HIM

(1991-)
Current lineup:
Mikko "Migé" Paananen - Bass
Janne "Burton" Puurtinen - Keyboards
Ville Valo - Vocals
Mikko "Linde" Lindström - Guitars
Mika "Gas Lipstick" Karppinen - Drums

Probably the most definitive aspect of Finnish HIM's music is the vocal output of Ville Valo - his vocals that range from deep baritones to angel-like falsettos, punctuated by dramatic, asthmatic gasps in-between the words, are a characteristic without which the band wouldn't work.

Originally the band found me via radio - when Razorblade Romance was released, no-one could hide from their swarm of hit singles. Quickly my sister fell to the victim of music industry, and bought her copy of the album. Now, with no place to hide, I just had to listen to the album, over and over again... and I realized that it wasn't so bad after all. The band had an image that appealed to teen goths, but the music they wrote was actually quite clever. It was too pop to be metal, but too metal to be pop, and usually bands like these fail in both aspects, but HIM really made it work easily.

Musically the band has proven that almost anything works. Originally they played a brand of gothic metal that was both poppy and heavy, aptly titled as "love metal", with lyrics that were - and still are - romantic, overtly dramatic and, at times, cheesy as hell. However, they manage to make the lyrics work with their music. Sure, if you look or listen closely to the lyrics, you realize how silly they are, but their music matches greatly with the lyrics. They don't try to create something new, but instead try to write music that just works like a charm. And somehow I feel they are really good at it.

Originally they played metal that was rather heavy, both in sense of general "metal heaviness" and sound-wise - the band has some roots in doom metal music, which explains why some of their early works were played with slow tempos and downtuned instruments, creating an atmosphere really thick and intense that went really well with their gothic / romantic lyrics in general.

Then, album after album, their sound became lighter as they downplayed their metal roots, shifting first to hard rock and then, to regular goth pop-rock - and over their slow change, my interest in the band waned. For a long time I thought that their first two albums would remain their only works that I really could enjoy (well, I admit that Razorblade Romance is also poppy as hell, but it still retains its metal edge), until the band released Venus Doom, probably their heaviest album to date. Though it is poppy, just like the rest of their stuff, it also takes a deep nod to the direction of doom metal - once again the instruments are downtuned and played with tons of distortion and some of the songs really trudge on slowly with slow tempos. In retrospect, they might have downplayed their pop side even a bit too much in this album, with really non-radio-friendly songs and keyboards almost nonexistent. After all, keyboards play a relatively large role in their music in general.

All in all, HIM is generally a teenage girl's favorite band, but that doesn't mean that the band should be overlooked. Probably for those that hunt for "true" metal bands that are as heavy as possible, HIM doesn't offer that much, but if bands like Depeche Mode (dark and romantic lyrics with catchy pop hooks, anyone?) hit the spot, HIM might do the trick - after all, many times I find myself thinking that HIM sounds really more like Depeche Mode playing with heavy metal instrumentation than a metal band. Though for me, their more-pop-less-metal-stuff really doesn't work, because there are too many good pop rock bands and too little good pop metal bands. The band has its musical niche, and it is not in the pop rock region (though the Billboard charts might tell you different).

***

My top-10 list of songs that are worth checking out:
(Don't Fear) The Reaper
Cyanide Sun
Gone with the Sin
Join Me in Death
Our Diabolikal Rapture
Poison Girl
Right Here in My Arms
Venus Doom
When Love and Death Embrace
Your Sweet Six Six Six

***

Reviewed albums:
Razorblade Romance (1999) - 82/100

HIM // Razorblade Romance

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