Customer Reviews

Screamworks: Love in Theory & Practice (Limited Edition 2XCD)

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

For as much criticism as HIM have been receiving on their latest effort, I think it's important to remain objective. I have always taken HIM at face value. I don't delve too much into their lyrics nor sound stylings. I think of them as a purely escapist-melody driven rock band. They are not goth- like Bauhaus or Sisters of Mercy. They're not industrial-like Skinny Puppy or Frontline Assembly. And they're certainly not Depeche Mode or New Order. I think they're heavily influenced by the eighties and assimilate different elements from all genres of that decade and moreover; the seventies hard rock like: Sabath, Zepplin, and Neil Diamond. They're a weird amalgamation of several of Ville's influences. With that being said, it would be unfair to compare them to one particular artist or genre.
Yes, some of Ville's lyrics are cheesy and repetitive (if I had a nickel for every time Ville says "love" or "death"). I think they are a thoroughly enjoyable and great band if you listen to them on their own merits, not what other people say they are suppose to be or sound like. Ville often pokes fun of himself for the cheesiness of some of his songs..and that's what I like! Why isn't okay to have a guilty pleasure? Why does everyone take HIM so seriously!
I don't mind that their albums are different from one to the next. They can't recreate Love Metal or Razorblade over and over again, that would be boring. Venus Doom and Screamworks are totally different and that's good...but they have always been kind of cheesy bubble gum pop, especially when you consider that they are labeled Goth...they were never goth and they are never going to be. To call them goth would be to compare them to likes of Mortiis or any other true scandinavian darkwave band. Their old stuff was truly never that heavy, nor goth, nor metal. They have never really departed from what made them HIM. You can find what made HIM, "HIM", in all their albums and they haven't really diverged to a truly unique and awe-inspiring sound; but then again never has Radiohead or Coldplay done that for all their ridiculous hype and posturing.
I think you have to truly accept these guys as being just an entertaining retro metal band, with several different influences crafting their work, to truly appreciate their music.

I have noticed alot of the older HIM fans like myself, are not enjoying the tracks, and I will admit to being taken off Guard. BUT I LOVED IT!! and for the ones saying its not him, ville sounds different and so on, he is! He sobered up, and put his self out there in this album alot more that the others, and i give him major credit for it. It is painful to be so raw and to expose yourself like that. To the people who are criticizing the direction the band has taken: have you never made a change in your life? Have you ever shown a side of your personality that people usually dont see? I bet you have. I adore this album, and I cant wait to see them live in april! <3 HIM

First off buy the 2 disc version over the mp3s or single disc, the 2nd disc is Valo doing acoustic for every song, great listening, especially if u like Uneasy Listening Vol. 1. HIM's newest album isn't Venus Doom with heavy metal overtures and it isn't dark. Its a peaceful and inspiring piece of art. Even picasso had a blue period. Things change. Lives change. This is the first time I think HIM could appear on your mom and dad's radio station. Its amazing and crafted in Love, not the hate of love. I enjoy all of HIM's albums. The theme seems to be to me, love is a gift, cherish it while you have it.....and cherish this album.

I have been a huge HIM fan for years, so much i have the heartagram tattood on me to show my devotion. i have everything from the begginning demos until now. so like many people who love the old HIM sound like myself, i can see why no one is really digging this album.

im surprised no one has mentioned the song "in the arms of rain" that is deffinatly the best track off the album in my opinion, lots of synth and pretty sounds as simple as i can put it. that song has been on repeat. and the last track on the cd i think is great too, very melodic. "like st valentine" is a catchy track that is also one of my favorites off the album. i dont think the album is terrible, yes it does get a little boring after a while cause most the songs sound the same. but i do prefur this over dark light, theres only 2 songs that i enjoyed off dark light. but im sure screamworks will grow on me overtime. but of course, nothing can compare to the early him, its crazy to hear how different their sound is from greatest love songs till now. but all bands go through a phase of changing their sounds, and usually when people are not happy with it, they come back with an amazing album next time.

I say it's a typical Him CD because like all of the others it takes two or three listens before you start to really appreciate it. As far as sound I'd compare it to Dark Light but without a lot the synth that that CD had. I've listened to Him since 2002 before Love Metal was released and in the 8 years I've been a fan their sound has indeed changed but I don't see it as Americanization. Where Dark Light was a bit of a new almost poppy direction, Venus Doom took the band in a more metal direction. In my opinion this CD sounds the most like a good balance of Venus Doom and Dark Light. Inevitably it does garner comparisons to all of their other CD's, but I think if this CD had been released in 2003 instead of Love Metal I would have probably enjoyed it just as much. I'll break down the CD track by track to give a breakdown of what I think.

