The 69 Eyes - Devils (2004)

Fifteen years ago, gothic rock music was quite in vogue in Europe with bands like Oomph! and Rammstein domineering national and international hitlists and groups such as Apocalyptica, HIM and The Rasmus hitting their creative peaks. One of these bands that suddenly got some unexpected mainstream success was Finland's quintet The 69 Eyes. True fans of gothic rock had already known the band back then that had been around since the late eighties and released seven albums before Devils struck a chord with younger audiences around the globe and propulsed the charismatic quintet towards brief international stardom.

There are several elements that make The 69 Eyes stand out among many other popular gothic rock bands. First of all, the band's sleaze and hard rock origins always shine through. Secondly, the band's long career makes for experienced song writing in form of concise, fluid and memorable tracks. Thirdly, the group's charismatic appearance on stage isn't a far call from horror punk bands such as The Misfits or even more traditional punk veterans like The Ramones. Fourthly, the band opts for melody over heaviness and especially convinces in the calmer and smoother tunes. Fifthly, the band's balanced mixture of glam rock, gothic rock, horror punk and rock 'n' roll appeals to quite a large number of fans. As a matter of fact, those who like this release will probably like most of the band's other outputs as well.

Things starts promisingly with the gloomy, menacing and raw title track ''Devils'' that manages to stay on your mind upon first listening to it thanks to a passionate chorus. The band's smoother side is presented immediately after with the less atmospheric and more dynamic ''Feel Berlin'' that captures the spirit of the German capital like few other tunes. ''Nothing on You'' combines the more melodic vibes of the second tune with the energy of the opener and makes for one of the band's most balanced but overlooked gems. ''Beneath the Blue'' features HIM's lead singer Ville Valo who was very popular among gothics back then and certainly helped increase sales figures for this particular album. First single ''Lost Boys'' mixes gloomy atmosphere and cool rock vibes and was promoted with a dark music video that underlined the band's sound and image.

This record's crowning achievement is however epic sacral ballad ''Sister of Charity'' that oozes with atmosphere thanks to smooth lead vocals, melancholic piano sounds and ethereal choirs culminating in an unforgettable chorus. To this day, this is the best song the band has ever written and one of the greatest gothic ballads in history.

Gothic rock was only commercially successful for a few years at the beginning of the millennium and many bands like Nu Pagadi or Ubermutter are long forgotten now. However, The 69 Eyes are still touring the world, releasing records and staying faithful to their unique mash-up of gothic subgenres. The 69 Eyes' Devils isn't only a remnant of a unique period of time for the gothic scene. It has stood the time as charismatic gothic rock album that hasn't lost any of its bleak charm.