was HIM, which is why I gushed over their frontman Ville Valo's debut solo album Neon Noir (that gushing can be read here) when it was released back in January - but another important band for me in that context was The 69 Eyes. HIM and The 69 Eyes are often grouped together due to both being from Finland and Valo's occasional contributions to the latter's albums - but The 69 Eyes always had a stronger air of 'fun' than HIM ever did, with a sleazy 1980s influence sitting side-by-side with the band's core gothic sounds. In some ways, The 69 Eyes are pioneers of the goth 'n' roll sound which became somewhat popular during the 2000s. Taking influence from bands like The Sisters of Mercy and Fields of the Nephilim, and throwing in a healthy dose of hair metal, The 69 Eyes mixed darkness and melody perfectly from the off - and they were one of the bands that showed me that darker music could also be fun and upbeat. I have been listening to them since the late 2000s, and saw them live in 2011 - as part of a UK tour with Hardcore Superstar and Crashdïet. Sadly I have not had an opportunity to see them live again since, as they are not regular visitors to the UK and often seem to be one of those bands who announce shows after other plans have already been made, but I have always kept up with their albums - and the quality of their output is rarely a let down. In recent years, too, the band have returned to their core gothic sound after chasing a more simplistic and rock 'n' approach during the late 2000s and early 2010s. I liked this era of the band, but I prefer them when they are somewhat more atmospheric - and their last two albums, particularly 2016's Universal Monsters (which I reviewed here), saw them working with older collaborators again to return to their classic sound. I did not think that 2019's West End (which I also reviewed here) was quite as strong, but in revisiting it recently it held up well - and that album saw the band take their gothic sound in a somewhat heavier direction. Four years on from West End, then, and The 69 Eyes are back - as they released their thirteenth studio album Death of Darkness last month. The tougher edge of West End has largely been replaced by a poppier sheen - with the album sounding more like Universal Monsters and the band's mid-2000s releases than the 2019 effort. Synths and keyboards fill this album, but the band's usual sharp riffing and melodic approach to guitar leads remain - and the songs here could only come from the minds of The 69 Eyes. I think that the album was worked on over quite a long period of time, as some of the singles have been floating around online for a while, but it still has a complete sound which impresses from the off with its hooks.

If anyone wants to understand what The 69 Eyes are all about by only listening to one song, then the album's opening title track would be the perfect place to go. It is one of two songs here co-written by Ben Christo (The Sisters of Mercy; Night by Night; Diamond Black), and it perfectly mixes the band's trademark melancholy sound with strong guitar riffing and plenty of hooks. The album was produced by Erno Laitinen, who also handles the keyboards throughout, and his lush production style really brings the opening song to life. A jangly guitar melody openings things up, which forms the basis of the song's main hook, whilst a piano motif and some crunchy guitar rhythms soon join in to bulk out the track. These melodies later resurface during the chorus, giving the song some punch, but the verses in general are quite low key. Occasional piano melodies punctuate a pulsing bassline from Archzie - whilst the instantly-recognisable voice of frontman Jyrki 69 croons over the slow-burning melodies. The album's core atmosphere is established right away, then, with the chorus then injecting a little heaviness with more guitar heft. A brief pre-chorus moment sees Jyrki adopting a harsher vocal delivery briefly, which is something a bit different for him, whilst Bazie's short, but melodic, guitar solo perfectly showcases the band's core approach to guitar leads. It is a song which immediately lodges in the brain, and it gets the album off to a fine start. Drive, which is one of the singles that has been available online for quite a while at this point, is up next - and the song is instantly more upbeat, somewhat recalling some of the band's more rock 'n' roll-inspired albums. The guitar riffing of Bazie and Timo-Timo mixes back and forth between 1980s-inspired rollocking rhythms and flashy lead hooks, but the verses actually just feel like a more urgent version of the previous song's - with Archzie's bass taking the lead. The bass playing gives the song real weight, with the synths adding depth, whilst the chorus kicks things up a gear with some infectious vocal hooks and plenty more guitar crunch. Bazie's guitar solo squeals and feels like it was pulled from the 1980s, too, adding more of a hair metal flair to the track - and overall the song is a great mix of darkness and sleaze. Gotta Rock is a cover of a song by the Finnish 1980s band Boycott - who I must admit that I had not heard of prior to getting this album. I can only assume that the band were an influence on The 69 Eyes, but if I was not aware that the song was a cover I would just assume that it was an original. I have not heard the original version so I do not know how this one compares to it - but it perfectly encapsulates The 69 Eyes' sound thanks to its main chiming guitar hook, which plays throughout the verses, and another driving bassline. It is more of a mid-paced song, too, and the more deliberate pace is a nice contrast to the faster song which preceded it. It is another strong slab of goth 'n' roll, and the song feels at home on the album despite it being a cover. I will need to check out Boycott now to see what I have been missing out on.

