Search - H.I.M. :: Dark Night

Excellent album - definitely worth owning

2C | Indiana | 02/07/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I was hoping I would one day run across an album that was somewhat mellower than what I usually listen to (i.e., extreme metal)...just for a change of pace. When I heard "Rip Out the Wings of a Butterfly" on MTV2, I was sold. However, I had my concerns that the album in its entirety would not live up to the expectations I had upon hearing such an excellent song that touched something emotional inside me, as a result, I was initially skeptical upon buying "Dark Light." However, "Dark Light" has proven to be an album that I am very much impressed with. I say this for a number of reasons:



(a) Many of the songs are outstanding! Even fans who are turned off by the goth/metal/emo sound will likely enjoy "Dark Light." The songs on the album are very listener friendly. Whether or not this is a good thing is up for debate depending on which fan you ask. That aside, "Dark Light" contains a number of songs which will no doubt appeal to the mainstream. While I prefer for the bands I like to remain underground, if HIM can continue to release future albums retaining the quality of songwriting that is evident on "Dark Light," then potential fans deserve to hear their music. In addition, to the high quality of song arrangement, the lyrics are powerful as well. Here again, some fans will likely criticize the lyrics as bordering on the whiney nature of many emo lyrics. However, I have no such criticism, as I found the lyrics to be somewhat introspective and (at times) touching.



(b) "Dark Light," as suggested by the title, successfully creates a dark and atmospheric mood which fits the subject matter of the songs nicely. HIM successfully blends the instrumentation together to create a gestalt that works very well. The songs blend together well without sounding like repeats of one another.



(c) Though I wouldn't call "Dark Light" a metal album, it contains enough elements of the genre for it to appeal to some metal fans. Granted, and lets be honest, HIM is no Slayer or Suffocation, and die-hard fans of those bands are not going to take to HIM easily. However, if given the chance "Dark Light" is an album which can successfully appeal to extreme metal fans (such as myself) looking for something a little more mellow to listen to during our "downtime" moments.



(d) I will admit I am fairly new to HIM. I have heard one album prior to "Dark Light," so my next comments should be taken within the context that my exposure to the band has been somewhat limited. However, based on an earlier album that I have heard ("Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights"), "Dark Light" is a much better album displaying a more proficient level of maturity and progression in terms of song quality and songwriting. Here again, outside of the aforementioned previous album, I have no other basis for comparison.



Despite its strengths, no album is without flaws and "Dark Light" is no different. Perhaps the biggest flaw I noticed is that the album is somewhat "top heavy." By this I mean the best songs occur earlier in the album. Standout songs include "Wings of a Butterfly," "Killing Lonliness," and "Behind the Crimson Door," with a few other tracks being noteworthy. In this regard, "Dark Light" is somewhat inconsistent in their quality, with some being standout tracks and others falling within the range of mediocre to sub par. As a result, I find myself playing certain songs repeatedly, while skipping others entirely. However, it does remain possible that certain songs and elements of "Dark Light" can grow on the listener after repeated play. As a matter of fact, I can imagine "Dark Light" being such an album.



Overall, I feel that "Dark Light" is an album worth owning. I have enjoyed the album immensely and it continues to see a disproportionate amount of time in my stereo, as I can't seem to get enough of some of the songs. Its very difficult to write a review of a band that I know so little about, but I feel that if "Dark Light" is any indication of HIM's potential and previous work, then most fans of the band (as well as new fans) will likely find the album enjoyable.

"

Dark Light-HIM (rock out!)

2C | 02/03/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This was excellent. I found out about the band from Kerrang! magazine and though I havent heard the full other albums I have loved everything I have heard. Killing Loneliness is a great tune and I loved the keyboard in Drunk On Shadows and Play Dead. You Rock, guys! keep it up! yeh, im under 13 but please take me seriously and listen to this! *nods to self*"

Nice

Davey sits alone | 01/08/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I like HIM. HIM is a pretty original band. They have a gothic romantic feel to them. This CD, although good, is not as good as past ones. It has its share of some catchy tunes, but sometimes I get the feeling alot of the songs are just fillers. But nonetheless, I recommend it. If you have never listened to HIM, I would start off with an earlier CD, such as Razorblade Romance. But thats me. Whatever. 4 stars for a more than decent record."