Artist: THE 69 EYES
Album: WASTING THE DAWN (CD)

Release date: 1999
Media type: CD

Garage fuelled Gothic Rockers THE 69 EYES emerged in 1992 with the 'Bump n' Grind' album. Early singles had been produced by former IRONCROSS and VENUS LOON guitarist Jari 'Mizz' Lundqvist. THE 69 EYES 1994 EP included a cover of the KISS track ‘Deuce’. This track would also be included on the album 'Motor City Resurrection', only issued in Japan the following year. This collection also sported renditions of THE STOOGES 'Gimme Some Skin' and 'TV Eye', THE DICTATORS 'Science Gone Too Far', NEW YORK DOLLS 'Vietnamese Baby', MC5's 'Call Me Animal', ALICE COOPER's 'Is It My Body?' and MISFITS 'Return Of The Fly'.

On THE 69 EYES’ ‘Savage Garden' album, produced by Timo Tolkki of STRATOVARIUS, ex-HANOI ROCKS guitarist Andy McCoy contributed to the track 'Wild Talk'.

1996 would find the band paying homage to their musical heroes by appearing on no less than three tribute albums namely 'I Wanna Be The Stooges' on the French Revenge label, the 'D.F.F.D.' tribute to THE DICTATORS on the Spanish Roto imprint and also a MISFITS album 'Hell On Earth' issued in Sweden. The following year the NEW YORK DOLLS would be honoured with THE 69 EYES donating a track to the 'Stranded In The Doll's House' Japanese compilation on Hurtin' Records.

1999's 'Wasting The Dawn' album, which saw ENTOMBED's Lars G. Petrov and Alex Hellid as session guests, would garner the band more widespread popularity internationally. The September 2000 Johnny Lee Michaels produced release 'Blessed Be' proved to be a spectacular success for the band reaching no. 4 in the national Finnish album charts. The leading single 'Gothic Girl' would also chart as did it's successors 'Brandon Lee' and 'The Chair', the latter reaching no. 2.

THE 69 EYES toured Germany in May of 2001 as guests to PARADISE LOST. The band's December single 'Dance D'Amour', which topped the Finnish charts, would come complete with a B side take on THE DOORS 'You're Lost Little Girl'. THE 69 EYES success would continue into 2002 with the 'Paris Kills' album being certified a gold release in their native Finland. European headline shows throughout October would see support from British act SULPHER.

The band made strides into the DVD market by filming a full show at Helsinki Tavastia Club in October of 2002. This concert footage, adding the band's promotional videos to date, emerged in September of the following year dubbed 'Helsinki Vampires'. As the band prepared a new album 'Devils', produced by Johnny Lee Michaels and Hiili Hiilesmaa, THE 69 EYES June 2004 single 'Lost Boys' topped the national Finnish charts. In October the 'Devils' album duly entered the national charts at no. 1 and quickly became the band's fourth gold status album in a row.

A batch of Swedish and Finnish gigs had to be cancelled at short notice in November when drummer Jussi 69 suffered from a burst appendix. With their drummer making a full recovery after being rushed to a Helsinki hospital for an emergency operation, the band continued the tour on 3rd December at Savonlinna in Finland by drafting HANOI ROCKS drummer Lacu as fill in. Later that month THE 69 EYES travelled to the USA to cut a promotional video for the track 'Lost Boys', filming in Philadelphia and Hollywood with director and MTV personality Bam Margera. European shows in February 2005 saw VISION BLEAK and LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE as support acts.

The group announced US tour dates in March 2006 in collaboration with WEDNESDAY 13. However, this union collapsed and the group duly pulled in DAMONE and PROGRAM THE DEAD as support bands. In November the band announced plans for a book entitled 'Route 69', a touring chronicle published in collaboration with photographer Ville Juurikkala.

THE 69 EYES were confirmed as direct support for CRADLE OF FILTH on a two-month North American tour opened up by Vancouver's 3 INCHES OF BLOOD commencing in January 2007. On March 5th the band issued the Hiili Hiilesmaa and Johnny Lee Michaels produced 'Angels' album.

TRACKLIST:

1. Truck On
2. Lay Down Your Arms, Girl
3. Wasting The Dawn
4. You Ain't The Reason
5. Lazarus Heart
6. Who's Gonna Pay The Bail?
7. All-American Dream
8. Be My Speed
9. Hand Of God
10. Next Stop Paradise
11. Starshine

LINE-UP:

Jyrki (vocals)
Bazie (guitar)
Timo Timo (guitar)
Archzie (bass)
Jussi 69 (drums)