Love Metal [ENHANCED] [IMPORT]

H.I.M.

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 24, 2004)
• Original Release Date: April 22, 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced, Import
• Label: RCA Victor Europe
• ASIN: B00008X96X
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #166,032 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Buried Alive by Love

2. Funeral of Hearts

3. Beyond Redemption

4. Sweet Pandemonium

5. Soul On Fire

6. Sacrament

7. This Fortress of Tears

8. Circle of Fear

9. Endless Dark

10. Path

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The Finnish Goth Metal Band's Fourth Album is Sure to Swell the Ranks of the Converted as this is their Most Polished, Best Written Album Yet. Ville Valo is One of the Most Compelling Figures in Rock Today and his Vocals Just Get Better with Each Successive Release. This Album Could Ultimately Turn Out to Be their Finest Moment, However, Judging from the Past Progression, There is Probably a Lot More to Come. The Video of "The Funeral of Hearts" is Enhanced as a Special Bonus.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great band... Great songwriting, January 27, 2005

By	Crypt "thecrypt777" (Arkham) - See all my reviews

HIM is one of those few bands that reek of catchy instantly satisfying pop rock, yet still come accross as legitimate and true. It would be hard to compare them to any mainstream music today, yet they definitely have an infectious element thanks to some incredibly clever songwriting. They have never tried to be "mainstream" yet have developed a massive cult following in Europe and the US. So what is Love Metal anyway? To break it down, imagin those Gothic/Pop/Rock bands from the 80's: The Cult, The Mission UK, The Church, Early U2, The Sisters of Mercy, etc, take those elements and combine them with some Black Sabbath-esque riffing and heavy guitars. Lay on some Lullaby-like melodies and lyrics dealing with unhealthy romantic relationships and death. There you have HIM in a nutshell. Love Metal is probably their most accomplished album yet. There is not one song on here that can be skipped over. Definitely recommended if you're into classic Goth Rock and don't mind some heavy riffs.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, January 2, 2004

By	Brian (Ohio) - See all my reviews

Ville Valo is one of the best vocalists in the world, and a credit to his art. However his voice is nothing more than a compliment to his lyrics, which really do all the work. Well, those and the band. I think it's a shame that so many people in the US are so full of this idea that HIM is satanic, and won't just listen to them. 666 has always been metaphorical in their lyrics and all they sing about are the emotions induced by love. Sweet emotions, painful emotions, hope, anguish... everything about the songs is for love and what it does to us. The Heartagram they sport is a sign to show the contrast of good and evil, it has nothing to do with the pentagram!

The song shows improvement and progress from their earlier works but not so dramatic a change that they aren't the same musicians they ever were. Ville's deep voice and lyrics, the rest of the band's wonderful instrumentals... though, I suppose the reviewer a spot or so beneath is right that the drummer really never plays anything impressive, but it still works in the song. Also, I'd like to make a note to another reviewer who seemed to miss this, the song "The 9th Circle" is actually a metal version of "One Last Time" from the Razorblade Romance album. I preffer One Last Time, but that's just me. I recommend every track and video from this CD, particularly Funeral of Hearts--the video is mezmorizing.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb Songwriting, December 27, 2003

By	Nick "Watty420" (New Albany, Indiana) - See all my reviews

While HIM has pleased us in the past with brilliant releases like "Greatest Love Songs v. 666" and "Razorblade Romance", they hit a slight slump with their third full length album, "Deep Shadows & Brilliant Highlights". The album was not bad, is just showed no progress. However, HIM come back with their most powerful and masterful work yet, "Love Metal".

Before this release, I never truly realized how talented this band was. I've always appreciated their vocalist, Ville Valo, and consider him one of rock's best singers. He also writes music for all the band, which must be why they all work together and play off each other so well. Their guitarist (there's always two guitars at work at the same time on every track, so I guess he overdubs it) does som pretty tricky and catchy stuff that he hasn't shown off in previous releases. Their bassist, while no Les Claypool, is an excellent rhythm keeper. But the one bad musician, as on all HIM releases, is their drummer. He's not too good, basically. He does not complicated things, and basically hits a snare and a bass drum throughout the whole album, sometimes throwing in a crash. It's either he's not capable or Valo isn't writing good enough stuff for him, but it kind of brings down the music.

Despite the drummer, this release is a masterpiece. Every time I listen to it, it gives me a feeling of seclusion and peace. That sounded corny, but this is one of the only album's I recall that can actually do that. The way "Soul on Fire" comes to it's epic conclusion is oh so super. This is the way music should be done.

The lyrics in the album are quite unique. They basically revolve around joy, sorrow, love and hate. But they are not handled in the Simple Plan way: someone's miserable because their girlfriend used them and now she's going out with the jock. No, I think HIM's a little more mature than that. Most of the lyrics are metafourical, as they have always been. Which is the uniqueness of them.

I highly recommend this band if you are looking for originality. This band is bleeding it.

P.S.: Love metal is the genre HIM falls into. Not goth. Though Love Metal does highly resemble it. And I've read reviews where people seem to think "Love Metal" means something like "I Love Metal". No. That's wrong. Sorry.