69 Eyes Angels/Devils CD

For those Amerikanskis who can't get enough rock with equal ingredients gothic, booze, blood, trashy garage rock, vampire sex, and zombie love, this limited deluxe package from the 69 Eyes -- Helksinki, Finland's answer to all things unholy, obvious, sleazy, and fun -- might just do the trick. Then again, it might only whet your appetite to seek out the rest of the catalog. Angels/Devils slaps together the eighth and ninth albums, respectively (with bonus cuts), with a DVD chock-full of videos, a live gig from Whiskey a Go Go in 2006, and a short film called On the Route 69. For those familiar with the band's sound, this is simply the latest fetish object in the chain. For those who have heard the word but not the sounds, this may be a bit much, but it is equal parts Sisters of Mercy, Iggy Pop, Hanoi Rocks, and the New York Dolls. It's campy as all get out, but it's hard not to like it -- a lot -- because the band wears every single cliché on its sleeve, and indeed is so encased in them that they might as well be the real thing. To be honest, if Jim Steinman had gotten his start in rock & roll before the theater -- and was a great deal younger -- and Meat Loaf had been Andrew Eldritch, the concept would have looked and sounded a lot like this. As it's not that far off. Tracks like "Rocker," "Never Say Die," and "Wings & Hearts" are perfectly indicative. There is no difference in sound between the two records, and for fans that's great. Why would you want them ever to change? Actually, it's kinda great anyway that the 69 Eyes, who've been around for nearly 20 years, are still getting the word out in America and winning new converts to their hedonistic, heretical, rock & roll cause and apparently making a boatload -- this is the third time in 2007 that Angels was released in some form. Funny thing is, fans know they're being sold a bill of goods and don't care, so more power to the 69 Eyes. ~ Thom Jurek

The 69 Eyes: JYRKI69 (vocals); Bazie, Timo Timo (guitar); Archzie (bass guitar); Jussi 69 (drums); Johnny Lee Michaels (programming).