Friday, 5 October 2012

Review: The 69 Eyes - X

Finnish Goth-rockers The 69 Eyes are back with their tenth studio album titled "X". Formed in 1989 as a glam metal band, when The Sisters of Mercy, a later influence on the band were still in the charts, the multi-platinum selling band has developed a reputation for their hook laden, heavy goth rock. This is quite an achievement in a time when the genre pretty much died.



"X" presents a slightly heavier variant of the classic goth rock sound with lots of distortion, at the same time achieving a more accessible sound. There are the classic jangly clean guitar sounds of goth rock in there too, and its this that really brings back the retro feel.

Jyrki 69 possesses the deep Andrew Eldritch like vocals typical of the genre, which compliments the music well throughout the album. The instrumentation and production is near enough flawless, though many goth rock fans prefer a less polished sound.



As an album, its pretty solid with a good variety of sounds in the goth-glam spectrum. The highlight of the album is "I'm ready", an energetic song combining the classic sounds of The Cult and The Sisters of Mercy, bringing them into the 21st century to be rediscovered. The only downside is that at times, the music loses its character a bit and just becomes... a bit bland.

"X" draws influences from all the big names in goth rock, creating something modern with a heavier edge. This gives an enjoyable listening experience that would appeal to older fans, and younger fans alike.

8/10