Much like their Finnish compatriots, H.I.M., The 69 Eyes have a great pop-rock sound that gets you grooving. A problem can sometimes arise when you dwell on the lyrics you find stuck in your head. Not that anyone buys pop-rock looking for in-depth, or even particularly clever, lyrics. But lines like “Never say die / Leave me alone in the night / Keep me away from the light” make 80s Sunset Strip bands like L.A. Guns sound like Leonard Cohen. Even after hearing a couple of their albums, I still don’t know whether to dismiss The 69 Eyes as cheesy, or to laud them as geniuses who can walk that tongue-in-cheek line, just shy of self-parody. It all depends on the song.

I did enjoy most of this latest The 69 Eyes disc. It’s a little crunchier than their previous work, boasting many great riffs and lush melodies – including a cameo by Apocalyptica on the track “Ghosts.” I think they must have been listening to some Rob Zombie shortly prior to writing “Frankenhooker,” though the influence is more lyrical than sonic in this amusing little track. Maybe the song a smart-assed back-handed comment on a large segment of the Goth scene. It’s open for whichever interpretation you find the most amusing, with its lines like, “I woke up into my own scream / A thousand zombie girls running after me… I ain’t looking for no head / From some fucking living dead … You Suck!”
Fans of other current Finnish rock bands, as well as those similar in attitude, if not sound – Wednesday 13, Murderdolls, and Rob Zombie – will find much to enjoy here.