Album: HIM - Razorblade Romance (1999)11 tracks / 42:42
Acquired: May 2010
Vocals: Ville Valo
Guitars: Mikko "Linde" Lindström
Bass: Mikko "Migé" Paananen
Keyboards: Jussi-Mikko "Juska" Salminen
Drums: Mika "Gas Lipstick" Karppinen
All lyrics and music by Ville Valo
When I was 14, me and my family were spending our summer on our cottage - just like every summer before that. On our way there, my parents bought me and my little sister CDs - I got The Battle of Los Angeles by Rage Against the Machine and my sister got this album. As we had only one CD player on our cottage, we had to play our CDs in turns - for a whole week, because we didn't have anything else to listen with us.
Although I had disliked HIM before, I grew to accept the band's music, and eventually started even liking it. Though simple, naïve and radio-friendly, their brand of rock/metal (titled as love metal) is also quite cleverly written, full of catchy hooks and at times, really hits the spot.
That's why when I bumped into this album in some record shop - at a reasonable discount, if I may add - I had to buy it. During all those years after the first time I heard Razorblade Romance, I never grew to like the rest of their material that much, but this album has remained really enjoyable and quite unsurprisingly contains practically all my favorite tracks of the band. After all, to this date it's the only album that contains the heavy end of their music combined with their irresistible pop appeal in a prefect balance. All the other albums I've heard contain only one or the other.
1. I Love You (Prelude to Tragedy) (3:09)
The song opens with a real bastard - it has taken me numerous listens to learn that the CD is really playing and there is some ten seconds of silence before the song kicks in at full blast.
The band showcases what they are all about with the first track - the catchy guitar riffs, Valo's asthmatic vocals dripping with honey, ranging from rumbling low baritones to angel-like falsettos.
A powerful introductory song, that packs all the aces, yet holds itself back a little, lacking in the hit department. Otherwise, a great way to open the album.
9/10
2. Poison Girl (3:51)
One of their biggest singles of their early days and probably the first song I heard from them.
This song is pretty far from my regular music taste, with its standard pop song structure, Valo's fatal pronunciation and obvious hooks, yet I can't help but digging it. Don't know if it is only nostalgia factor, but I think this is one of the greatest HIM songs. I really have to restrain myself from singing this aloud like a little girl.
10/10
3. Join Me in Death (3:36)
And the single streak continues - another one of those big HIM hits that hits your face with cheesy broken chords played with a piano.
However, be it careful composition or just another burst of nostalgia, but I'm once again all over this song. The verses are too cheesy for even me to swallow, but dammit, the overtly clichéd, falsetto-sung chorus is just superb. These songs aren't musically world-turning, but they are so cleverly written pop-music-wise I can't help but feel a slight jab of jealousy.
9/10
4. Right Here in My Arms (4:03)
Yet another hit single! Once again catchy choruses with tragic vocals, but this time the metal factor is kicked up a notch - this song is definitely from the heavy end of the album. This doesn't mean that it is actually that heavy, but heavy nonetheless - despite the once again overtly cheesy sing-along-and-clap-your-hands part clearly reserved for big stadium concerts.
10/10
5. Gone With the Sin (4:22)
A slower and calmer song, first real ballad of the album. Despite being cheesy, melodramatic, clichéd and whatnot, in my mind it still remains the best ballad of this band. Even with having a modulation!
Especially in this song Ville Valo's deep vocals are like velvet that is dripping with honey - pure balm to one's ears. Also the synth solo that just descends and descends is pure perfection in its simplicity. Apparently these guys just have that recipe for success - no matter how over-the-top they go, it still comes out as awesome.
10/10
6. Razorblade Kiss (4:18)
The opening harkens back to their less-but-still-somehow-poppy debut album, being noticeably heavier and doomier than their previous hit singles. However its rock-credible chorus hollering and a clean interlude keep it safe on the pop metal ground.
"Razorblade Kiss" is borderlining with pop and metal even more than "Right Here in My Arms" did, and with success. It's definitely a great song, but stays a small notch behind the hit songs.
8/10
7. Bury Me Deep Inside Your Heart (4:16)
The introduction to this song is another deep nod to the doom metal roots of the band - trudging REALLY slow with massive, low register sonic assault.
