Search - Him :: Love Metal

HIM's Latest Rocker

Ken Pierce | Brooklyn,, NY USA | 04/12/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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.

"

Sheer class.....Sheer Love Metal

Bynx | USA | 05/02/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I would love to be able to admit to adoring HIM for years and to have discovered their genius by chance but sadly I can't as they were recommended to me by a friend. I asked her if I could borrow "Love Metal"-as she hadn't stopped talking about it for weeks- and she seemed particularly reluctant to part with it. Now I understand why.



Love Metal is a combined work of art and genius. Ville's song writing is brilliant as seen on track such as "Funeral of Hearts", "The Path" or "Circle of Fear". His lyrics are thought provoking, emotional and stir emotion in even the coldest of hearts. He can move you to tears with a verse, or provoke memories of lost love and lust. He has an amazing voice which is equally good live. The musicianship from Gas, Linde, Burton and Migé is brilliant.



For example on "Funeral Of Hearts" the lyrics are timeless and I challenge you to find more poetic and unforgettable lyrics than these "She was the wind, carrying in/All the troubles and fears here for years tried to forget/He was the fire, restless and wild/And you were a moth to that flame".



It is impossible on this album to pick out stand out tracks as each track is brilliant, my personal favorites are "Circle of Fear" and the epic closing track "The Path"



Please do not buy this album because the heartagram looks cool (which admittedly it does) or because Bam Margera is an obsessed fan (not too dissimilar to me in that respect?). Buy it because it is brilliant.

"

Surprisingly good

Erica Anderson | Minneapolis, MN | 09/10/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I gotta admit I never been a big fan of HIM. I have heard samples of their previous albums and never been too impressed. I did love their song for the "Resident Evil: Apopcalypse" soundtrack "Join Me in Death". That was my first time I heard HIM's music which led me to listen to samples of their music. Unfortunately I wasn't too thrilled with what I heard..until I heard "Love Metal". I wasn't big on the opening track "Buried Alive By Love". It was ok but lacked a good melody. For me that was the weakest track on the album. The song that I did love at first listen was "The Funeral of Hearts". It eerily sounded like "Join Me in Death". I don't know if that really is a good thing because it shows the lack of originality when an artist takes a hit song and re-write it all over again but with different lyrics. Good song but it just sounded a little too much like "Join Me in Death". "Soul on Fire" is another favorite song off the album. I love the combination of acoustic and electric guitars with keyboards. Ville's vocals are intoxicating and is like liquid gold when I listen to this song. His vocals are so easy on the ears. It is so nice to listen to a male vocalist who doesn't scream and actually sings like Ville does. Too many guys in metal nowadays screams too much. The rest of the album is really good. Very melodic yet plenty heavy. Unfortunately the biggest flaw with the album is the silly song titles and lyrics. Songs such as "Beyond Redemption" and "Endless Dark" really sounds cheesy and could be part of some corny modern day vampire flick, then again Inkubus Sukkubus could be accused for writing cheesy songs as well. Nevertheless I really did enjoy "Love Metal". It is nice to be proven wrong by a band I didn't always have a high opinion of."