HIM
This Is Only the Beginning

Release Date: 1995 | Tracklist

This is Only the Beginning contains the first recordings of the Finnish band His Infernal Majesty that are possible to obtain. Recorded in 1995, this is the second set of demo tapes made by the band. Prior to these, a seven-track demo tape - Witches and Other Night Fears, was recorded. But, unfortunately - the only copy of this demo is supposedly in the hands of a band member, Ville Hermanni Valo.

This is definitely unfortunate, because these demo tapes contain what is without a doubt the strongest material yet to be recorded by this band. I usually like to write my reviews as if it is written the same day as the record I'm reviewing is released. This however, proves to be quite simply impossible when I listen to this, and then listen to HIM's latter material.

I won't hide the fact that I do like this band. I can actually honestly say that I enjoy all their songs. So, to get this out of the way at once - this review will definitely be biased. All reviews are. If someone claim they have no opinion on a band or a record at all when they write a review - they are dumb. If I didn't have an opinion, how could I review this? So - allow me to express my opinions over the next few paragraphs.

Let me assure you, expressing my feelings on these tapes isn't an easy task at all. Why? Because I have so many feelings that I want to express! The six tracks make up a very diverse release that manage to touch you in so many ways, one would think it'd end up being shallow at the end. Fortunately for the listener - it's everything but shallow. But that doesn't mean it is possible to enjoy this as a "plain" heavy metal release, e.g. just kick back and bang head whilst paying no attention to the smart lyrics or the at times really exciting chord progression.

Lyrics surely is one of the key words when talking about This Is Only the Beginning, just as it is whenever the name Valo is brought up. His often misunderstood words are being laughed at by metal fans constantly. This doesn't make all that much sense to me though, as I've admired his little pieces of poetry - and especially the ones found on This Is Only the Beginning. I appreciate the consistency. On the albums that were to be released later on, there are single tracks that stand out ("For You", "One Last Time", "Bury Me Deep Inside Your Heart", "Love's Requiem" and "In Love and Lonely" to mention some) - but here, every track is sheer class. From the interpretation of The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, "Borellus" - in which Valo sings about resurrecting the dead with their very own ashes - to the very aggressive stab on Christianity, "Stigmata Diaboli". But perhaps even more so on the three tracks concerning love and relationships (excluding Wicked Game). Like how he cleverly depicts the upsides and downsides of love on "The Phantom Gate". And how he tries to convince the girl that he's the one for her, not that heartless sod she's with now on "The Heartless". (Note - Valo does this in a far more glamorous and magic way than I might be implying.) I found it difficult to grasp the lyrics on "Serpent Ride", simply because all the lines are mesmerizing. I found myself focusing intensively on each single line, failing to fathom the whole piece on the first few listens. Valo paints these little pictures of climbing towards the dark side of the moon, whilst he feeds us beautifully constructed words about writhing in pain in the grace of our love.

Another thing that definitely helped preventing me from grasping the whole of "Serpent Ride", just as well as it prevented me from grasping any track on This Is Only the Beginning during my first few listens was the somewhat unexpected chord progression, and the constant changes of pace and melody. Though Valo's drumming is tight, heavy, punchy and even rather complex at times (far more complex than any of the drumming done on any of the band's albums - including both the drumming by Juhana Rantala and the drumming by Mika Karppinen), it isn't the center of attention. Neither is the deep and just as tight bass, also played by Valo. The two elements that certainly steals the most attention (not counting the lyrics now) are Valo's vocals and Mikko Viljami Lindström's guitar.

You'll find people not hesitating to compare Lindström to Hendrix, due to his experimental nature and gift for solos. This comparison won't make much sense if you listen to This Is Only the Beginning though. The more straightforward rock'n'roll nature of HIM live anno 2000-2001 is nowhere to be found here. The influences that are apparent however, are dark goth bands like The Mission, heavy metal bands like Black Sabbath, and protopunk bands like The Stooges. The last mentioned one are easily spotted on "Stigmata Diaboli" and its heavily (proto)punk influenced riffs, whilst The Mission and Black Sabbath are evident influences throughout the whole release, consequently turning it into a '70s style heavy metal album with a gothic edge, and with the occasional (proto)punk solo and twist. Lindström also does some magic jumps from heavy distorted metal to clean picked '80s goth stuff, with Valo following with softer drums. The 'bridges' on "Serpent Ride", "The Heartless" and "Phantom Gate" come unexpectedly, and catches the listener off guard. (If I even can call them bridges. The song structures is slightly unorthodox.) They seem make the songs' more interesting - and wider pictures. Because they are pictures. Or at least they become pictures after a few listens. Rather big pictures too.

The vocals are - as mentioned earlier - another element that catches the attention. And they do so fairly quickly. Most people are somewhat familiar with Valo and his dark brooding voice. But here, it isn't nearly as monotone as it is today. Here it is much more vivid, passionate and energetic - and believe it or not, much much much darker. To top it off, he sings with a far more upper-class British-like accent here than on recent albums, where it's obvious that he's lived on the west coast of the USA.

Finally, let me say some words about "Wicked Game". I haven't saved it to the end because it's the best track, nor because it's the worst. But because it's just... awkward to find a Chris Isaak song on a heavy metal album. But with that being said - if I hadn't heard the Isaak version prior to hearing the cover present on this album, I'd probably think it was a His Infernal Majesty original. Though it is perhaps the most simplistic track, musically - it still sounds like a His Infernal Majesty original, the second and last track on This Is Only the Beginning not containing a calm part, the first one being "Stigmata Diaboli". It's perhaps even more of a headbanger than "Stigmata Diaboli" though, due to it's almost total lack of dynamics. It just continues in the same tempo all the way to its nice grand rock'n'roll ending. This isn't a bad thing though, as the band manage to pull this off without any difficulties. It's actually a fitting "pause" from the complexity exhibited on the other tracks.

So yeah, that's it folks. Those are my humble opinions. You might disagree with them, but I beg of you - do not write off this without actually listening to it. If you've only heard songs from the band's two most popular albums - Dark Light and Razorblade Romance - you are in for quite the surprise. This is a totally, 100% different band. In my opinion it is also a far superior band to present day HIM, who everybody loves to hate.

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4 excellent

Rank: #72 for 1995