As you all know, I am infatuated with a band called HIM that are from Hellsinki, Finland. Well, it's more like an infatuation with the lead singer, Ville Valo. Like I said, I have a thing for tall skinny white guys, with dark hair (preferably long) and tattoos. I can't explain it, it just IS.
And from the obvious side banner, you all know that I have been waiting for the release of thier new album, Dark Light, on September 27th. Which I pre-ordered months ago. However, I couldn't just have the plain ole regular release of the album. Oh no! I pre-ordered the special internet edition, limited to 20,000 copies only. And what is so special about this special interent edition you ask? It comes packaged in a tin box, a 32 page booklet with the handwritten lyrics by Ville and includes pictures from the contest from fans submitting pictures of their tattoos, a numbered and signed certificate (mine is 12,024/20,000), a nifty heartagram logo laser light in a velvet bag (which my cats just LOVE chasing), plus 2 bonus tracks. Yeah, that's pretty much it. I wanted the 2 extra songs, and I thought the tin would be cool. The tin turned out being not quite what I thought it would look like. It opens in the front and back, hmmm, okay. Whatever.
I had finally gotten my copy on Monday, a day before its release. Although, I've been listening to the new album in its entirety since the middle of last week, non-stop. Both HIM and the Hot Topic web site had a link to the entire album, so of course I was streaming it in all mornig and all day at work. And as soon as I got home from work I was streaming it well into the night too. Yes, I've already told you that I am infatuated with this band. Okay, so obsessed is a more acurate word for it. But hey, I could have other problems a lot worse than this one.
running through my head for a little over a week now. I'm not sure how I really feel about this album. I mean, this album is a mile stone for them. It's the album that is offically introducing them to the US. Yet I find that this album lacks what their previous albums have. It seems to me that when an international artist signs to a US label, they end up being a bit more 'Poppy'. I know that the labels want to sell as many albums as they can, so they tend to steer bands more in that direction. Don't get me wrong, this album is still good. Or maybe it's because Ville has grown a little bit more personally too. He just got engaged to his long time girlfriend. All of HIM's songs are about love, hence why their music has been catagorized as Love Metal. The songs Ville wrote before were more of the love that you tend to run away from, because you don't want to get hurt or get so caught up in the feelings of love. The songs that are on this album seem to me like he has finally given in to love, welcoming it with open arms. Especially in Under The Rose, he writes, "...I've been burning in water and drowning in flame, To prove you wrong and scare you away, I admit my defeat and want back home, In your heart under the rose..." Which by the way is my favorite song on this entire album. All of HIM's albums have been the soundtrack to my life, so this song ended up having a very personal meaning to me. I guess I was just hoping for more of the anguish. There is only one song on this entire album that I just really, really don't like, In The Night Side Of Eden. I don't like Ville's vocals in some spots of the song. He sounds like he is trying to hard, the lyrics just don't pour out of him with his usual emotion.
All in all, I do really like this album. It's not one of their best, but then again I'm pretty biased on them and will buy whatever they put out regardless. Music is a very big part of me, as if you couldn't tell. My infatuation with Ville is only part of why I like this band so much. Like I said earlier, all of their albums are pretty much the soundtrack to my life right now. If it wasn't for HIM and the lyrics of Ville, trying to deal with the break up with Mr. Love would have been a lot harder to deal with. Their songs helped me feel what I needed to feel.
When love is not madness, it is not love...
"...Nothing will be enough
For the ones who keep on stumbling
In the garden of withering trust
Without the courage to leave
I'd take my life for your kiss
And lose it all to take you across the abyss..."
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