Eternal Vampiric Musings--"Some Kind Of Magic"!
B. Cashman | WI, USA | 09/23/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The Deluxe Edition of The 69 EYES "Back In Blood" is Fantastic and features the video for the first single, "Dead Girls Are Easy" on the second disc!!!! The second disc also includes the making of the CD and a 2006 concert at the Whiskey-A-Go-Go in L.A. California.
These guys are rockers from Finland that have stuck to their Vampire theme throughout all nine of their CDs! It is all tongue-in-cheek of course, but a lot of fun! The singer's heavy Finnish accent adds to the eerie Vampiric feel. The album opens strongly with great guitar work. The keyboards that have been a 69 Eyes staple have been dialed back this time to let the guitars drive the band. It works very well! The drumming is also tight and loud--very noticable! The campy lyrics suit the music, especially if you familiar with the 69 Eyes! All the tracks here are very strong, but admittedly redundant because they never waver from the ideas of immortal love, romantic notions of death, Undead meanderings, and vampire ravings.
And don't forget the 'blood' aspect as a great recurring theme that is prominently displayed on the picture of the skull on the cover of the CD that appears to be dripping with it!
"Back In Blood" as a song rocks pretty hard and is fun. A grand opener that showcases the power of these talented musicians.
"We Own The Night" sounds like a theme song for a vampire show. The melodious backing vocals drip like honey for the ear.
"Dead N' Gone" is a romantic love potion of strained vocals and ideas, lamenting over lost loves.
"The Good, Bad, And The Undead" sounds like a rehash of some old Marilyn Manson songs--especially the drumbeat, but that doesn't take anything away from the fun of this tight bands song.
"Kiss Me Undead" is a love song that will catch you singing along with the chorus!
"Lips Of Blood" slows the CD down a bit, but is still catchy and clever.
"Dead Girls Are Easy" perks the CD up again, as an obvious homage to vampire movies, and the momentum it creates rides out to the end of the CD.
"Night Watch" is a bit of a blah sleeper tune, but you may like it.
"Some Kind Of Magic" is just that! A very fun song with another great chorus. Could vampires dance to this song I wonder?
"Hunger" has an interesting pulse, whispery vocals, and some fine piano work, that begs a good listen.
"Suspiria Snow White" is a song that will not easily go unnoticed. It is about a girl that the vampire is stalking. It has amazing drumwork, driving guitars, and tight vocals.
The last track is the ever campy "Eternal". A song that praises the immortality of the passionate vampire. It has violins, acoustic guitars, and Piano, before the more typical rock instruments crash in near the end of the song. It never loses its pacing or silly campiness.
These guys have rocked together for nearly 20 years and the band still includes all 5 original members without ever changing the line-up. How many other bands can make the same claim? If "Back In Blood" is your first introduction to this band you will want to pick up some of their older CDs as well, they all contain some great rock gems!!! Think Motley Crue meets The Munsters..."
Dark & glamorous metal from the Helsinki Vampires!
Nikiforos V. Skoumas | Athens Greece, Cambridge UK | 09/27/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
""Back in blood" is the brand new album from Goth rockers "The 69 eyes". Although I have been aware of the existence and activity of the band I never bought/heard any of their albums as the European stereotype of the Helsinki vampires was that of a Gothic rock group, a sound which I am not really familiar with. Never the less the album sticker on the ltd edition labeled them primarily as Glam metal so it obviously worth a shot.
It was really surprising to witness how much of a glam metal band these guys are; the compositions are solid, and the performances are very organic including all the characteristics of a proper hard rock band. It is true however that the bass vocals are likely to tire someone inexperienced in the Goth rock vocal sound. Overall the album delivers quite a number of substantial dark glam tunes such as, "Hunger" "Dead `n gone", "Back in blood", the super dark/melodic "Night Watch" and "Dead girls are easy" which also made for a fantastic promo video.
It is very rewarding to hear that the band is a genuine glam metal outfit simply because they are heavy, flash and fun (with a dark sense of humor one has to admit). Never the less it has to be said that beyond the excitement of discovering a quality glam metal band "Back in blood" held few surprises ( not as many drum breaks/improvisations, while the guitar solos could have been more intense which would also add to the atmosphere of the release).
Above all a rewarding album for glam metal/hard rock fans! I would have given the album five stars for the surprise alone but in the meantime I also got their 2004 release "Devils" which I found even more appealing.
The limited edition comes in a book-like case with the addition of a live, 13-track DVD recorded at "Whiskey a Go Go" which is a good opportunity for new fans to become more familiar with the band's back catalogue.
"
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1