The 69 Eyes-- Back in Blood (2009)

Review written by Steven M. Duarte

The Helsinki Vampires are “Back in Blood,” with their newest release. The once glam rock metal act from Helsinki, Finland delivers a decent album worth giving a listening to. Upon first listen to this album, you will notice that the sound is much more upbeat than previous releases from the band. This would not coincide with the title of the album since The 69 eyes popularity was gained with their older gothic sound. They still retain some of their gothic sound and themes with songs titled “Dead Girls Are Easy,” and “Kiss Me Undead.” The band definitely wanted to evolve their sound with this new album and they made their point with the title track “Back in Blood.” The song begins with a fade in of a rhythm guitar track playing in the background. Lead singer Jyrki 69 comes in with his Jim Morrison like tone, letting everyone know they are back. The band chose to work with Grammy award winning producer Matt Hyde. Their choice was well made as the production values are top notch. 

   A majority of the album includes upbeat songs including the single “Dead Girls Are Easy.” What I did find surprising is that many of the songs are catchy. The 69 Eyes have not been known for catchy songs. The inclusion of a more mainstream producer could push away some fans of the old gothic sounding 69 Eyes. Back in Blood really does tailor to the mainstream. The argument can be made that the titles of the songs are very gothic sounding but they just don’t have that dark edge that their older work screamed of. The closest sound of the old 69 Eyes would be the slower tracks “Nightwatch, Hunger, and Eternal.”

    One point I would like to get across is that I understand completely that over time bands evolve and start to sound different. My only issue with this album is the reason they hooked me in as a fan was their slow gothic sound. Songs such as Brandon Lee, Gothic Girl, and Wasting the Dawn,” made me an instant fan. With “Back in Blood,” the band has taken more of a step towards their older glam metal sound. This can be good or bad depending on your overall outlook towards the band. Almost every band reaches that point of turning mainstream and The 69 Eyes seem to have reached that point. This album would definitely be a good listen for someone looking for new music to discover considering its mainstream appeal. I do recommend also picking up The 69 Eyes best of album “Framed in Blood – The Very Blessed of The 69 Eyes,” to hear their signature gothic sound.

Track List

1."Back in Blood"

2."We Own The Night"

3."Dead N' Gone"

4."The Good, the Bad & the Undead"

5."Kiss Me Undead"

6."Lips of Blood"

7."Dead Girls Are Easy"

8."Night Watch"

9."Some Kind of Magick"

10."Hunger"

11."Suspiria Snow White"

12."Eternal"

--Steven M. Duarte