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Anyone having serious HIM withdrawal symptoms can sink their teeth into the 10th outing from these Finnish goth rockers. Deep, melodic and sultry, there really isn’t a lot to distinguish them from the latter day sounds of the ‘love metallers’, and they have the brooding, born-as-a-rockstar looks to match.

In their native Finland The 69 Eyes are more popular than a bacon butty on a hangover, notching up number one albums and reaching cult status in the sexy bands stakes. They could release an album of Barry Manilow covers and girls would still throw their knickers at the stage. But thankfully they haven’t deviated from their rocked-up, Danzig-esque odes to dark romance encouraging another sigh of relief from their devotees.

The gothic influence of bands like Echo And The Bunnymen and Killing Joke are interpreted as catchy dancefloor-friendly hooks and setlist-worthy anthems. Balanced by plaintive anti-ballads, beefy riffs and faux-disco rhythms, and topped with single Red – their ultimate lighters-in-the-air moment – X is testament to a reassuringly healthy chapter in their career.

With over 10 years’ experience writing for Metal Hammer and Prog, Holly has reviewed and interviewed a wealth of progressively-inclined noise mongers from around the world. A fearless voyager to the far sides of metal Holly loves nothing more than to check out London’s gig scene, from power to folk and a lot in between. When she’s not rocking out Holly enjoys being a mum to her daughter Violet and working as a high-flying marketer in the Big Smoke.