Sometimes it really feels great to go back in time. Not so long ago, I was listening to some music that I enjoyed as a youngster. And that is okay. Memory is certainly one of those things that one shouldn’t leave behind.
It’s also a dangerous thing, because it sometimes makes you wonder why things haven’t stayed the same, and not only musically speaking. Centering in the musical realm, it makes me wonder if we were better under the Tyrannical Empire of the Record Companies, or if we are better now under the Almighty Kingdom of Monopolistic iTunes. Both times have their pros and cons.
The 69 Eyes, a Finnish band formed in the early ’90s (and it must have been really back in the early ’90s) has kept the sound of the late ’80s. In order not to get too old fashioned (one cannot keep recording ’80s lyrics, after all) they have managed to add ’90s and even new millennium characteristics, if not to their sound, at least to their image: They are Goth. They spill blood; but ’80s style, that is, by partying hard.
And now they’re touring with their tenth album: Angels.
Angels is a lavish Goth album that reminds me of the early Bon Jovi. They even have a nice video for their first single! (How ’80s can you get?) Now, let me say this out loud and clear: The 69 Eyes is a veteran band. They know their stuff. They know how to sell themselves. They claim that their singer, Jyrki 69, uses Elvis Presley’s vocal technique. It’s true, and it is effective, once you get used to it.
Angels is not an original production. It’s a good one, don’t get me wrong, and they have reached number one in Finland with this album. If you sometimes, like me, miss Queensrÿche’s Empire, this is a more updated (read: cheaper, as no record company would spend as much money in production in this day and age) option.
Beware; they sound more ’80s than HIM. But the musical orientation is the same.
So if you’re mature enough, you may appreciate the musical quality of this album. It will still sound outdated to you; I loved it. What can I say? I am such a necrophile that I adore dead musical production styles.
