Love Metal [Universal]

Performer: H.I.M. (Goth Rock)
Engineer: Mark O'Donoughue
Producer: Andreas Kuntze; Fritz Puppel; HIM; Hiilli Hililesmaa
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: H.I.M. (Goth Rock): Valo (vocals); Linde (guitar); Burton (keyboards); Midge (bass guitar); Gas (drums). Audio Mixer: Tim Palmer. Recording information: Finnvox Studios, Helsinki, Finland. Ville Valo and his gloomy crew return to their metallic roots with LOVE METAL, the band's heaviest offering since their full-length debut. Launching full force into the propulsive "Buried Alive By Love," HIM explores dirgy, Sabbath-style rock ("Sweet Pandemonium"), emotive balladry ("This Fortress of Tears"), and high-speed angst ("Soul on Fire"). But amidst the turbo-charged reinvigoration, the group retains a flair for disarmingly beautiful sounds, with flowing piano work on "The Sacrament" and a mandolin accompaniment for "The Funeral of Hearts." The closing number, "The Path," unexpectedly summons a slow-paced, '50s rock-ballad feel, and the approach imbues the tune with a unique vibe. By this 2005 album, the Finnish band's formula could have been stagnant, but through passionate performances and a desire to push its own boundaries, HIM keeps making beguiling, goth-flavored heavy rock for the masses. A lot of people have the propensity to give H.I.M. unnecessary doses of grief simply because of the band's friendship and professional allegiance to pro skater Bam Margera. What's unfortunate about this is that H.I.M. actually produces dramatic metal of high sonic quality, and once again Love Metal further reinforces that notion. Going one better than Razorblade Romance, Ville Valo and company waste no time bringing out the big guns with "Buried Alive By Love," which easily measures up to the group's most well-known moments. The songwriting is as strong as it has been in quite some time and a newly found sense of urgency keeps the record going at a well-tempered pace. For die-hard fans, this is the album H.I.M. has been struggling to make and realize for quite a while, and even the aforementioned detractors of the group would be well served by giving this record a spin. [The 2005 Universal edition returned to the CD's original, ten-track format.] ~ Rob Theakston

The Finnish group His Infernal Majesty began life in the early 1990s as a heavy-metal cover band, and slowly emerged as a serious songwriting unit, releasing their first album of melodic goth rock in 1997. While they won over their home country, and eventually Europe, it wasn't until the release of their fourth album, LOVE METAL, in 2004, that they started gaining recognition in the U.S., thanks in part to a promotional effort by MTV's Bam Margera, who took to wearing the group's heart/pentagram logo on the air. Audiences appreciated the soaring melodies, the textured guitars, and the exotic appeal of lead singer Ville Valo. By the time their 2005 album, DARK LIGHT, came out, they were bona fide stars, and their record shot up the U.S. charts.

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