Search - H.I.M. :: Love Metal

Superb Songwriting

Nick Watkins | New Albany, Indiana | 12/28/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

When angels cry blood...on flowers of evil in bloom

Spag | Hell | 06/06/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Amazingly original band storm back with a great new album thats bound to blow you away with strong riffs and powerful vocals... even amazing keyboard will leave you stunned. Each and every member of this band and everyone field theyre involved in. This group deserve serious congratulations for creating such a masterpiece with such a different sound and daring to invent 'Love Metal'"