Artist: HIM
Album: LOVE METAL (CD)

Release date: 2003
Media type: CD

Ville Valo and his gloomy crew return to their metallic roots with LOVE METAL, the band's heaviest offering since their full-length debut. Launching full force into the propulsive "Buried Alive By Love," HIM explores dirgy, Sabbath-style rock ("Sweet Pandemonium"), emotive balladry ("This Fortress of Tears"), and high-speed angst ("Soul on Fire"). But amidst the turbo-charged reinvigoration, the group retains a flair for disarmingly beautiful sounds, with flowing piano work on "The Sacrament" and a mandolin accompaniment for "The Funeral of Hearts." The closing number, "The Path," unexpectedly summons a slow-paced, '50s rock-ballad feel, and the approach imbues the tune with a unique vibe. By this 2005 album, the Finnish band's formula could have been stagnant, but through passionate performances and a desire to push its own boundaries, HIM keeps making beguiling, goth-flavored heavy rock for the masses.

TRACKLIST:

1. Buried Alive by Love
2. The Funeral of Hearts
3. Beyond Redemption
4. Sweet Pandemonium
5. Soul on Fire
6. The Sacrament
7. This Fortress of Tears
8. Circle of Fear
9. Endless Dark
10. The Path

LINE-UP:

Valo (vocals)
Linde (guitar)
Burton (keyboards)
Mige (bass guitar)
Gas (drums)