The song however is not that special, mainly shifting between simple and quiet bass-and-drums verses and massive choruses. Even the catchy sing-along vocal melodies can't save the song, which remains on the other hand pretty good, but on the other hand pretty dull and repetitive.
6/10
8. Heaven Tonight (3:18)
This song sounds more like Depeche Mode trying to play metal. With bass lines reminiscent of synthpop era and synth melodies full of pop hooks "Heaven Tonight" manages to be rather interesting even though as a song it isn't that special.
A pretty good song, but it seems that the band used all their hits during the first half of the album.
7/10
9. Death Is in Love With Us (2:58)
Another hard rocker, this one is. A quick and catchy one, too. However, as a composition it seems that it isn't at its greatest in the album, as it is rather repetitive with no obvious hooks, but instead working as a power shot during a live show, what with its energetic beat and more peaceful breakdown part for waking up the audience.
7/10
10. Resurrection (3:39)
A song opening up like a power ballad, but emerging as a massive stadium-sized hard rocker. It's amazing how simply low registers of bass guitar with simple synthesizer chords can create an impression of something so massive and spacious.
A song with hit potential that is a bit better than the couple previous ones, but falls a bit short of the best hits.
9/10
11. One Last Time (5:10)
The album closes with more peaceful, partly acoustic "One Last Time" - sporting an interesting instrument; it sounds like a distorted cello, but I guess it is just a synth.
This song is less dramatic than the rest of the album but the cheesiness factor remains the same. This, however, is not a problem. What is, is that the song is pretty boring, to be frank. It doesn't really go anywhere but wallows in its sea of cheese. Despite this, it is an acceptable song to end the album, as it is a calm and peaceful one. A heavy metal attack couldn't have fared as well, methinks.
5/10
***
Final verdict
The album was as good as I remembered. Though not an ass-kicker all the way through, with a few weaker performances, it still is an exceptionally good package of radio-friendly pop metal - and that is pretty much said, considering my general distaste for music of that kind.
Admitted, the album is cheesy, very dramatic and theatrical, filled with clichés, but also very carefully crafted, full of great pop songs that are spiced with doom metal aesthetics. It's one thing to hear a pop metal song and a pop metal song with slllllooowww tempo and rumbling bass.
But you've got to remember to take this music with a pinch of salt. The lyrics might speak personally only to angst-ridden teenage girls, but despite that, they have got some serious sing-along potential. At times it's ok to turn your rational part of the brain off and just sing along to these songs like a silly.
Score: 82/100
Although I had disliked HIM before, I grew to accept the band's music, and eventually started even liking it. Though simple, naïve and radio-friendly, their brand of rock/metal (titled as love metal) is also quite cleverly written, full of catchy hooks and at times, really hits the spot.
That's why when I bumped into this album in some record shop - at a reasonable discount, if I may add - I had to buy it. During all those years after the first time I heard Razorblade Romance, I never grew to like the rest of their material that much, but this album has remained really enjoyable and quite unsurprisingly contains practically all my favorite tracks of the band. After all, to this date it's the only album that contains the heavy end of their music combined with their irresistible pop appeal in a prefect balance. All the other albums I've heard contain only one or the other.
1. I Love You (Prelude to Tragedy) (3:09)
The song opens with a real bastard - it has taken me numerous listens to learn that the CD is really playing and there is some ten seconds of silence before the song kicks in at full blast.
The band showcases what they are all about with the first track - the catchy guitar riffs, Valo's asthmatic vocals dripping with honey, ranging from rumbling low baritones to angel-like falsettos.
A powerful introductory song, that packs all the aces, yet holds itself back a little, lacking in the hit department. Otherwise, a great way to open the album.
9/10
2. Poison Girl (3:51)
One of their biggest singles of their early days and probably the first song I heard from them.
This song is pretty far from my regular music taste, with its standard pop song structure, Valo's fatal pronunciation and obvious hooks, yet I can't help but digging it. Don't know if it is only nostalgia factor, but I think this is one of the greatest HIM songs. I really have to restrain myself from singing this aloud like a little girl.
10/10
3. Join Me in Death (3:36)
And the single streak continues - another one of those big HIM hits that hits your face with cheesy broken chords played with a piano.
