The 69 Eyes released their 10th album, Back In Blood, last week. If the reaction from the New York listening party the Finnish goth-metallers had for the album a few months back was any indication, their debut album for The End Records is already a fan favorite. Vocalist Jyrki69 went through their new album track by track to talk about it, after the jump.
To celebrate the release of the album, Metal Insider and The End are giving away a limited edition Back In Blood coffin case. It features a silk-screened “coffin case,” a deluxe CD/DVD version of the album, a “Zombie Love” comic book autographed by Jyrki69, an autographed “Dead Girls Are Easy” import single, an exclusive T-Shirt, and a digital download of the album. To enter, just leave a comment. Winner will be chosen on Friday, October 2.
1. Back In Blood
– Ever since I heard this riff I knew this should be an opening track for the album. Like “Framed In Blood” once, this will be also a great opening track for our shows. After hearing the demo and the name of the song, our A&R guy suggested this to also the title for the album – I wasn’t sure at first but seems like they were right: this identifies the vibe of the entire album perfectly! Lyrically in the song the whole vampire mythos is taken back to the Egyptian/pre-Christian times – “2000 years, baby, I’m BACK!”
2. We Own The Night
– This is a celebration of the night and the moon drunk creatures who own it. I stole the name from the movie with the same title; it was too good to waste like that. I think my vocals are at their best on this one on the album. I and producer Matt Hyde were watching “Blade” and I felt asleep for a moment. All of sudden I woke up as Matt was watching the movie and talking to me “Wesley Snipes, he’s THE man!” – There was some magic in the air and we nailed the song before the sunrise.
3. Dead N’ Gone
– This is a radio pop song of the album. It’s a break-up song and I was always thinking of Benji & Joel Madden’s vocals fitting into the chorus. Benji was visiting us while we were recording and one fine day he laid down some amazing backing vocals to this. In the end his and my vocals were mixed together and they really sound strong! This is going to be the second single and the video from the album.
4. The Good, The Bad & The Undead
– This is THE Halloween party song of 2009! Since The CRAMPS are unfortunately gone, I think The 69 Eyes should continue their tradition and become THE Halloween party band! We will take over with this song!
5. Kiss Me Undead
– This was one of the first songs written for the album. It’s about a vampire who’s like a Sleeping Beauty waiting for kiss to wake him up and make his heart go boom!
6. Lips Of Blood
– I was watching all those Jean Rollin’s 70’s French vampire movies while searching for inspiration and one of them was titled “Lips Of Blood”. It surely is my favorite, hauntingly beautiful and mystic movie that deserves a song! I wonder if Jean Rollin would be interested in directing a video for us? This is goth’n’roll, baby!
7. Dead Girls Are Easy
– This is the first single and video from the album. I was suprised about this decision at first but it’s all good since this song ROCKS like Hell. Though I borrowed the title from Terri Garey’s book, the song itself refers more into all those Suicide Girls kind of internet vixens who want to pose dead-looking and on the other hand to all the current teens bitten by vampire mania who prefer to die to be with “Edward forever”. And aren’t all Gothic girls trying to look dead anyways?
8. Night Watch
– I’ve been thinking of writing Moscow into some of our songs for a long time, since that city fascinates me a lot. Ever since the first time I heard the demo of this song, it reminded me somehow of a hot Moscow disco night! “Night Watch” the movie is a great and somewhat mysterious Russian vampire and fantasy movie that happens in Moscow. It’s very different than any other vampire movie, nearly having elements from Kalevala. All this made this song truly magical.
9. Some Kind Of Magick
– This is a hypnotic goth’n’roll song. I could last forever.
10. Hunger
– “We’re damned to live forever…with no release, no end.” David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve are the coolest vampires ever in “The Hunger”. One of the world’s most beautiful women “Forever and ever” Catherine Deneuve is the main vampire Miriam to whom this song is written.
11. Suspiria Snow White
– Horror punk by The 69 Eyes! Matt turned on Dario Argento’s “Suspiria” on TV and I got inspired to include it into the title. Later on I read that Argento was actually inspired for that movie by Walt Disney’s “Snow White”! A very strange co-incident once again!
12. Eternal
– This is the ultimate closing track for the album. I was thinking of the scene from “Interview With the Vampire” in which Lestat returns from the swamp nearly as a zombie state, plays piano (Haydn’s Piano Sonata no. 49 in E flat major, Hob XVI:49 (adagio e cantabile)) and tells Claudia that she’s been a very naughty girl…He could have played this song for her as well…
