Review Summary: Chapter VI - Dead Lover's Lane
HIM's fifth album Dark Light was their biggest commercial success to date, but also their weakest album ironically. Most band's would continue doing the thing that made them popular, but HIM decided to do something completely different; go back to their roots and release their heaviest and darkest album since Greatest Love Songs, Vol. 666, Venus Doom.
As if it wasn't clear from the title, Venus Doom goes back to the doom-and-gloom approach of HIM's first album, while still retaining elements they've picked along the way. From the opening moments of the title-track it is clear that this a very different record from Dark Light. As with the band's first album, focus is once again put on guitarist Linde Lindström, who effectively succeeds in pummeling us with riff after riff. He has never sounded better. Vocalist Ville Valo also provides a distinctly different performance this time around, with more focus being put on his lower register. This is particularly evident on the title-track and "Sleepwalking Past Hope".
While Venus Doom is undoubtedly heavy, it is also surprisingly catchy. The title-track and "Passion's Killing Floor" are without a doubt some of the band's finest moments, and "Bleed Well" and "The Kiss of Dawn" are equally catchy and memorable. But the true center piece of Venus Doom is the ten minute "Sleepwalking Past Hope". Despite sounding like "In the Nightside of Eden" at times, "Sleepwalking Past Hope" is something to behold. Heavy, dark and melodic, the song is like nothing the band has done before or since. With all this heaviness and aggression, the album does also give us a nice breather with "Song or Suicide". Despite only being a minute long, the song is equally memorable as any other on the album.
Venus Doom is one of HIM's finest moments. It's dark, brooding, catchy and heavy, and contains some of the best songs the band have ever crafted. With it's distinct atmosphere, the albums creates a nightmarish state of mind; like your walking through Hell, but in a good way. While Venus Doom might be a little too dark and heavy for its own good at times, it's still a phenomenal record and one of the band's best.
Recommended tracks:
"Passion's Killing Floor"
"Venus Doom"
"Sleepwalking Past Hope"
"Song or Suicide"