In Venere Veritas 5/5 - A great song to open with, catchy and really sets the mood for the rest of the CD. I can't really think of another Him song to compare it to which is a good thing.
Scared to Death 4/5 - Sounds about like it could have fit very well on Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights.
Heartkiller 3/5 - Although it was the first single I think it's by far the weakest song on the CD. It's catchy but the lyrics aren't that great and I agree the Er in Heartkiller is exaggerated in an almost comic manner.
Dying Song 4/5 - A great song that is a bit reminiscent of Dark Light. Sounds a little like filler though.
Disarm Me With Your Loneliness 5/5 - A great ballad, perhaps my favorite song on the CD.
Love, the Hardest way 4/5 - A pretty catchy song that could have fit on Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights or Dark Light.
Katharine Wheel 3/5 - I'm not sure who or what Katharine Wheel is, but this song is probably my second least favorite on the CD. It doesn't really sound much like any other Him songs.
In the Arms of Rain 5/5 - One of the top 3 tracks from the CD, sounds like it could have fit well on Love Metal which is no easy feat.
Ode to Solitude 4/5 - One of the heavier tracks on the CD, sounds a little reminiscent of Razorblade Romance.
Shatter Me With Hope 4/5 - Good song, nothing really new. Could have fit on Venus Doom though.
Acoustic Funeral 5/5 - One of my favorites. It sounds kind of like Dark Light but it's different at the same time even for Him.
Like St. Valentine 4/5 - This song sounds about like it could have fit on either Love Metal or Venus Doom.
The Foreboding Sense of Impending Doom 5/5 - A good track to end with, almost sounds a little like Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666.

Aside from some catchy new tunes, this album doesn't really bring much new to Him's Repertoire, which is why I could never give it 5 stars, but it is definitely a good listen for non-fans, and a must have for die hard fans. Unless you're expecting to hear another Razorblade Romance or Love Metal, you won't be disappointed.

This record is like fine red wine. It needs to breathe awhile, and then all of its notes unfold. It took about 10 listens before I could write an honest review. Not as hard as Venus Doom or commercially appealing as Dark Light, its more of an exploration of the pain of love. HIM always implys these themes, yet this time they have taken it all the way. My best way to describe it is a big, dark, scary fortress with a 1000 rooms of horrors. These horrors are something we love to watch, like an old gothic flick on late night TV.

Each track is driving. Electronic beats finally make an appearance. Rich production values deliver that classic HIM sound. The songs have familiar camp, yet serious lyrics abound. Love is painful, yet its rewards are worth it. Katherine Wheel stands out as a big concert anthem rocker. The rest of the album drives us to a happy ending-well sort of. The Forboding Sense of Impending Happiness shimmers and leaves us with promise that the dark canyons of human emotion are worth exploring. Indeed, for those lovelorn goths, this album becons them to enter the vast fortress and get lost in it.

Screamworks: Love In Theory And Practice. To me, I love all of HIM's albums. Listening to this one, it has that 80's vibe to it, and let's face it, at heart most of us love the 80's. It also keeps the vibe going though from previous HIM album's. Ville's voice is as great as always, singing us those love songs. Linde has great solo's on this album. This album shows how they have grown as a band and developed new sounds to be successful. Ville writes about what basically everyone goes through at some point in life, and he makes it very melodic and great to listen to. Listening to Disarm Me (With Your Loneliness) over and over again and Acousit Funeral (For Love In Limbo. Great songs just like the rest of the album. Those two are just my favorite. Anybody who is a fan of great music should definitely pick up this album and listen to it. It is well worth it.

I disagree with the reviews that say this is a new sound - I say this is the old sound we loved about his first three classic releases.
I debated whether to get this cd because of the dissapointment of his
last two outings - Dark Light has some classic tracks on it but as a whole cd was just not quite up to the high standard of the previous ones.Venus Doom left me with the feeling he was just trying for a sound that well.. wasn't HIM - I was just left with the feeling they were trying for a harder metal sound and it didn't work for me and took them away from the sound they do best especially Ville's voice, Gone was alot of the deep tones replaced with a strained sound - And a screamer he aint(or shouldn't be).
ANYWAY -I love every track on this cd and have regained my faith in HIM.

A few weeks ago, I logged onto Youtube to see that HIM had uploaded the single from their new album, Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice. I was, as I assume all "old HIM" fans were, terrified. Heartkiller definitely did not quell my fears, either. I was left hoping that the song was some kind of joke.
So today, more out of obligation than actual want, I went out and bought the album- knowing full well that I would listen to it once, make fun of it, and promptly lose the disc.
Surprisingly, though, that wasn't the case. Let me just give you the most basic of reviews:
The songs are silly. Sometimes the lyrics are just plain awful. Ville's is, apparently, attempting some kind of American accent to attract fans, but the accent basically means he stresses his "ers" to the point of comedy.
Most of the songs sound like some tragic combination of Billy Idol's White Wedding and The Beach Boys.
But even I, the most staunch of "old HIM" fans, cannot bring myself to hate it.
This album, somehow, has qualities that redeem the fundamentally bad tracks.
Just listen to the chorus on "In Venere Veritas." Linde's following of Ville's vocals? Genius. Gorgeous.
Somehow, in this cesspit of pop musical capable only of the producer who brought us The Used, Ville managed to throw in enough elements of "old HIM" to redeem the album.
In short: it's not Razorblade Romance, but it'll do.
...that doesn't mean I've decided to like Heartkiller, though.

Im not a fan of him. I just likes a little bit Razorblada Romance + Love Metal. I didnt likes the other albums and i find this album hust ok (which means that is far bette rthen their previous album). They dont have so many hits (actually they have only one track - the first), but they play better music than the classic poser Him style.