Daily Music Dose

I think it would be naive of me to believe that not many people on Buzznet know who the band HIM are.  The HIM fan community alone boasts over 1000 members and many off-shoot fan groups with 300 or more members.  Sure, not the level of activity in the fan forums as My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, or Panic at the Disco; but nonetheless, some of the most active and enthusiastic forum posters on the site.  So, therein lies my dilemma.  The purpose of the Daily Music Dose is to introduce members to a band they may not be familiar with.  I can bet that most of you are familiar with the band HIM and already have formed your own opinion about the band.  For example, a friend of mine refers to them as the Backstreet Boys of mall goths.  Now, I don't know if he heard that somewhere or read it somewhere; but yeah, most of the people I know describe this band in not so favorable terms.  I also noted the infamous Heartagram get a feature on the website "yourscenesucks.com."  So, apparently, the "hot topic core" scenester in one way can be identified by their HIM necklace and are responsible for among other things the commercialization of your favorite band.  Check it out right here.  So, what do I do to convince you to give them a listen?

First of all, HIM are a band from Finland comprised of members:

Ville Valo
Mikko Lindstrom aka "Linde"
Mikko Paananen aka "Mige"
Janne Puurtinen aka "Burton"
Mika Karppinen aka "Gas"

Well, for one thing, I must admit that the band does have in my opinion a very distinct sound.  Invariably, the band is quick to be put off as either gothic rock, gothic metal, alternative rock, hard rock, pop metal, etc.  Ville Valo had at one point with his frustration in explaining the band's sound to journalists referred to their sound as "love metal."  Admittedly, in interviews I've watched, I've seen Mr. Valo cringe a bit when the topic of describing love metal is brought up; but, I think it serves the purpose well in that their music is a bit hard to define and label.

Lyrically, as much as he would hate to admit it, Ville does follow a more gothic tendency.  Romantic musings, dark themes, religious symbolism and mysticism; yes, lyrically, I would consider the band gothic.  For example, a few of Ville's more romantically impassioned lyrics:

"Kill me.  I begged and love said no."
"You had demons to kill...within you screaming, with a gun loaded with guilt...you opened their eyes..."
"If death is the answer..to love's mysteries...then bleed on my darling...to the sound of a dream."
"Let me never see the sun.  Never see you smile.  Let us be so dead and so gone.  So far away from life."
Finding souls to feed...the night side of Eden...we see her struggling...for her love's last breath and walk off."

But, I think aside from the lyrical association with a more gothic tendency, that's where the similarities end.  You could argue Ville's style of dress (and style of the low guttural vocals) is reminiscent of, say, Andrew Eldritch of the Sisters of Mercy (one of the first bands from the 1980s to be considered gothic rock); but, I do believe that Ville has his own unique style that fits his Finnish style of cold, dark, and (in Ville's own words) behind God's back.

But beyond that, the music itself I believe borrows from many different genres of music and gets its own Finnish stamp of uniqueness in the quality of the heaviness of the sound, the pop sensibilities, the guitar virtuosity, the ease of passage between hard and fast and slow and sensual, and the ability of Ville and company to have such melodic choruses which lend themselves well to audience participation.  So, in essence, I believe that's where my interest lies with this band and their music.  They are indeed a study in contrasts.  From Ville's deep vocal register to his almost falsetto pitch; Linde's searing guitar solos complemented by Burton's music-box, church organ, concerto style of keyboarding; Mige's machine-gun style of bass playing; and Gas's frenzied percussion; it seems like it wouldn't fit, but it just does so good.

Now, let's address the white elephant in the room, shall we?  First of all, I'd be lying if I didn't say personally that another reason for HIM being my absolute favorite band has to do with this...

The charismatic, charming, and wonderfully tongue-in-cheek Ville Valo.  I have a huge, massive, fangirl, squeal-y crush on the guy.  However, after watching millions of interviews with him as well as reading every single article on the band I can get my hands on, I also enjoy that he's a guy that loves music and loves doing what he does; a voracious reader who is a great friend and brother and son who appreciates with a sincere honesty the fans who love his music.  Really, all of the members of the band HIM seem to have such an appreciation for the fans (last concert I was at, hours beforre the band were to go onstage, Mige came out from their tour bus and passed out Halloween candy to the fans standing in line).  I tend to really like bands that despite their fame aren't dicks to their fans.

Also, try not to let the fact that Bam Margera is one of the band's biggest fangirls lessen your consideration for the band and their music.  Look at it this way, Bam annoys the hell out of me.  Just watch one episode of Viva La Bam or Bam's Unholy Union and tell me you just don't want to punch this guy in the neck.  Ville tolerates him, and they happen to be very good friends; so, another wonderful characteristic of Ville...he has the patience of a saint.

I tend to favor their earlier material; however, for you newer listeners of the band, here are a few delicious musical selections if all you've been exposed to are their later albums either Dark Light or Venus Doom.  These really are worth checking out.

• "For You" off of the album Greatest Love Songs Vol. 666.  Imagine if the 1992 movie Bram Stoker's Dracula had Gary Oldman singing a song to Winona Ryder.  I think it might sound like this song.
• Anything really off of the album Razorblade Romance, particularly "Bury Me Deep Inside Your Heart," "Heaven Tonight," Resurrection," or my personal favorite HIM song "Sigillium Diaboli."
• Feeling gothic-y romantic?  Try out these songs which are some of the more tender outings of the band:  "In Joy and Sorrow" or "Close to the Flame."
• The whole album Love Metal.
• And for you vampire lovers out there, a special track for you off of Dark Light, "Vampire Heart;" but, my personal favorite track off of Dark Light (which happens to be my least favorite HIM album) would have to be "Wings of a Butterfly."  That intro hook is so addicting.  And, I beg of you, please do not make fan videos featuring a billion pictures of RPattz (or anything Twilight-related) set to HIM's "Vampire Heart."  I will personally hunt you down if I find out and throw dirt at you.
  
• Venus Doom is a heavy, dark album close to HIM's earlier sound with a 10-minute magnum opus "Sleepwalking Past Hope," but my personal favorite and the creepiest I think Ville's ever been is "Bleed Well." Bitter much, Ville?

Disography (studio albums only):

• Greatest Love Songs Vol. 666
• Razorblade Romance
• Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights
• Love Metal
• Dark Light
• Venus Doom

Also 1 live album, 6 compilation albums, 4 video albums, and 23 music videos.

HIM Random Tidbits:

• They are the only Finnish band to have had an album certified as gold in the United States.
• Ville in the Finnish version of the movie Madagascar:  Escape 2 Africa voices Moto Moto the hippopotamus.
• Last I heard, Ville is still sober but still smokes.
• Take everything Ville says with a grain of salt.  He's horribly tongue-in-cheek most of the time, and most of his humor goes over the heads of most of his fans.  My point...he probably doesn't have a MySpace page.
• DILLIGAF
• If I could say anything to Ville or the band, I'd apologize to Ville on behalf of the city of Minneapolis that of all the places in the United States, he happened to be robbed of his wallet and his cell phone here.  Sorry about that : /

In Joy and Sorrow

Resurrection

Bury Me Deep Inside Your Heart

For You

Wings of a Butterfly

www.himfinland.net

Copyright 2006 @ Kezza; Translated by Bonk