Deep shadows and dark light, romance draped in deadly masochism
HIM are one of those bands that you just can't help but love. Let's face it, we've all found ourselves craving their dark and strange yet seductive style at least once and usually in those times where affairs of the heart are becoming heavy and desperate. HIM, whether you love them or profess to hate them (yet secretly hide one of their albums deep within your collection), have everything that many bands can only dream of; phenomenal record sales, a real sense of adoration from their fans that has to be seen to be believed and an iconic status that ensures their name gets maximum attention and spotlight. No matter where you go that so familiar and majestic trademark of their heartagram will remind you of what makes HIM truly special. Their truly heartfelt and soulful romantic metal serenades that caress the hearts of lovelorn, broken hearted women everywhere, while Valo is the envy and secret idol of many young eyelinered men. Yet, their last album 'Love Metal' was a real disappointment next to the amazing, anthematic previous records 'Razorblade Romance' and 'Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights' despite harbouring a few great tracks and for a while it seemed that HIM were really going downhill. Spending most of their time drunk and drugged up, it was feared that the band would never return to their former crooning greatness. Their stunning new album 'Dark Light' however, proves that despite chain smoking, binge drinking and less then desirable recent live performances, HIM are still romantics at heart and can still croon to kill.
'Dark Light' is a pleasing combination of everything that was good about 'Love Metal' gently stirred with the power and seductive feel of 'Deep Shadows...' and the anthematic 'Razorblade Romance'. Basically 'Dark Light' is a powerful romantic result of years of experimentation and development of style. The opening track 'Vampire Heart' opens with a rhythmic riff that paints a dark and gentle picture of fiercely blooming but carefully hidden love. Two people desperate to be together but the age-old wall of fear holding them back. Soon Ville begins to croon and instantly it is apparent those months of ridicule has had a positive impact. Gone is the gruff, cracked quality of a voice choked by cigarette smoke and back is the soft, seductive and mellow purring that reserves a space for Ville in every girl's heart. As Ville croons over the top of an ambient warm bass line, the guitars slide into a dramatic chorus that threatens to touch even the coldest heart and fill it with warmth and life again. It's the kind of chorus that makes you want to grab your desired interest and somehow make them see how you feel. The kind that makes you want to believe in love again no matter how bitter it has made you and indeed, this is what the song is all about.
If on the first listen, 'Vampire Heart' doesn't warm your heart to their impressive comeback, then anthematic 'Rip Out The Wings Of A Butterfly' will, at the very least, ignite a small spark of affection that is guaranteed to grow as the song progresses. Written in a Billy Idol-esque style, the song prowls on romantically with a real soul that drives like winter rain pounding across a glass windowpane. The gentle melancholic weeping of guitars marry the atmospheric chords of the synths and perfectly compliment a moody yet heartfelt bass line. Ville is again on top form, especially in the chorus where the sheer power of his voice rises like a phoenix from the ashes and delivers an arrow of heartfelt passion and heartbreak straight to the soul. On a similar level, the beautiful 'Killing Loneliness' sees a mournful, melancholic and yet strangely optimistic mood come into force. It is the essence of giving into an emotion you've long held off for fear of being hurt, the very feeling of being torn between what you want and what you feel is right, just being discarded. It leaks through into almost operatic yet romantically desperate vocals and stunning lovelorn lyrics, driving wintry guitars that churn out seductive and dark riffs above hovering bass notes. The intervals of desperate guitar riffs between vocal lines in verses also illustrate the sheer desperation and release within the music well, adding extra drive and feeling to the atmosphere.
For those who are more deeply moved by HIM's slower, romanticised ballads then 'Dark Light' is the track for you. A cross between the sheer, impressive beauty of 'Beautiful' from 'Deep Shadows…' and the easy, light yet equally touching 'Sweet Pandemonium' from 'Love Metal', 'Dark Light' is a gentle virus that slowly creeps over you and touches you with it's warm and seduced emotion, dragging you within its loving grasp and healing the heart. This track seems to lack the trademark darkness of key but instead opts for a slightly brighter, more optimistic appeal as the synths and piano gently creep up the higher notes of the scale. Don't be fooled though, the beautifully morbid and dark soulful romanticism that HIM are so well loved for is still to be found within their lyrics and the darkened guitar solo that cuts through the atmosphere like a knife, paving the way for a beautiful modulation in the final chorus. 'Dark Light' has all the qualities required to turn even the hardest of hearts to HIM's hypnotic charms.
'Dark Light' is a vast improvement on 'Love Metal' and 'Razorblade Romance', however it still lurks within the shadow of sheer greatness that their debut album 'Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights' has cast and it is unlikely that HIM will ever out do that standard of working again. 'Dark Light' however, is extremely close and is a real comeback after a few months of turbulence and mediocre work, ensuring that whether you like them or not HIM will always be one of those bands that have a well deserved reputation.