HIM: Ville (vocals); Linde (guitar); Burton (keyboards); Mige (bass); Gas (drums).

Personnel: Daniel Lioneye (guitar); Mike Ceer (tambourine).

Audio Mixer: John Fryer.

Recording information: Finnvox; Rockfield; STrongroom.

Photographer: Jouka Letola.

Despite having releases available mostly on import, the Finnish metal band HIM has inspired an incredibly loyal cult following in the United States. In late 2003, Universal reissued this, the group's sophomore album from 2000 (which reportedly sold over a million copies in Europe), with two remixed tracks from HIM's debut and one new song. Combining elements of vintage glam, old-school goth, and classic rock, with a few modern touches sprinkled in, the ensemble provides potent accompaniment to frontman Ville Valo's tortured singing.

HIM's dynamic music is based on an infectious blend of metallic riffs and goth keyboards. Mixing hard rock anthems with softer ballads, the band allows Valo to wax poetic (almost psychotic) about tragic love ("Join Me in Death"), romantic fatalism ("I Love You [Prelude to Tragedy]"), and monstrous obsession ("Right Here in My Arms"). While HIM's memorable rendition of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" may lack the fluidity of the original, it packs a strong wallop and fits nicely within the oeuvre. Straight-ahead, stripped down, and emotionally volatile, the music of HIM, combined with Valo's brooding persona and the group's patented "heartagram" symbol, make them a perfect fit for the retro-rock revival.

Even though H.I.M.'s main goal seems to be gaining attention from a female audience, Greatest Lovesongs sure was a success artistically. The contrast between Razorblade Romance and the debut, however, is quite large. Melancholy and angst seem a little artificial, while Greatest Lovesongs had a truly pressuring atmosphere all the time. Razorblade Romance forgets all about that, and the whole concept of Gothic rock and so-called "love metal" repeats itself many times during the album. But the songs themselves are actually very good; when ignoring the implementation, hit songs like "Join Me in Death" and "Right Here in My Arms" work really nicely. And horrendous clich‚s in lyrics and playing don't really matter, because H.I.M. recycles them well. The slightly overproduced sound may distract for a while, but after all, the song material is of a kind that is hard to fit into a demanding format. Anyhow, the songs as a whole are organized well, and it's easy to listen to the album the whole way through. [The import edition includes bonus tracks.] ~ Antti J. Ravelin

CMJ (10/13/03, p.30) - "...A gothically tinged, new wave-ish entry into the heavy metal sweepstakes..."