HIM Album: “Razorblade Romance”

HIM's second release is finally re-released in the U.S. (again). This version is a little different from the original European releases because it includes the classic Chris Isaak cover Wicked Game, and the song Your Sweet 666 both off of HIM's first CD (Greatest Lovesongs Volume 666)

So many people with different music preferabilities enjoy HIM. They are the perfect mix of metal and love ballads, (hence their musical label of Love Metal, which also happens to be their newest album released in europe) This CD has the perfect mix of fast catchy music to the slow love songs, and Ville Valo's voice is wonderful. He can hit so many notes...About this CD being parental advisory: Ignore it, the PA is on their because of song number 3. Join Me (In Death) which is metaphorical, but the label insisted it was a song hinting suicide. But if you are ready for a change, definalty check out this CD, and look out for HIM, because they are definatly going to blow up.

BUY IT NOW!

This is the best rock bands to come out Europe ever! The songs on this album are amazing! being a blend of gothic metal and rock, HIM have beautifully written lyrics with songs like 'Right here in my arms' and 'Greatest Love songs 666'. Ville Vado's voice is incredible ranging from Peter Steele deep to soft and melodic. The cover version of Chris Isaak's wicked game is great (although not as good as the version on HIM's first album). This album is definitely worth spending your mney on no matter what kind of rock music you are into! The only shame is the fact that they still are not as successful as they should be due to the fact that they have only been around in Europe but in Europe they are huge having top 5 hits and winning almost every award a new band can win! BUY THIS ALBUM, YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT - also if yu get the chance wacth them live

I heard the Your Sweet 666 single, and went out and bought this album the very next day! The music is rocky, yet melodic, the vocals are BEAUTIFUL, the lyrics are a little simplistic maybe, but darkly melancholically appealing none-the-less (and when you consider that it's not the writer's first language...). I have become completely addicted to this band, so this album needs a warning sticker attached - if you do buy it, be prepared to find yourself hunting high and low for everything of HIM's you can get your grubby mits on, and unless you're in Germany or Finland, that isn't likely to be much. Saying that however, the HIM internet community are in general a friendly helpful bunch.... I'd say if you like Type O Negative, Paradise Lost, 80's rock/metal, and you're a dark romantic type of person, you'll like this.

For those who are curious but unfamiliar, HIM is a Rock band from Finland who are currently causing a buzz in the USA... without much help from MTV or the Radio by the way. Their strength lies in their superior song writing which is catchy (not in a manufactured corporate pop way), yet hard and heavy. They've also got a singer who has a wonderful voice who can hit the high notes and drop to a deep baritone as well. Their music can be described as a combination of 80's "Stadium Goth" and good old fashioned Hard Rock, with an element all their own. I can draw comparisons to The Mission, The Cult and some 80's Pop-Metal. They're also infamous for writing songs that are almost exclusively about extremely unhealthy romantic relationships. Obsession, death, lust, emotional masochism, codependence, and even suicide are all topics covered in the band's exploration of the dark side of love. The incredibly bittersweet melodies, impassioned vocals and subtle sense of humor save these songs from being sappy and corny. By the way, for those that are wondering, the parental advisory sticker is probably for the fact that young, impressionable, hormone riddled ears would be listening to songs with lyrics like "Would you die tonight for love? Baby, join me in death." and "This life aint worth living."

I didn't discover HIM threw Bam Mangera like most people in the USA have. As a matter of fact, I don't even like Bam much. Makes me sick that there are people walking around with Heartagrams tattooed on them without really knowing the meaning behind the heartagram.

Over the last decade, many have noticed how Goth music seemed to go from a sad, yet bittersweet melancholy into some clown licking the inner posterior of hermaphrodites, tap-dancing on Hitler moustaches, and sticking their (...) into mashed potatoes in order to "liberate people from the lies they've been told" (kudos to Deadsun for the brilliant Marilyn Manson parodies) as their fans consider themselves tr00 individuals for dressing up in black and hating life because their hero told them to. For those tired of the "I'm more goth than you because I hate my grandparents as well as my parents" crowd, you might want to give HIM's 'Razorblade Romance' album a try.

Though perfectly a beautiful, heart-wrenching tragedy of early Goth, HIM draws more from traditional Metal rather than the Punk influences of early Goth music. The result is a perfectly produced album where drums keep excellent beat, piano is used on more slower-tempo songs, guitar solos are inserted only where necessary so as to mark either the climax or just before the climax on more heart-pounding songs, and frontman Ville Valo's lush vocals with excellent articulation. Not to mention, Ville is quite the poet.

"Razorblade Kiss" perfectly captures the guilty pleasures that love can lead us to, reminding us that love has no boundaries. A guitar solo leads up to a sudden repose for the confession of deep, passionate love before going back towards the metallic highway, as it ends with a long, consistent growl almost.

HIM's 'Razorblade Romance' is a great Valentine's Day addition also. I'm sure your sweetheart will love it!