However, be it careful composition or just another burst of nostalgia, but I'm once again all over this song. The verses are too cheesy for even me to swallow, but dammit, the overtly clichéd, falsetto-sung chorus is just superb. These songs aren't musically world-turning, but they are so cleverly written pop-music-wise I can't help but feel a slight jab of jealousy.
9/10
4. Right Here in My Arms (4:03)
Yet another hit single! Once again catchy choruses with tragic vocals, but this time the metal factor is kicked up a notch - this song is definitely from the heavy end of the album. This doesn't mean that it is actually that heavy, but heavy nonetheless - despite the once again overtly cheesy sing-along-and-clap-your-hands part clearly reserved for big stadium concerts.
10/10
5. Gone With the Sin (4:22)
A slower and calmer song, first real ballad of the album. Despite being cheesy, melodramatic, clichéd and whatnot, in my mind it still remains the best ballad of this band. Even with having a modulation!
Especially in this song Ville Valo's deep vocals are like velvet that is dripping with honey - pure balm to one's ears. Also the synth solo that just descends and descends is pure perfection in its simplicity. Apparently these guys just have that recipe for success - no matter how over-the-top they go, it still comes out as awesome.
10/10
6. Razorblade Kiss (4:18)
The opening harkens back to their less-but-still-somehow-poppy debut album, being noticeably heavier and doomier than their previous hit singles. However its rock-credible chorus hollering and a clean interlude keep it safe on the pop metal ground.
"Razorblade Kiss" is borderlining with pop and metal even more than "Right Here in My Arms" did, and with success. It's definitely a great song, but stays a small notch behind the hit songs.
8/10
7. Bury Me Deep Inside Your Heart (4:16)
The introduction to this song is another deep nod to the doom metal roots of the band - trudging REALLY slow with massive, low register sonic assault.
The song however is not that special, mainly shifting between simple and quiet bass-and-drums verses and massive choruses. Even the catchy sing-along vocal melodies can't save the song, which remains on the other hand pretty good, but on the other hand pretty dull and repetitive.
6/10
8. Heaven Tonight (3:18)
This song sounds more like Depeche Mode trying to play metal. With bass lines reminiscent of synthpop era and synth melodies full of pop hooks "Heaven Tonight" manages to be rather interesting even though as a song it isn't that special.
A pretty good song, but it seems that the band used all their hits during the first half of the album.
7/10
9. Death Is in Love With Us (2:58)
Another hard rocker, this one is. A quick and catchy one, too. However, as a composition it seems that it isn't at its greatest in the album, as it is rather repetitive with no obvious hooks, but instead working as a power shot during a live show, what with its energetic beat and more peaceful breakdown part for waking up the audience.
7/10
10. Resurrection (3:39)
A song opening up like a power ballad, but emerging as a massive stadium-sized hard rocker. It's amazing how simply low registers of bass guitar with simple synthesizer chords can create an impression of something so massive and spacious.
A song with hit potential that is a bit better than the couple previous ones, but falls a bit short of the best hits.
9/10
11. One Last Time (5:10)
The album closes with more peaceful, partly acoustic "One Last Time" - sporting an interesting instrument; it sounds like a distorted cello, but I guess it is just a synth.
This song is less dramatic than the rest of the album but the cheesiness factor remains the same. This, however, is not a problem. What is, is that the song is pretty boring, to be frank. It doesn't really go anywhere but wallows in its sea of cheese. Despite this, it is an acceptable song to end the album, as it is a calm and peaceful one. A heavy metal attack couldn't have fared as well, methinks.
5/10
***
Final verdict
The album was as good as I remembered. Though not an ass-kicker all the way through, with a few weaker performances, it still is an exceptionally good package of radio-friendly pop metal - and that is pretty much said, considering my general distaste for music of that kind.
Admitted, the album is cheesy, very dramatic and theatrical, filled with clichés, but also very carefully crafted, full of great pop songs that are spiced with doom metal aesthetics. It's one thing to hear a pop metal song and a pop metal song with slllllooowww tempo and rumbling bass.
But you've got to remember to take this music with a pinch of salt. The lyrics might speak personally only to angst-ridden teenage girls, but despite that, they have got some serious sing-along potential. At times it's ok to turn your rational part of the brain off and just sing along to these songs like a silly.
Score: 82/100
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