The 69 Eyes' 'I Survive' - EP Review

The EP seems to be something of a dying art, especially in today's digital world of regular single releases - with often up to half an album being released online in the form of singles prior to it being officially released. Given the little and often mindset that many bands now seem to operate in, it is perhaps surprising that EPs are not more popular. They are not, however, and I tend to only pick up a handful of new ones each year - with the album as a format still remaining hugely popular, especially in the hard rock and metal worlds. As such, it is nice to occasionally get to review a new EP - and a bite-sized chunk of music can sometimes be welcome. My music consumption almost exclusively consists of listening to albums (and EPs) from start to finish, as the artist intended, so EPs can sometimes provide a nice bit of respite from the lengthy album format - and there are some EPs out there that are just as important to bands' catalogues as albums. The band that I am covering today, though, is not exactly known for EPs - and, as far as I am aware, it is not a format that they have truly embraced before. That band is the Finnish gothic rock five-piece The 69 Eyes - who can trace their history back to 1989 and have had the same line-up since 1992. Following starting out as more of a glam/hair/sleaze metal (use whichever term you are comfortable with) band, The 69 Eyes soon transitioned into more of a gothic hard rock sound - whilst retaining a little of the grit and groove of their early hair metal sound. The 69 Eyes have rarely been an atmospheric and moody gothic rock act in the vein of the big, mainstream bands of the 1980s - but have instead mixed their gothic rock with a riffy hard rock sound, as well as throwing in influences as diverse as The Doors and Elvis Presley. As such, The 69 Eyes generally rock pretty hard, having flirted with more metallic sounds at times, whilst also retaining a sultry and layered sound - mixing big riffs, dense keyboard textures, and the baritone vocals of frontman Jryki 69; the latter of which is a huge part of the band's core sound. They have been pretty prolific over the years, releasing 13 studio albums - alongside a live album, a collection of early singles and other recordings that almost gets treated as a fourteenth studio album, and a few compilations. In my opinion, too, much of what they have released over the years has been very strong. I have not heard all of their earlier albums, as many of them are out of print and quite hard to find - but I have everything from 1999's Wasting the Dawn onwards, and there is not really a bad album to be found. The band's last album, Death of Darkness (which I reviewed here), came out in 2023 - and it was another enjoyable slab of their trademark sound. Following a focus on an even riffier sound during the late 2000s/early 2010s, the band's last few albums have returned to a core sound of hard rock with gothic atmospherics - and I listened to Death of Darkness quite a bit when it dropped. I saw the band live for the first time in many years last year, too, and I had a great time - and during the gig Jyrki hinted that new music was on the way. I was hoping for a new album, but an EP was what he was referring to - partly, it seems, as a result of signing to a new label and wanting to get something out there. As such, the four-track EP I Survive is the band's first release in three years - and, as far as I can see, it is a stand-alone release. I do not think that it is a teaser for an upcoming album - with the three original songs and one cover here showcasing the band doing what they do. Given that the title track is a collaboration and one track is a cover, it makes sense for this to be a stop-gap before the band's next proper album.

The opening title track is the collaboration - as the band wrote the song with guitarist Steve Stevens (Billy Idol; Jerusalem Slim; Vince Neil; Deadland Ritual), who also played on it. The song is easily the best cut here, as it mixes the band's usual gothic hard rock sound with a strong party vibe - certainly harking back to the sound of albums like 2007's Angels. There is a somewhat cinematic quality to the main guitar rhythms, over which a simple lead is laid, whilst Archzie's pulsing bass playing drives the hypnotic verses. The chorus feels more raucous, with gang vocals and tougher riffing backing the deep vocals of Jyrki - whose vocal melodies are as hooky as ever. The tougher chorus and more atmospheric verses are a good combination - with chiming clean guitar melodies and the percussive drumming of Jussi 69 also doing plenty of good work in the lead up to the room-filling chorus. Despite Stevens' presence, including an excellent solo from him, the band's guitar duo of Bazie and Timo-Timo sound as tight as ever - with Stevens adding a touch of class, both in terms of the solo and in a songwriting capacity. Cold Sweat follows - a cover of the Thin Lizzy song from the Irish band's final album Thunder and Lightning from 1983. Cold Sweat is likely Thin Lizzy's heaviest song and, as such, it has been covered by quite a few bands. I am not sure that I needed a version by The 69 Eyes - but the band's take on the song is fun. It is a pretty straight cover, and the band do little to tweak it, but the main riff does feel a little more staccato which is more in-keeping with The 69 Eyes' approach - whilst the deeper vocal from Jyrki provides another point of difference, especially during the snappy pre-chorus section. Bazie proves that Stevens is not needed full-time during a fun guitar solo section. It might not be as molten as John Sykes' on the original, but all of the classic tapping runs are included - and the overall take is a fun one. Two more originals round out the EP, with In the Misery following. The mid-paced, strident rocker treads quite a familiar path for the band. The song somewhat fades into view, and hits with a strong mid-paced riff - over which some chiming guitar melodies are laid. There are nice hooks from the off, then, before a more restrained verse sees subtle guitar chugs and a prominent bass presence backing the gothic tones of Jyrki's vocals. As is often the case, the chorus feels a bit chunkier - with the opening riff somewhat reprised, whilst subtle harmony vocals help to really push the band's core gothic romanticism. A strong guitar solo is included and, whilst the band have done better songs in this style, there is plenty to like here. Devil's Rose closes out this bite-sized chunk of music, and the tougher, riffier piece ups the heaviness. The main guitar riff feels like the most metallic moment here, although parts of the verses follow that bass-led sound that the band often opt for - even if the verses feel bigger as they go along. A few screaming guitar leads are thrown in - with Ed Mundell (Monster Magnet; The Atomic Bitchwax; The Ultra Electric Mega Galactic) adding some additional lead guitar throughout. There is a rawness to the song, then, which is a bit different to the band's core sound - with organic organ textures used instead of gothic keyboards, alongside a shout-along chorus. As with much of this EP, the song is a fun one - and it is good to hear the band letting their hair down a bit here. Overall, then, I Survive is certainly not an essential release - but it is always good to hear more from The 69 Eyes and there is a level of fun throughout this EP which is perhaps not always present in their sound. I am sure the band are already working on their next album, but I Survive gives the fans something to enjoy in the meantime before the next big stage of their career.

The EP was released on 5th June 2026 via BLKIIBLK Records. Below is the band's promotional video for I Survive.