H.I.M. Albums (8)
'Digital Versatile Doom: Live at the Orpheum Theatre'
Release Date 2/26/2008
Tracks 36
Label Warner Bros.
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What The Critics Say
H.I.M. has a reputation for engaging live shows, so it's disconcerting when Digital Versatile Doom starts off a bit stiff and stilted. It's an unfounded worry -- as lead singer Ville Valo and his band loosen up on-stage, the music becomes warmer and more involving (along with Valo's stage presence), and fans will be pleased to know that the album captures not only H.I.M.'s sound, but also the mood and atmosphere of what was evidently a particularly impressive show. Valo is in fine form; by the time the lead singer reaches "Wicked Game," the set's fourth song, he's showing off his considerable vocal range, making the ladies in attendance squeal as he slides effortlessly from falsetto to deep, sensual growls, and joking around with both spectators and his fellow bandmembers between numbers. Things get even better exactly half way through when H.I.M. turns in an exuberant performance of "Dead Lovers Lane," a track off of the studio album Venus Doom. While the concert (recorded at The Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles) was in support of what was then the band's latest album, the set list is a balanced mix of the group's most well-known tunes. It's a decision that pays off handsomely: the crowd is happy that their favorite hits get a turn, and that makes it easy for Valo to lead them in singing the opening lines of several songs. (His gentle encouragement at the beginning of "Poison Girl" is particularly endearing.) As could be expected for a group with such a charismatic frontman, most of the theatrics are reserved for Valo, who plays with melodic variations throughout the concert and sneaks in some naughty improvisation at the end of "It's All Tears." Consequently, there isn't much time for the rest of the band to get part of the spotlight; when they do, it's with the concert's centerpiece, "Sleepwalking Past Hope." Clocking in at just over ten minutes, the song gives guitarist Lily Lazer, keyboardist Emerson Burton, and bassist Mig蠁mour a chance to shine while their vocalist takes well-deserved break. It's a move that benefits not only Valo, but his audience; unlike other live recordings, the second half of Digital Versatile Doom doesn't flag, but manages to continue and even build up a bit more energy before it concludes with a lush version of "Funeral of Hearts." If the ultimate goal of a live album is to capture not only the music but the full experience of a band in concert, it's safe to say that Digital Versatile Doom succeeds handily. ~ Katherine Fulton, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
H.I.M.'s eighth album finds them toning down the atmospherics and sheen that were prominent on Dark Light in an attempt to make their heaviest album yet. According to frontman Ville Valo, the ultimate goal was to concoct a sound that combined My Bloody Valentine's Loveless with Metallica's Master of Puppets, and while Venus Doom doesn't quite meet such a lofty goal, it finds them back on track and sounding more metal than ever. There's less ear candy and more prominent riffs in the mix, and some subtle keyboard padding and studio buffing, but the bludgeoning drop-tuned guitars dominate throughout. It's a bigger and badder version of H.I.M. than in the past, and it's largely due to producer Tim Palmer (Ozzy Osbourne, Dredg). Just as the sound of the band has matured, Valo's voice has improved over time, and he experiments with a lower guttural range that fits the mood perfectly. The trademark gloom is as evident as ever within the lyrics and, as always, you can expect to hear the words "suffering," "blood," "misery," and "death" peppered liberally throughout the songs. Of course with lines like, "my heart's a graveyard, baby, and to evil we make love," H.I.M. isn't a band known for profound lyrics, but, at the same time, most fans of the band don't want to philosophize, they want to hear the group rock out, and this release shows them doing precisely that, even harder than before. ~ Jason Lymangrover, All Music Guide
'Buried Alive by Love, Vol. 1'
Release Date 11/25/2003
Tracks 2
Label BMG International
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What The Critics Say
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. ~ Rob Theakston, All Music Guide
'Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights'
Release Date 8/27/2001
Tracks 11
Label RCA Victor Europe
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What The Critics Say
H.I.M.'s Razorblade Romance was a huge step from the poppy yet raw Greatest Lovesongs, and so their reputation as teenage-girl entertainers began to grow. That was very unfortunate for the old fans of H.I.M., as Razorblade Romance marks the beginning of H.I.M.'s more polished pop era. Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights plunges deeper. The songs lack hooks, the sound is just way too clean, and as the highlights (the tracks "In Joy and Sorrow" and "Pretending") are over before the halfway point, as a whole Deep Shadows doesn't quite satisfy. ~ Antti J. Ravelin, All Music Guide
'Razorblade Romance'
Release Date 1/1/2000
Tracks 11
Label Supersonic
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What The Critics Say
Even though H.I.M.'s main goal seems to be gaining attention from a female audience, Greatest Lovesongs sure was artistically a success. The contrast between Razorblade Romance and the debut, however, is quite large. Melancholy and angst seem a little artificial, while Greatest Lovesongs had a truly pressuring atmosphere all the time. Razorblade Romance forgets all about that, and the whole concept of gothic rock and so-called love metal repeats itself many times during the album. But the songs themselves are actually very good; when ignoring the implementation, hit songs like "Join Me in Death" and "Right Here in My Arms" work really nicely. And horrendous clich鳠in lyrics and playing don't really matter, because H.I.M. recycles them well. The slightly over-produced sound may distract for a while, but after all, the song material is of a kind that is hard to fit into a demanding format. Anyhow, the songs as a whole are organized well, and it's easy to listen the album the whole way through. ~ Antti J. Ravelin, All Music Guide
'Greatest Lovesongs, Vol. 666'
Release Date 11/20/1997
Tracks 65
Label BMG
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What The Critics Say
You wouldn't expect a lot from a band whose debut album is entitled Greatest Lovesongs, Vol. 666, but H.I.M. surprises in a very positive way. H.I.M.'s stigma of so-called "love metal" is actually undeserved and relates only to Ville Valo's love-oriented lyrics; the music itself combines metal with '80s rock and some goth influences, and the album as a whole has a very diverse sound. Songs such as "The Beginning of the End" and "It's All Tears" especially prove that H.I.M. can do a lot better than their poor single track "When Love and Death Embrace." Two cover songs on a nine-track debut album might be too much, but Ville Valo seems to beg the difference. In fact, H.I.M.'s versions of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" and Blue ֹster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper" are very idiosyncratic and fit very well on Greatest Lovesongs, Vol. 666. "Wicked Game," especially, is somehow even better than Isaak's original version, or at least it proves that H.I.M. does have a sense for dynamics instead of playing just quiet or loud, which is pretty typical of H.I.M.'s contemporaries. "Don't Fear the Reaper" intriguingly reduces the volume at the end of the album and the female vocals and piano add hopeful tenderness. Greatest Lovesongs, Vol. 666 succeeds in pleasing everyone, whether they're into rock or pop. ~ Antti J. Ravelin, All Music Guide
