37 years and still motoring, Helsinki’s goth ‘n’ rollers The 69 Eyes take a walk on the dark side with EP I Survive.
The 69 Eyes – I Survive (EP)
Release Date: Out Now
Words: Brian Boyle
The 69 Eyes may have bypassed a lot of people during the oddball period in the ’90s when rock music was at a low ebb after being nudged aside by the glum-faced takeover of grunge.
But despite being in the mainstream wilderness, they have still forged themselves a half-decent career, highlighted by European chart hits like Dance d’Amour, Wasting The Dawn and their biggest to date, Lost Boys.
But not to pour scorn on their originality, this EP’s lure lies in a cover of Thin Lizzy’s heavyweight rocker Cold Sweat. It can be dangerous territory taking on one of Phil Lynott and co’s revered classics.
Greek guitar god Gus G and his band once had a stab at it in Dublin of all places, and thankfully escaped a beating from the locals. Refreshingly, this version is not like-for-like, as singer Jyrki 69 nearly flips the tune on its head with his almost Elvis-like tones.
Title track I Survive is closer to their front door with that surging European pop/rock sound showing its muscle. And it is no coincidence that it has a distinct Billy Idol aroma about it, as his boofy-haired guitarist Steve Stevens guests with a swaggering solo.
In comparison, In The Misery is less glamorous, but only in a good way. Think the Sonic Temple era of The Cult, but with more menace and mystique, and you get a damn fine tune. “That is biker rock by The 69 Eyes,” Jyrki 69 said. “Sons Of Anarchy was the biggest TV show those days when we recorded that track and naturally inspired us a lot too. That was recorded with Slayer & Megadeth producer Matt Hyde in LA in 2009”.
Out of the quad of songs, it is Devil’s Rose that leaves the biggest dent in your shins. The extra nonchalant vocals nestled on top of the unrelenting dark and dirty backing track should not really work, but it just gets better with each spin.
To some, The 69 Eyes may still be a curiosity. But if you are after a quick crash course in the band, this brilliant bite-sized collection is a good place to start.
The 69 Eyes released I Survive on 5 June 2026 via BLKIIBLK. For more details, visit ffm.bio/the69eyes-isurvive.