This Murder Takes Two then acts as a real change of pace, as it is the album's first ballad - and also a song which injects a strong country vibe into the band's core sound. The 69 Eyes have done plenty of ballads in the past, but I cannot recall them ever doing something quite like this before. The mix of a more organic sound, including piano and acoustic guitars, into the band's usual gothic approach works really well, though, and Jyrki sounds great against this more Western-inspired backdrop. Kat Von D, who is more well-known as a celebrity tattoo artist than a singer, adds her voice to the song - and she really elevates the piece in my opinion. Her smoky voice perfectly suits the demented country vibe present throughout, and she harmonises well with Jyrki - as well as taking the second verse on herself. She has collaborated with the band previously, but her contribution to the song shines here - and helps the band to pull off something a bit different which still feels very much at home on the album. California returns to the band's core sound, though, as if they felt that they had better throw in something more familiar after strapping on their acoustic guitars. It is the sort of song that fans of the band will be used to at this point, but the hooks are infectious - and there is plenty of guitar weight throughout. Bazie and Timo-Timo lay down plenty of crunchy riffing, and Archzie's ever-present bass has more of a growl here, too. The chorus, despite its simplicity, is sure to stick in the brain after only a couple of listens - largely thanks to the hooks but also due to the huge vocal approach taken, which include plenty of 1980s-esque harmonies. Another lengthy guitar solo later adds some acrobatics to the piece, whilst ticking another box in the 'core sound' list at the same time. Call Me Snake then ups the heaviness somewhat, and returns to a sound similar to the one found throughout West End. The guitars are much tougher-sounding here, and the pace is upped generally - with drummer Jussi 69 propelling everything along. Jyrki also sings a little differently, here. Parts of the song are sung in his usual Elvis/Jim Morrison approach - but the heavier sections, including the chant-along chorus, see him channelling his inner Carl McCoy. I imagine that Fields of the Nephilim were an influence on the band, so this is not surprising - and the gruffer vocal approach suits the song's more hard-driving and tougher sound. The riffing throughout is engaging as a result, and there is another excellent guitar solo here which feels more metallic overall to fit the song's approach. Dying in the Night returns to a sound similar to the album's title track, but it sounds a bit smoother overall - whilst also feeling a bit more like a ballad. The opening drum and bass groove actually sounds quite funky, but the song does not really proceed in this manner - instead laying smooth synths and effects-heavy guitar swells against Jussi's punchy drum beat. The bass is as important as ever, injecting plenty of additional melodies during the verses, whilst the song's slower pace and more reliance on synths allows it to feel much more atmospheric. The chorus really swirls thanks to this hypnotic atmosphere, and the occasional guitar chimes which are more defined only enhance this mood. Ringing synth lines have a similar effect, too, and the song does a good job of slowing things down again following two harder rockers.

Something Real soon breaks this hypnotic vibe, though, and returns the band to their more upbeat core sound. A big guitar/keyboard melody opens the song up, and it soon again channels the overall vibe of the album's title track - albeit with a bit more urgency and punch. Jussi's drums and the driving bassline once again really kick the verses along, whilst the chorus is one of the album's hookiest in my opinion. As such, the song is one of the ones which stood out to me the most when I first listened to the album last month. It contains everything that makes The 69 Eyes a great band, and it also contains one of Jyrki's best vocal performances on the album in my opinion. He sounds great throughout, but there is real gravitas to this performance here - and the chorus sees him singing a little deeper than usual, but it only helps the darker side of the band to shine. There is little musical flash this time, but the vocal hooks are enough to help the song to stand out, and it remains one of my favourites here. Sundown is similar, too, but with less urgency overall - and a stronger keyboard presence throughout. Whilst the bass still does a lot of heavy lifting, the verses do feel a bit more guitar-driven this time. This does not mean that it has the crunch of some of the heavier pieces here, but the guitars snake away nicely throughout - whilst the chorus has more of a floaty feel than might otherwise be expected. It is surprisingly laid back, with Jyrki sounding somewhat wistful, whilst some subtle harmony vocals help it to sound big - and a piano-led bridge section later builds on this overall feel successfully, whilst another big guitar solo does add a few bars of grittier hard rock. The album then comes to a close with Outlaws, a bigger-sounding song overall which takes the deep sound of the album's title track and pushes it further - whilst also injecting some ballad-esque vibes, too. The song is a slow-burner, then, but it has a great balance between heavier guitars and chiming keyboards. The verses feel a little sluggish, but this only contributes to the wider atmosphere, particularly thanks to the organ backing which feels more grounded than the band's usual approach to keyboards, whilst the chorus is weightier - with crunchy guitars and a more typical synth hook. It is not hugely different from what has come before, but the song overall feels a bit more expansive. The arrangement has a bit more room to breathe, but the hooks still feel tight - and the slower pace does not feel boring, as it instead enhances the overall keyboard-led atmosphere nicely. It is a good way to end the album, as it feels like a culmination of the gothic atmosphere that has built throughout - with the slower pace and swirling melodies allowing the album to end on something of a reflective note. Overall, then, Death of Darkness is another very strong album from the Finnish band. I had been looking forward to it since the singles started appearing online, and it was worth the wait. It is a compact album length-wise, but there is a lot going on throughout the 10 songs here, and the melodies are as sharp and as hooky as ever. Fans of the band will find plenty of love here, and it is great that the band are still going strong after all these years.

The album was released on 21st April 2023 via Atomic Fire Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Death of Darkness.