HIM- Creators of Unique Love Metal

For the most part, HIM has remained defiant of the labeling that is an all too common preoccupation among music fans and band store experts. The group has been variously placed under such categories as gothic, alternative and hard under the major umbrellas of rock and metal. Until today, there is no clear agreement as to how to define or categorize the band’s music. For certain though, both the fans and the group itself don’t seem to mind that they are viewed from different perspectives.

Band Symbol

Perhaps the closest label that can be pinned on HIM is love metal. This may seem like a strange category considering that it is in fact a mix of a variety of influences and approaches including gothic, rock, pop, glam and heavy metal. This unique brand of music is often said to be Ville Valo’s creation.

In accordance with its name, the so-called heartagram represents the band as well as the musical genre. Because of its wide popularity, Valo once remarked that the band is now better known for its symbol than its music.

Band Past

The band was originally known as His Infernal Majesty. By 1998, the name was changed to HIM after the release of the Wicked Game single. The name however should not be taken as the same as American post rock group HiM, Christian group 4Him and Canadian metal band Infernal Majesty.

The group only really adopted the HIM name after it bought the rights of the name from HiM. Before they were able to obtain the rights, they used HER for Razorblade Romance, and HIM and HER for tours across Europe.

Like a lot of other bands, HIM has had its fair share of member shifts and changes. Band members include a considerably long list of performers. This includes lead vocalist and acoustic guitarist Ville Valo; lead and acoustic guitarist Mikko Lindstrom; bass guitarist and backup vocalist Mikko Paananen; drummer and percussionist Mika Karppinen; and keyboardist and backup vocalist Janne Puurtinen. Past members complete the official list with drummers and percussionists Juhana Tuomas Rantala, Juippi, and Juha Tarvonen; keyboardists Sergei Ovalov, Antto Melasniemi and Jussi-Mikko Salminen; and guitarist Oki.

Albums Out

To date, the band has released 7 studio HIM albums, 1 live album, 6 compilation albums, 1 extended play, 22 singles, 4 video albums and 23 music videos. Indeed, this is a band that does not shy away from creativity, technology and new markets in its two decades in the music industry.

• Greatest Love Songs Vol. 666 (1997)- Contrary to its title, this is not meant to be Satanic
• Razorblade Romance (1999)- It has the distinction of being the all-time bestseller album in Finnish music history
• Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights (2001)- This is the current band member’s debut effort although it is the third under the HIM label
• Love Metal (2003)- Widely considered as the band’s most definitive work, it features the heartagram logo for the first time
• Dark Light (2005)- This was inspired by ancient mythologies and modern religions
• Venus Doom (2007)- It has the heaviest metal sound of the band at present
• Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice (2010)- Valo describes the album as 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.