Death Of Darkness, the thirteenth studio album from The 69 Eyes is a stunning addition to the band's legacy and showcases their signature sound of melodic, haunting, and catchy gothic rock music. Add a touch of country, a little metal, and a dash of punk and The 69 Eyes is just about as compelling as any hard rock band ever could be. Oh, and I forgot to mention the vocal influences of Jim Morison, Johnny Cash, Nick Cave and Billy Idol. While Jyrki 69 incorporates all these legends and is legendary in his own right, Death Of Darkness is a musical masterstroke that incorporates all band members beautifully and will go down in history as one of their greatest musical achievements.

Visually, Death Of Darkness offers one of their greatest album covers and is only comparable to X in that regard. As is the case, often with the presentation of modern album artwork, the full impact isn’t truly appreciated on the smaller canvas of one’s smartphone. Subsequently, may I suggest that if you love Death Of Darkness as much as I do, then consider picking up a physical copy for they look sensational.

Sonically, the lossless Apple Music stream, an Apple Digital Master, is superb. Yes, there is a little cymbal crunching in a couple of areas and while it is mastered to modern loudness standards, it’s mastered exceptionally well for the style of music. The soundstage is as wide as it is deep, resulting in separation between each and every musical element. It’s so good that I’m going to go out on a limb and declare that it is their best-sounding record to date.

Death Of Darkness sets the tone for the entire album with its heavy guitar riffs and dark and brooding atmosphere. It’s a great opener!

Drive has a killer riff and rhythmic introduction. If you haven’t turned the volume up by now, stop reading and do so for Drive is simply magnificent and instantly reminds me of Billy Idol’s overall style. Even though Jyrki 69’s vocal is a little recessed in the mix, thereby allowing the musicality to take centre stage, I’m so glad that the mixing engineer chose this approach as the vocal subtlety works wonders here.

Gotta Rock is one of the greatest rock tunes of 2023 and one of the best in all of recorded music history. Without a doubt, it’s the best song The 69 Eyes have ever recorded. It’s a stadium filler, for sure, and stops me in my tracks every time it comes on. You’ll find yourself singing along to the addictively good chorus and, additionally, I simply love the synth elements throughout as it harks back to the 80s without necessarily intending to do so.

This Murder Takes Two (feat. Kat Von D) shifts the tempo of the album and while it could initially be seen as a jolt to the senses, the country-based Johnny Cash style is spectacular. Although, while I’m not convinced of Kat Von D’s inclusion, the more I listen to This Murder Takes Two, the more I come to appreciate her contribution. I would say, however, that I prefer their collaboration on the 2013 song Rosary Blue for that is one beautiful song from the get-go.

California kicks things up a notch and is a killer rock and roll tune.

Call Me Snake is a monster of a song and reminds me, again, of Billy Idol, but Jyrki 69 takes that influence, makes it his own, and adds a little demonic touch to it. Magnificent!

Dying In The Night has a great bass introduction that continues throughout thereby setting a rhythm that, again, is somewhat planted in the 80s but with a modern twist. While it may be unintentional, Dying In The Night is a magnificently mellow tune that has a David Bowie vibe to it. A fantastic song!

Something Real is a solid tune but it isn’t a standout. I simply don’t feel it’s perfectly suited to the album as it sounds as if it were recorded at another time, with a different album in mind.

Sundown, similarly to Something Real, isn’t exceptional but it has one thing that the aforementioned track doesn’t; it sounds perfectly aligned with the other music on Death Of Darkness. Additionally, for those of you who love a guitar solo, there’s an incredible one to be heard here.

Outlaws is the perfect closing track for it’s got all the killer rock elements we expect from a 69 Eyes recording but most importantly it closes out the album with a mellow, yet energetic, feel that ensures that I’ll be spinning the album again.

Overall, Death of Darkness is a fantastic addition to The 69 Eyes' discography, and it's clear that the band has not lost their touch when it comes to creating dark and melodic gothic rock music. They simply keep getting better and better. Death Of Darkness may have a more melodic feel to it than their other albums, which may result in some questioning if The 69 Eyes have mellowed as they’ve aged, but I’d say they sound better on this 2023 release than they ever have. Death Of Darkness, subsequently, is a must-listen for fans of the band, the genre, and is a great starting point for those new to the music of The 69 Eyes.