The 69 Eyes return with their ninth studio album, which has been hailed a latter-day ‘Appetite For Destruction’. With blood on their hands and AC/DC on their stereo, the bloodsuckers have combined their past to focus on the future. Turning their back on the comic book glam of Angels, The Eyes have opened a heavier chapter in their musical career. For the first time this decade, honorary sixth vampire Johnny Lee Michaels has been granted temporary leave from the batcave and Matt Hyde (Slayer/Monster Magnet) has been invited over the threshold.

“He’s cleaned the table and dusted the skeletons!” singer Jyrki 69 laughs. “It’s like when Rick Rubin helped The Cult discover them on ‘Electric’—we made a similar spiritual journey with Matt.”

Once again The 69 Eyes have their finger on the pulse of darkness with 12 goth ‘n’ roll anthems guaranteed to rock the crypt. “Unsurprisingly, the main inspiration for the album came from the vampire realm,” Jyrki explains. “We haven’t made a concept album but nearly all the songs have something to do with the undead or at least horror as a genre.” Delving into his movie collection, the singer focused on Jean Rollin’s erotic French flick ‘Lips Of Blood’, ‘The Hunger’ and the modern-day opus ‘Night Watch’. “It’s almost like vampires are taking over the world!” he muses referring to the current ‘Twilight’ mania.

The album opens with title track ‘Back In Blood’, which is a fast-paced wake-up call to the vampire king who’s been asleep for centuries and is now ready to rock. Blood is the new black and it’s never tasted this good: “2000 years—now, baby I’m back!” he sings, licking his lips. Jyrki describes the song as: “More Mötley than Mercy but with a Crüe made of Sisters.” The blood-thirsty swansong is an intimate piano and acoustic guitar-driven ballad called ‘Eternal’, performed as only a half-rotten Vampire Lestat could on a sultry southern night... Full Bio