Already a sensation back in their native land of Finland,
the 69 Eyes specialize in a brand of goth punk that has not been seen since the heady days of
Sisters of Mercy and
Bauhaus. And although they must have received quite a few bewildered looks during the "goth lean" decade of the '90s,
the 69 Eyes have stuck to their guns throughout, and continue to do so -- as evidenced by their 2005 release,
Devils. While some have compared frontman
Jyrki 69's vocal style to that of
Type O Negative's
Pete Steele, the singer appears to be a true descendent of
Iggy Pop -- especially circa
Mr. Osterberg's post-
Stooges The Idiot period -- as heard on such selections as the album-opening title track and "Nothing on You." With just about every up-and-coming punk band taking the "singsongy" route during the '90s and early 21st century, it's certainly a welcome break to hear a group that has studied the goth rock masters. ~ Greg Prato