The 69 Eyes

Angels (Caroline)
By Ewan Wadharmi

Whilst fellow Scandalnavians Turbonegro send up ’70s glam of Alice Cooper, The 69 Eyes have spent the last 17 years examining the evolution of glam to Gothic from ’60s to the ’90s. The starting point for Angels is The Sisters of Mercy, whose “Detonation Boulevard” provides the core of “Frankenhooker.” The obvious Doors reference on “Los Angeles” is accurate, right down to replicating Jim Morrison’s signature scream. “Rocker” has the same ironic chest-pounding spirit as McCluskey’s grand “My Love,” with a nod to Raw Power-era Iggy Pop.

The lyrics are a tad weak and sometimes random, “Nothing’s left here but the sun/ The human race is on the run/ The ancient gods should have told/ The Earth has never felt this old.” But there’s an unexpected poignancy in “Shadow Of Your Love” and “Wrap Your Trouble In Dreams” that counter the strutting and cock-rocking. The radio-friendly construction may turn off some whose tastes run beyond Marilyn Manson, but there’s a crunch and a wink and a smile in the tunes. And singer Jyrki 69 has a growl that could bring Peter Steele to his knees.
(www.caroline.com)