Educational Toys Guide
HIM Defines Love Metal Best
In Children Toys of Advisor (July 31, 2010 12:35 am)
If there is one band from the beautiful city of Helsinki that often defies the labels slapped on bands, then it must be HIM. Music industry critics and band store owners have labeled the band’s music from the sub-genres of rock like gothic rock, substitute rock and hard rock and of metal like gothic metal, substitute metal and doom metal. There have been too many names but one thing is true, only the band members and their fans can decide what to label their music.
Genre and Symbol
It is perhaps because of the differing categories that the term love metal was hatched to define the group’s kind of music. In an attempt to be as exact as possible, experts state that love metal is really a mixture of rock, gothic, heavy, rock and pop elements. This rich mix is stated to largely be the result of lead singer Ville Valo’s creative juices.
Because of the categorization, the band carries the heartagram symbol to represent itself. This symbol is so popular that Valo now thinks that it is now more associated with the band than its music. Even people who aren’t music fans recognize it.
Band History
The group started as His Infernal Majesty. It was only during the Wicked Game single in 1998 that the band officially changed its name to HIM. As such, the Finnish love metal band isn’t to be confused with other bands like the Canadian trash metal band Infernal Majesty, the American post-rock band HiM and the contemporary Christian group 4Him.
Of all the similarly named groups, it is HiM that bears the closest connection with the group. The Finnish HIM bought the rights from the American HiM to use the name. In the past, the group used HER for the album Razorblade. They also used HIM and HER for European tours.
Just like any rock band, the group has had its share of musical chairs amongst its members. At present, the band is composed of Ville Valo on lead vocals and acoustic guitar; Mikko Lindstrom on lead and acoustic guitar; Mikko Paananen on bass guitar and backing vocals; Mika Karppinen on drums and percussion; and Janne Puurtinen on keyboard and backing vocals. The former members included Juippi, Juha Tarvonen and Juhana Tuomas Rantala on drums and percussion; Antto Melasniemi, Sergei Ovalov and Jussi-Mikko Salminen on keyboards; and Oki on guitar.
Released Albums
As expected from this one-of-a-kind band, they have the ability to boast of a substantial work collection. They’ve twenty-two singles, twenty-three music videos, seven HIM albums, six compilations, one live album, one extended play and four video albums.
• Greatest Lovw Songs Vol. 666- This 1997 album is nowhere close to Satanic despite its title
• Razorblade Romance- This came out in 1999 and holds the record of being the top bestseller in the band’s country of origin
• Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights- This came out in 2001 and is the band’s third piece of work
• Love Metal- As the title suggests, this is the groups most definitive piece of work and came out in 2003 with the heartagram symbol featured for the first time
• Dark Light- This 2005 release included elements of mythology and current religions
• Venus Doom- This 2007 release is widely regarded as the heaviest piece of work the band has produced
• Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice- This newest 2010 release is considered by Valo to be a cathartic, primal scream
The band has definitely been busy through the years it has been together. There is every reason to believe that fans can see this group in more band posters in the succeeding years.
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