Band:	The 69 Eyes
Album:	Back In Blood
Style:	Gothic metal, Gothic rock
Release date:	August 2009

Disc I [CD]
01. Back In Blood
02. We Own The Night
03. Dead N' Gone
04. The Good, The Bad & The Undead
05. Kiss Me Undead
06. Lips Of Blood
07. Dead Girls Are Easy
08. Night Watch
09. Some Kind Of Magick
10. Hunger
11. Suspiria Snow White
12. Eternal

Disc II [DVD]
Hollywood Kills - Live At The Whisky A Go Go
01. Devils
02. Don't Turn Your Back On Fear
03. Betty Blue
04. Christina Death
05. Crashing High
06. The Chair
07. Feel Berlin
08. Gothic Girl
09. Sister Of Charity
10. Framed In Blood
11. Lost Boys
12. I Just Want To Have Something To Do
13. Brandon Lee
+ Making Of "Back In Blood"
+ Dead Girls Are Easy [video]

2009 and the Hollywood.. woops, Helsinki Vampires managed to be Back in Blood as their latest full-length album states. The last release I adored from The 69 Eyes was Devils and I will have to admit that I didn't like Angels, not at all and because this band meant something to me, especially with Paris Kills/Devils, I gave a shot to this effort.

To tell the truth, I can't say I loved Back in Blood, I didn't hate it either, mixed feelings, I enjoyed it more than Angels, still mediocre though. Maybe it works live well, but it's the album i judge. I don't think that my reviewing statement will have an effect on their successful career, they'll keep on making high-selling albums, their oh so many fans will keep on filling their live events and they'll always be a top name in this so called goth 'n' roll sub-genre which found a first expression through The Cult and the exact sound on The Sisters Of Mercy's Vision Thing.

Since Angels one could say they emphasize more on the 'roll' part rather than the 'goth' one. For example, “We Own The Night” which reminds a bit of The Cult's "Fire Woman", the title-track (with a Backyard Babies sense?), “The Good The Bad And The Undead” which sounds like modern Mötley Crüe, “Suspiria Snow White” and “Dead Girls Are Easy” having a dynamic air as well, some might find the title amusing, not me. And a question, how can dead girls moan?

Back in Blood gives the impression as if it's been an easy ride for them to compose, with the aforementioned songs, some few being a mix of rocking and melodic attitude and some others flowing into more gothic rock oriented soundscapes. Not much of inspiration, at least for me, but definitely in a better shape than their previous release. People that enjoyed Angels won't hesitate finding this one a good album. As for me, the only highlights (with or without quotation marks) I could mention are “Dead N Gone” which refers to the Devils era through a modern, melodic glam air, “Night Watch” (at last a good song!), “Kiss Me Undead”, “Lips Of Blood” and “Some Kind of Magick” (is it just me, or there's a riff in 00:27 reminding of the main riff on The Sisters of Mercy's “Temple of Love”?).

I won't stop paying attention to any album they release in the future until I find once again the beautiful essence of the inspired Blessed Be, the melancholic and emotionally sincere Paris Kills and the diversity of Devils (even the rocking passages there actually… rocked!). Until then and in the absence of inspiration I suppose my opinion won't change drastically.