The 69 Eyes

The 69 Eyes

The 69 Eyes is a Finnish rock group from Helsinki, active since 1989. The band is made up of Archzie, Bazie, Jussi 69, Jyrki 69 and Timo-Timo, and its lineup stays the same from the group’s early years.

Style and background

The group begins with glam metal-influenced material and later develops a darker gothic rock sound. It describes its style as “Goth’n’Roll”, combining gothic rock with glam metal. Its listed genres also include garage rock, hard rock, gothic, gothic metal and glam metal.

Early releases

The 69 Eyes forms in Helsinki in 1989, starting out among friends playing in local bars. Its first releases are a run of independent 7-inch records: Sugarman in 1990 and Barbarella in 1991, followed by the debut album Bump 'n' Grind in 1992. That same year, it issues two more 7-inch records, Juicy Lucy and High Times Low Lives.

In 1994, the compilation Motor City Resurrection appears through a Japanese label, gathering much of the band’s early material and tracks from other compilations. It is later reissued with eight bonus tracks. The next album, Savage Garden, arrives in 1995 and includes Hanoi Rocks guitarist Andy McCoy on the track “Wild Talk”.

Breakthrough period

Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams follows in 1997 and is widely regarded by fans as the last album before the band’s goth rock breakthrough. That arrives with Wasting the Dawn in 1999, released internationally on Roadrunner Records as the band’s major-label debut. The title track serves as a single and pays tribute to Jim Morrison of The Doors. Jyrki 69 creates a concept video for the song, featuring Ville Valo of HIM as a cemetery image of Morrison.

The single “Gothic Girl” follows in 2000 and becomes the band’s first gold release, spending months in the Finnish singles top 10 and on national radio playlists. Later that year, Blessed Be reaches number 4 on the Finnish album chart and remains in the top 10 for more than a month. Its singles include “Brandon Lee”, “The Chair” and “Stolen Season”.

Paris Kills appears in 2002 and becomes a breakthrough album, reaching number 1 in Finland for several weeks and going gold within a month. In Germany it enters the chart at number 35.

Major-label years and international touring

At the end of 2003, the band signs to EMI Finland and records Devils, released in 2004 as its eighth album and first major-label release through Virgin/EMI. The album reaches number 1 in Finland and goes gold within a month. The single “Lost Boys” pays homage to the film of the same name, and its video is directed by Bam Margera.

In 2005, the group tours widely, playing nearly one hundred shows in fifteen countries. It also releases Devils in the United States. In 2006, it tours the US for the first time with Program The Dead and Damone and appears on Last Call with Carson Daly.

Angels, presented as a sequel to Devils, appears in 2007. The single “Perfect Skin” reaches number 1 on the Finnish singles chart, while the album debuts at number 1 in Finland and goes gold. Later in 2007, the band tours the United States with Wednesday 13, Night Kills The Day and Fair To Midland, supports Within Temptation in the UK, and plays 125 shows worldwide that year.

Live and later releases

The band’s first live album, The 69 Eyes: Hollywood Kills, comes out in 2008. It documents a full performance at the Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood, recorded in 2006, and includes a live version of the Ramones song “I Just Wanna Have Something to Do”.

Back in Blood follows in 2009, recorded in Helsinki and Los Angeles with producer Matt Hyde, whose credits include Slayer, Monster Magnet and Fu Manchu. Bam Margera directs the video for “Dead Girls Are Easy”, and the band later issues another Margera-directed video, “Dead & Gone”.

The group records X in 2012. The album is released in Europe in September 2012 and in the United States in October 2012. Its singles include “Red” and “Borderline”. In 2013, the band releases the singles “Love Runs Away” and “Tonight”, along with the previously unreleased tracks “Rosary Blue” and “Dracula’s Castle”. It also issues the compilation The Best Of Helsinki Vampires, which includes the new single “Lost Without Love”.

In 2016, The 69 Eyes releases its eleventh studio album, Universal Monsters.

Associated names and collaborations

Among the band’s collaborators are Andy McCoy, who appears on “Wild Talk”, Ville Valo, who features in the “Wasting the Dawn” video concept, and Rudi Protrudi of the Fuzztones, who reports working on a song with the group. Bam Margera directs several of the band’s videos and appears in its live material.