HIM Album: “Love Metal [Universal]”

While HIM has pleased us in the past with brilliant releases like "Greatest Love Songs v. 666" and "Razorblade Romance", they hit a slight slump with their third full length album, "Deep Shadows & Brilliant Highlights". The album was not bad, is just showed no progress. However, HIM come back with their most powerful and masterful work yet, "Love Metal".

Before this release, I never truly realized how talented this band was. I've always appreciated their vocalist, Ville Valo, and consider him one of rock's best singers. He also writes music for all the band, which must be why they all work together and play off each other so well. Their guitarist (there's always two guitars at work at the same time on every track, so I guess he overdubs it) does som pretty tricky and catchy stuff that he hasn't shown off in previous releases. Their bassist, while no Les Claypool, is an excellent rhythm keeper. But the one bad musician, as on all HIM releases, is their drummer. He's not too good, basically. He does not complicated things, and basically hits a snare and a bass drum throughout the whole album, sometimes throwing in a crash. It's either he's not capable or Valo isn't writing good enough stuff for him, but it kind of brings down the music.

Despite the drummer, this release is a masterpiece. Every time I listen to it, it gives me a feeling of seclusion and peace. That sounded corny, but this is one of the only album's I recall that can actually do that. The way "Soul on Fire" comes to it's epic conclusion is oh so super. This is the way music should be done.

The lyrics in the album are quite unique. They basically revolve around joy, sorrow, love and hate. But they are not handled in the Simple Plan way: someone's miserable because their girlfriend used them and now she's going out with the jock. No, I think HIM's a little more mature than that. Most of the lyrics are metafourical, as they have always been. Which is the uniqueness of them.

I highly recommend this band if you are looking for originality. This band is bleeding it.

P.S.: Love metal is the genre HIM falls into. Not goth. Though Love Metal does highly resemble it. And I've read reviews where people seem to think "Love Metal" means something like "I Love Metal". No. That's wrong. Sorry.

Ville Valo is one of the best vocalists in the world, and a credit to his art. However his voice is nothing more than a compliment to his lyrics, which really do all the work. Well, those and the band. I think it's a shame that so many people in the US are so full of this idea that HIM is satanic, and won't just listen to them. 666 has always been metaphorical in their lyrics and all they sing about are the emotions induced by love. Sweet emotions, painful emotions, hope, anguish... everything about the songs is for love and what it does to us. The Heartagram they sport is a sign to show the contrast of good and evil, it has nothing to do with the pentagram!

The song shows improvement and progress from their earlier works but not so dramatic a change that they aren't the same musicians they ever were. Ville's deep voice and lyrics, the rest of the band's wonderful instrumentals... though, I suppose the reviewer a spot or so beneath is right that the drummer really never plays anything impressive, but it still works in the song. Also, I'd like to make a note to another reviewer who seemed to miss this, the song "The 9th Circle" is actually a metal version of "One Last Time" from the Razorblade Romance album. I preffer One Last Time, but that's just me. I recommend every track and video from this CD, particularly Funeral of Hearts--the video is mezmorizing.

Universal Music has been doing a great job of getting the music of His Infernal Majesty to the listeners in the U.S.A. They are also doing it in a manner that seems to keep the group in the public eye. Every couple of months a release that has been out in Europe arrives here. The latest addition to this list is "Love Metal" and clearly this is the band at their most polished. Fans who enjoyed "Razorblade Romance" will find a lot of the same type of driving material on this piece. It is a little more straight forward than "Deep Shadows Brilliant Highlights" was and makes for a good overall listen.

Kicking it right into gear is "Buried Alive By Love" which is a tune that brings to mind the killer tracks of early Idol and shows quickly how Ville has become the favored showman that he is. It is perhaps my favorite of the entire piece. "Soul On Fire" (often a concert closer) is a nice quick piece that ebbs and flows until its crashing end. The thing I enjoy most about the music of HIM is its use of these kind of feels, going from slow and moody to often a kicking piece. Sometimes this is employed together and for them it does the trick. "Sacrament" is a big fan favorite and I think this is one of the smoothest tracks on the CD.

As with many HIM releases there are a good amount of slower moodier numbers. "Funeral Of Hearts" and "Fortress Of Tears" best epitomize the gloom and doom side of Ville as he sings of love and loss (his oft recurring themes in his music). The enclosed booklet is full of the lyrics for the tracks (again done in apparently Ville's hand writing style). A little tricky to read and there are also photos of the members. The cover is interesting for it showcases in bright Gold, the famous "Heartagram" logo that they band is known for. I give the band credit for this instantly identifiable symbol because it very simply works.

The lineup has not changed with Burton, Gas, Mige, Linde and Ville still bringing you their stylish Gothic Music or "Love Metal" as its become known. I recommend this for new fans especially since it is very easy to enjoy the release.

I can only recommend this album to anyone who like good, brooding love metal-music! Each and every track on this cd is just GREAT...and there is nothing to argue here! The cd's best tracks are (well, after my opinion anyways!): Buried Alive By Love, Sweet Pandemonium, Beyond Redemption, Endless Dark, This Fortress Of Tears, The Sacrament and Love's Requim! The last mentioned is just FAB! They all are!! So support HIM (by buying this album and perhaps more from them) and discover the wonderful, gloomy world of HIM!!

HIM is a very unique band. The heartgram is prob. one of the most beautifulest band symbols I ever seen,even though Bam stole it from them and put it on his shirts and uses it alot on TV. Ville Vallo has very unique and depressing songs. His voice can even make you want to cry. His style hes going for is so different from other bands. HIM's not my fav band but there one of them. Very unique and different from other rock bands from out of America.