Metal Odyssey > Heavy Metal Music Blog

The Helsinki Vampires took the United States by the neck on their most recent tour, Death of Darkness. The 69 Eyes sunk their fangs into Leesburg Virginia on April 11th at the Tally Ho Theater, but they were not alone. Joining them were Budderside and The Bites and they all came with a thirst for blood and Rock N Roll. 

Budderside took the stage first to the Goosebumps theme song that led into “Careless Whisper” which by the way even the gothiest of people will cheer for. They continued the spooky theme by opening the show with “Ghostlighting” and immediately had the crowd’s attention. 

Lead singer Patrick Stone has the perfect combination of high pitch vocals and grungy rasp that makes Budderside sound so unique. Along with strong piercing vocals, Stone has a stage presence that is not only commanding and passionate but also comforting. It took no time for Stone to make his way off the stage and down to the barricade to really connect with fans. This literal in your face experience did nothing but hype the crowd up even more. By the last song Stone had escaped the barricade and truly connected with fans by running into the middle of the crowd and head-banging along with them.

Playing along side Stone is one of the finest young guitarist to join the rock and metal scene. Sam Koltun, better known as Sam Bam, truly knows his way around a guitar. However, it’s not just Koltun shredding for Budderside. Logan Nikolic took command of stage right in his own incredible style. 

Both put their whole bodies into playing and you can both see and hear how much heart they put into their playing. 

Towards the end of their set Stone began to encourage new and old fans to sing along with him to “Never Worth It.”Even those who didn’t know the lyrics picked up on instructions and “Never Worth It” became the loudest sung song of their set. 

For the most part Budderside’s set stayed on the heavier side of things musically, only slowing down for “Joker,”a very sentimental song for Stone. Over all, Budderside’s lyrics are very relatable no matter how you interpret them. Their set made you feel every emotion. 

As the band left the stage it was obvious they had gained quite a few excited new fans. They may have gone first but there is no way their set wasn’t permanently burned into everyone’s heart and soul. 

The Bites took the stage next. Their music style is much lighter than Budderside, staying closer to their 80s glam metal side, but they did not hold back in the slightest. 

Lead singer Jordan Tyler is the equivalent of this generations David Lee Roth. From running all over the stage and landing multiple high kicks, to a voice and face that drives the ladies wild. It’s like someone kept him in a cage and he was released on stage to let everything out. His goofy side also shown through during their cover of “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath when he changed “Just like witches at black masses” to “I love goth girls with fat asses”. 

While hanging out with fans after the show, Tyler jokingly stated that they definitely weren’t having fun on stage. How do we know that’s a joke? Cause it’s blatantly obvious that every second they are on stage they are having the time of their lives doing what they love. 

The crisp ear piercing sounds of Jono Richer‘s guitar is a very big part of what fueled the fans. With just as much energy as Tyler, Richer let the sleaze run from his fingers. 

Just watching bass player Zack Currier, it’s safe to say if given the opportunity he would leave the stage to rock with the crowd. His movements were perfectly aligned with every pick of the bass. 

Along with Currier, drummer Mark Hylander kept an exceptionally tight rhythm. Even behind the kit, his loud strikes against the drum heads reached fans and his talent elevated the band’s sound even more. 

A long line awaited the band after their set as fans wanted their own autographed copy of 2023’s album Squeeze. 

As the last of the day’s light disappeared, the creatures of the night came out to play literally. The 69 Eyes joined the party and left everything they had on stage. From the first note to the last song hands were in the air and fans were screaming at the top of their lungs. 

The band took the stage to Elvis’s “Heartbreak Hotel,” a song that for those who aren’t familiar with the band will make so much sense later on in the show. 

Opening the show with “Devils” was a perfect way to introduce the new fans in the crowd to the overall vibe of the rest of the night, and had the OG fans even more excited than before. By the third song everyone was pushed up as close to the barricade as possible reaching for the band. 

Lead singer Jyrki is best described as Vampire Elvis, with a deep sultry voice and hips that would give The King himself a run for his money. The low gothic tones of his voice mixed with the classic horror rock n roll sound of the band makes it feel like you’re at sexy Halloween dance party. 

Drummers are known to be wild and Jussi is no exception. Arms like an octopus and standing up on his drums like a monkey climbing a tree. He’s loud, impactful and adds the thunder to the beautiful storm that is The 69 Eyes. Paired with Jussi on bass is Archzie, who kept deep time and perfect low end all night. 

The 69 eyes have two creatures producing the beautiful banshee screams and low ghostly moans on the guitar. Pasi Moilanen on stage left and Timo-Timo on stage right. Just like Archzie and Jussi, the two are a match made in heaven (or hell). 

Jyrki fed off the crowds reaction all night, even holding the mic stand out over the pit and into the audience to encourage them to sing along louder which wasn’t a problem in the first place. Jyrki introduced Dance D’Amour by stating he had some moves to show us. As “Dance with me into Night” left his lips everyone was truly dancing. Not headbanging, not nodding along but dancing and swaying like they were in a calm trance. 

The band left the stage for the encore and a member of their team came out and got the whole place chanting 69 as the band walked back out on stage. Jyrki placed a rose on the drum set and the madness continued. The most hype came when they began to play “Lost Boys”. No one wanted the show to end and there were nothing but smiles as the band said their final goodbyes. 

The Death of Darkness tour featured 3 different styles of rock, yet they all blended so well together. The most important thing is that not once throughout the night did any one look bored or did any band sound bad. I don’t think anyone would be angry if these 3 bands toured together again next year. – Tanis Enos