Vampires can be patient creatures, lurking in the shadows for years until it is time to emerge… and the vampires of the States have held out for nearly a decade for their Helsinki brethren to come forth.
The last time The 69 Eyes toured the United States was in 2009. Although frontman Jyrki has been openly traversing American soil since, the whole band as a collective has not performed to the American masses in what feels like an eternity. Although the band has continued to release records and make live appearances across the pond, fans in the United States were eternally grateful for the return of the Helsinki vampires. Best friends for an endless time in the music industry, bandmates Jyrki 69, Bazie, Timo-Timo, Archzie, and drummer Jussi 69 were more than ready to embark on this endeavor.
The Finnish goth rock legends have entered a new era in their career, upon teaming up with DevilDriver frontman Dez Fafara and his wife Anahstasia’s The Oracle Management. Having graced the world with their deep, dark, and melodic tunes for an impressive thirty years, this new chapter in the band’s rock n’ roll saga is ready to unfold. The band is currently putting the finishing touches on its 12th studio album in Helsinki, Finland for a September release via Nuclear Blast. The first single from the disc will be out at the end of May, following the band’s eleventh album, “Universal Monsters”, which was released in April 2016 via Nuclear Blast.
RockRevolt photographer Anabel DFlux captured several dates of the Back From The Grave Tour dates, having been photographing for the front man for some time now. The Los Angeles date at the illustrious Regent was notably the most memorable one, having featured two very special guests on stage. A familiar sight for those that caught Jyrki on tour with his solo project Jyrki 69, guitarist Ace Von Johnson (LA Guns, Faster Pussycat) jumped in on a couple of the last tracks to play guest guitar, while Faster Pussycat singer Taime hopped in on another track to lend his vocal chords. The stage wasn’t the only home to a slew of recognizable faces, the backstage area was host to many known musicians that came to spend some time with the Finnish lads. From members of DevilDriver, to the band’s management team, to Wednesday 13, Jimi Sero, Wedge, Kyle Cunningham, Jukka Dudeson, and plenty more.
The setlist throughout the dates have encompassed the best and more powerful songs of the band’s tremendous career. From the beginning to Dolce Vita off of the eleventh record, the song selections themselves were a walk through the band’s melodic history. Every fan in the crowd were chanting and singing along to each emotive word.
Beyond that of the song selections, the performances itself are worthy of notability. Jyrki’s vocals immediately capture your attention with deep, edgy singing reminiscent of an entirely different time in rock history. Partner that with a grand stage presence and an immaculate performance style, and you have the perfect formula for a delightful evening. Bellowing out deep, brooding, and romantic vocals to the crowd below, Jyrki could often be caught leaning in very close to the adoring fans below his feet (especially at the more intimate venue stops, such as Brick by Brick in San Diego).
Drummer extraordinaire Jussi 69 blew the crowd away with his percussion antics. His flamboyant performance has gained notoriety internationally, and for right reason; the energy is electric, it crawls up the walls and around the halls of a venue, no crevice left untouched. Guitarists Bazie and Timo-Timo follow well in suit, with their personalities leading the forefront of every note. It is evident how much Bazie enjoys interacting with the audience below, often coming forth to perform right for the devil horn hands below. Timo-Timo always demonstrates the most mesmerizing spins and dance moves we’ve ever seen, while still playing his guitar to absolute perfection! And of course, who could forget the band’s phenomenal bassist Archzie, without which The 69 Eyes would not be whole? Archzie is one of the first to set forth on the stage in the eves, and riles the crowd up immediately upon his arrival.
