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The Fazz checks out the latest from Finnish rockers HIM!
Publisher: Warner Music
Wed, 8 February 2006
by: Fazz
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His Infernal Majesty (otherwise known as HIM) first entered most of our collective consciousness a few years back through the incessant plugging of people like Bam Margera. This band slaved it out on indy labels finally to be signed to Warner Music and cement themselves in popular skate and goth rock culture. "Dark Light" is HIM's latest offering. I don't care what anyone says… HIM ROCK!!!
"Dark Light" opens with the excellent "Vampire Heart". By all accounts this is the excellent standard of songwriting we've come to expect from Ville Valo and the gang over the past few years. A strong, rockin' opening track that sets the stage for the rest of the album. I'm definitely impressed so far.
Up at song number 2 we have the first big single from this album, "Wings of a Butterfly". Opening with it's catchy guitar lick and progressing quickly into a solid heavy, yet melodic verse, this song takes us up another level from the previous song. It's chorus is absolutely amazing and catchy and if this song gets some heavy commercial rotation it could quite easily become a fast rock classic.
Track #3 is "Under the Rose". Just when we thought this band couldn't up any more catchy but heavy melodic rock after the last 2 songs, this song proves us wrong. With it's incredibly chunky and heavy guitar riffs and ethereal keyboard lines, "Under the Rose" kick into another patented HIM sing-along chorus. Also in this song the band has began to experiment with sweeping envelope filters on the guitars and several other tasty audible tidbits. Also making a return is the screaming guitar solo we all love so much.
Up next we have "Killing Loneliness". Boy, do these guys ever let up? It looks like the answer is going to be a resounding "No". "Killing Loneliness" is a nice respite from the breakneck pace of the album to this point. While it lacks nothing in heaviness and emotional depth, this track is a slower but amazingly written rock ballad par-excellence!
 | | The fine line between Goth and Glam is blurred again... |
On to Track number 5 and HIM offer us the album's title track "Dark Light". Another almost disgustingly catchy slower rock ballad, "Dark Light" has a slightly more uplifting feel and really gets you singing along with those choruses. As we hurtle towards the halfway point of this album I find myself liking every song very much so far.
Song #6 and passing the halfway point we have "Behind the Crimson Door". This song spins the album back into the fast-paced rock-fest we enjoy. With catchy guitar and keyboard lines, clean rock verses and catchy, soaring chorus melodies, this song would make an excellent party track.
Up to number 7 and HIM bust out "The Face of God". It starts off with some quirky and scarey little keyboard lines and breaks into the solid guitar-driven rock music HIM have shown on prior releases like "Razorblade Romance" and "…and Love said No". The chorus in this particular song is really catchy and has the hallmark Ville Valo falsetto lines that so far have been lacking on this release.
Track #8 is "Drunk on Shadows". This song starts off a little like some Metallica song I can't put my finger on. It progresses quickly into the textbook HIM-styled thumping rock verse and smooth flowing, catchy sing-along chorus. This is one of my favorites on the album so far.
Up next we have "Play Dead". It's really a brilliantly written, simple rock ballad. Something this band seems to excel at performing. It has a brilliant pre-chorus section which breaks into an amazingly uplifting chorus showing us just what a good vocalist Ville Valo has become. Definitely another highlight of the album.
… and at the last song we are treated to "In the Nightside of Eden". The keyboard intro to this song feels just like you headed towards the end of the album, but not in that sad kind of way. This song is definitely a very strong and powerful expression, and flows perfectly from "Play Dead" up to the very end of the record.
As far as a completely original studio release goes, this is, in my opinion, HIMs strongest so far. Sure it doesn't have "Right here in my Arms" and their cover version of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" like almost every single release before it, but what it does have is 10 highly original and brilliantly written rock songs. Sure, Bam plugged these guys like the world was coming to an end, but in recent years HIM have stood up and shown us that they're an incredibly talented group of songwriters and performers in their own right.
by: Fazz
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More articles by Fazz
So for all you fans of Ville and his merry bunch of minstrels, definitely give this one a listen. | |
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