Review Summary: HIM truly released a “Brilliant Highlight” with this album.
HIM is a Finnish band who recently started gaining popularity in the United States.
Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights is the band’s third studio album, and if it isn’t their best, it is certainly very close. This album creates a mystical and captivating atmosphere that musically shows the band in an excellent form, and Ville Vallo demonstrates why he was ranked #73 in greatest vocalist in Metal History (although this band is far from Metal) by a renounce magazine.
Compared to their other albums,
Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights has a noticeable softer pace and is way more melodic than HIM’s other albums. The band isn’t shy of using instruments like violin and piano, and when mixed with some electronic elements it helps create an intensely enjoyable atmosphere. Deep Shadows can be described as a “dark romantic” album in which one can feel the goth-rock mixed with pop.
Deep Shadows is an album that heavily relies on its vocals, and Ville delivers. From the highest to the lowest, Ville hits the notes perfectly and really demonstrates his great singing talent. Even though the vocals are a clear highlight, the album is a very strong team effort. The guitars, the drums, the keyboards, they were all great in giving the album a beautiful atmosphere and making sure it wouldn’t get bland and monotonous. Another good point about this album, and one that is a little surprising, is the lyrics. HIM has never and will probably never be known for their writing skills. They have a tendency of writing unimpressive metaphors and lines that are meant to sound dark and goth, and in some cases are laughable. However, in this album the lyrics are better constructed and though out. Something that can be noted in songs that could have been seen as cliché, but are actually beautiful. Great examples of this are
Heartache Every Moment and
In Joy and Sorrow.
As I already pointed out,
Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights has a great variety of tones, instruments, and volumes. This can easily be seen in the opener
Salt in Our Wounds. The accurate combination of these elements makes this album very enjoyable and prevents it from getting boring and repetitive. The tracks are arranged in way that one song seems to lead to the next keeping the album’s momentum up and making a very nice flow. Deep Shadows presents some of the band’s best songs, but unfortunately it also presents one of their worst, the song
Beautiful. Lyrically the song represents the worst of the band; it is also repetitive, bland, boring, and all in all brings the album down.
From the faster paced and upbeat songs like
Pretendingand
Heartache Every Moment, to the soft ballads like
In Joy and Sorrowand
Close To The Flame, this album presents a wide musical variety, great vocals, and an amazing achievement for the band. This album is truly a “Brilliant Highlight” that is definitely worth a listen.
Recommended Tracks:
Heartache Every Moment
Pretending
In Joy And Sorrow
Salt In Our Wounds
A/N: Personally, I don’t recommend this album for someone who wants to get into the band because it is different from the band’s “real” sound; I recommend the album “Razorblade Romance” for new listeners.
