Apparently The 69 Eyes have been spreading their
dark cheer all over the European underground since
the early nineties. As this is my first experience
with them I don’t have much to compare this
to aside from other bands. That said, if they have
truly been working their brand of Danzig meets Sister
of Mercy sleaze n’ roll for that long then they
are surely a forerunner of all things HIM.
Angels is a hard record to get used to in many respects.
The vocals here are very solo Glen Danzig, almost
to the point of annoyance. The lyrics however are
very anthemic and, for the most part, even fairly
clever. The music goes back and forth between the
dark soul of the aforementioned bands and this sort
of Sunset Strip thing that reminds me a bit of bands
like Faster Pussycat and Hanoi Rocks, without the
raw appeal of either. The title track as well as “Never
Say Die” kicks the album off in a good fashion,
not really offending or drawing you in, they are just
two good solid songs that are easy on the ears. From
there the album goes down hill slowly though. The
vocals never seem to change much, nor do they ever
really seem to fit the music. The whole album just
kind of exists on this plane of indifference. Nothing
is overtly energetic or raw and nothing is overtly
beautiful in a gothic sort of way.
I really thought this album would be great but it’s
about as mediocre as they come to be honest. The band
has an interesting look and an interesting approach
to what they do yet they never manage to make it all
seem believable. Here’s hoping the next one
finds them more comfortable in their skin.
Key Tracks:
Reviewed by Mark Fisher |
