and they’ve immediately moved over to……..no one else!!!! Now that kind of news surprises me and hence has been included in this line of observations. I am kind of shocked because its not often that a band like H.I.M. makes such a drastic parting and doesn’t immediately roll over to another label of note based on their own status in the music world. I had been following them since around 2002-2003 and my own first foray into their sound came with “Razorblade Romance”.
I wasn’t even doing my music journalist stuff as a serious passion at this time but it would be soon after and I swore that this would be the kind of groups I would pay a lot of attention to. Solid and accessible despite no one in my circle of friends even knowing what they were all about at the time of my original recommending. Since becoming a writer in later part of 2003 I have watched the fan base for Ville Vallo and the rest of the guys in H.I.M. grow to a sizable force and to find them without a record label of note in 2011 was a pretty strange thing for me to see being the case.
Click the Heartagram to see our coverage of H.I.M.
While I know a few labels pretty well after reviewing their wares and repertoire over the years I had to say that I didn’t feel as though some favorites like Nuclear Blast Records or Napalm Records were the best place for a band like H.I.M. – I also didn’t think Roadrunner Records or Metal Blade Records were suitable either based on the differences that they currently offer. Of course on one hand maybe RR would work since they have their Finnish countrymen Nightwish for a few years and have done right by them. Personally I think I would like to see H.I.M. land on Universal Music in some fashion. That might be the best home for their kind of Melodic Gothic Love Metal. Stay tuned to see what happens and let’s cross our fingers for everyone in H.I.M. – They are one of the most enjoyable providers I have seen over the years and I don’t want them to become a faded memory.
PiercingMetal.com has been into the band HIM for a couple of years and this was even before we began our own adventures on the site so they became a logical choice for the next Artist Focus that we would do. We’ve been able to watch them from the first concert done in the region at a small venue to seeing them headline a number of dates at the larger ones. Formed in 1991 over in Helsinki, Finland, the group became one of the countries most popular musical exports. A good chunk of the band’s catalog of releases has been reviewed on the site so just click the logo below to see any items relating to the band that we’ve posted. Enjoy and “Kippis” (that’s Finnish for “cheers”).
You can check out the music of H.I.M. for yourself using one or many of these provided codes to their catalog via Amazon.com – I personally recommend “Razorblade Romance”, “Dark Light” and “Love Metal” as your first tries. Of course its also great to head to the bands official page to monitor their activities. Remember that its never too late to get into new bands that you didn’t yet give a chance.
There is something to be said about checking out a concert from a band like H.I.M. in a venue like The Bowery Ballroom. The club capacity is not that big and seems to hold just a little over 500 people. This makes it quite the intimate setting especially if you get close enough to the stage. This week, H.I.M. made their first trip to New York for two sold out shows, and I was lucky enough to attend. I have been enjoying the music of H.I.M. for many months now and was looking forward to being at this show. I was unable to secure tickets for the first show which sold out in minutes. As a matter of fact when I went to purchase my pair, the man selling them said to me “hey who are these guys that they sold out so quick”. I made sure to educate him on what to expect that evening. Continue reading HIM @ Bowery Ballroom (4/20/2004)→
