HIMself done good
Published February 23, 2004
Love Metal
HIM
(BMG)
HIM are, in their native Finland, considered pop rockers. Of course, in the UK and the US, HIM are more likely to be considered goth. That does not mean they are not popular however, if the recent Kerrang! sponsored show is anything to go by. The gig was a sell-out months in advance and attracted fans of all ages. Love Metal is the latest collection of rather cynical gothic symphonic rock. For those unfamiliar with the band's output, it is similar to what is peddled by Evanescence if you drop the rap-like male vocals. HIM seem to get better with each release, producing an infectious blend of goth-like and pop-rock. The songs, no matter how cynical, are catchy as hell. Vil Vallo and Co. produce some of the most interesting pop-rock going. 'Funeral of Hearts' and 'Sacrament' are stand out tracks, but everything on here is rather impressive. Considering the quality of this release it will be rather interesting to see what the band come up with next. Will their next release be the one to break them internationally to the mainstream?
Rating: 4.6
Marty's band, Growing Old Disgracefully, can be found at: Disgraceful Music. His Cthulhu tales can be found at Temple of Dagon. 
- HIMself done good
- Published: February 23, 2004
- Type:
- Section: Music
- Writer: Marty Dodge
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Comments on this articleComments
I quite like Evanscence in fact... I just hate to see HIM shoved in the Goth ghetto with a bunch of miserable doom & gloomsters. They and a few other so-catagorised bands like Cult of Luna are far more than merely miserable gits dressed in black.
"HIM are, in their native Finland, considered pop rockers."
Haha, really? Interesting. Especially when you consider that it is not even true (I'm a Finn, I think I know something about it) but anything to make them look bad, right?
You don't have to like them, but please stop abusing the "pop/rock/goth"-words. It's getting old. HIM is not gothic rock or whatever, neither do they want people to see them as "goth rockers". HIM's music is simply melodic melancholic metal/rock (depends which album we're talking about), but it seems like that is too difficult for some people to understand.
In record stores you can usually find them under "rock/metal", they're not consider "gothic" (except in England, haha) or "poprockers" (except in your head). They're just HIM here, a rock band.
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I hope not. I know what your trying to say but to compare them to Evanescence is rather tacky. HIM has much more talent than that band so do many others that band is just there for kids in high school looking a way out of thier pop music main stream. Anyways it's nice to hear appreciation for a great band.