H.I.M. have been branded with different genres, be it Rock, Goth Rock, Love Metal, Goth Metal. It depends on how you look at them as musicians. I think they class themselves as Love Metal/Goth Rock, but I’m not to sure.
Buried Alive By Love 4/5
This song has a catchy beat to it and the distortion on the guitar matches the power of Ville’s lyrics. As the lyrics first start the guitars cut out but once the song has fully started the guitars power begins again. Throughout the song you can hear the very powerful drum beat and the guitars stand out on top of this. I find that Ville’s Voice in this song is powerful and work well for the song. I think the way that the drums power fits with the guitar makes the song that much better with more power to each note. As the lyrics fade out into the solo, I find that the solos clean guitar works well and you can see that they have kept the solo short and sweet, which I think is good so that you don’t lose interest throughout the song.
The Funeral Of Hearts 5/5
I think this has got to be the song that everyone has heard; when this album was first released it was all over the music channels. The piano in this song works well and the way that Ville uses a much softer voice for the lyrics work well. Like in ‘Buried Alive By Love’ the drumbeat is powerful and strong, although the guitars are a lot softer the verses but have the power for the chorus. This song also has a solo in it, which isn’t long so that you don’t loose interest in the song. I think the way that they use a clean strum and Ville’s lyrics for the outro make the song end well with the piano finish works perfectly.
Beyond Redemption 4.5/5
The intro to the song is unique and as the distorted riffs come in Ville’s lyrics follow soon after. This song like the others has a drumbeat that stands out but the guitars are distorted for most of the song and it sounds like there is a synthesiser or something in certain parts of the song. The lyrics are powerful and strong, and the guitar and synthesiser (I think) for the section before the solo kicks in works well, I think this song has one of the most powerful solos, which suits the rest of the song well. The power Ville uses in some of the lyrics and the length he holds them is astonishing. For the outro you hear some lyrics and a clean guitar riff, which suits the song.
Sweet Pandemonium 5/5
This song sounds very different to the others at the start; Ville’s lyrics are very deep and more soulful and depressing. The guitars are also heavy coming into the chorus were you can find it easier to recognise Ville’s ‘normal’ voice. The guitar and drumbeat is powerful and gives the song a more powerful background for the lyrics. As the song goes on there is a sort of ‘breakdown’ were the guitar and lyrics speed change it all seems to slow down and the deep depressing voice is giving it more influence. As this bit ends the power comes back in as the chorus begins. The outro is also kind of depressing as it is a synthesiser and another instrument I’m not sure of that ends it quite slow and eerily.
Soul On Fire 4/5
The intro to this song is straight in with a distorted guitar and the power of the rest of the song with a strong beat and as the lyrics come in it all seems to slow down and have an almost clean finger picking on the guitar for the background. As the guitar starts to become distorted again and the chorus begins with the powerful lyrics the have been used in the other songs, this is shortly followed by the clean finger picking for the verses’ again. There is a small resemblance of a solo in this song but it does have lyrics on top so you can’t really pin point it. At the end of the song He uses a gentle lyrics and the guitar finishes the song distorted and sharp.
The Sacrament 5/5
The piano works well as an intro and has adds a nice sound as the guitars come in as a backing for the distortion. The mix of the song is very well, as it all sounds good together. Ville’s lyrics seem to be not as loud/powerful in this song. During the chorus you can here the piano riff that was used for the intro in the background, which fits in with the guitars and lyrics. The song doesn’t change much throughout the song; the main thing I can see is that the piano is used in different areas, which do add effect to the song and works well. This song ends very simply with just lyrics and a quite fading behind them and then the lyrics fade out ending the song.
This Fortress Of Tears 4.5/5
The intro to this song is very powerful with a distorted guitar but as the lyrics start the guitars stop and a piano begins which makes Ville’s lyrics sound quite depressing and sad. Even in the chorus were the guitars come back in you can still hear sadness in his voice, which make the lyrics work well with the tune. I find the guitars don’t play a big part to the song, as during the chorus they mainly use a piano, but when the guitars do come in they add a good effect. The solo to this song is a true piece of musical talent not fast etc. but fits the song well with a series of bend/slides which make it sound really good and then as it finishes you hear Ville start singing again with a very upset sounding tears and you can hear him breath between the lines which add an effect to the song. Finally the power is added again and the chorus is sung and it goes into an outro riff with a choir kind of lyrics in the background, which make it sound deep and depressing.
Circle Of Fear 4/5
The intro to this song is like a clean finger picking routine were I find the drums dominate until the drums seem to fade and it’s almost a solo with the guitar. Just before the lyrics come in you hear the drums come back in and Ville’s lyrics sounding really deep and depressing it gives it an almost eerie feeling. As it goes into the chorus you hear a much more H.I.M. style of singing still with the clean guitar in the background, it has much more power with the distorted guitar added in. As the lyrics fade and you hear the guitar come in as the focus point for a while and then you get the power of the chorus again which add to the effect substantially. The outro to this song like the others goes out with the normal riffs and lyrics and then finishes of with the clean guitar finger picking like it was at the intro.
Endless Dark 4/5
The intro to this is well played with just the guitar being clean and then you hear the distortion added and finally the drums, which have a good effect. The instruments nearly all finish as the lyrics begin with a clean guitar in the background. The chorus to this song is much different it mainly gets its power from the drums than the distortion from the guitar, although it’s present. This song also has a piano section that seem to be in a certain few areas of the song which I find works. The lyrics are very powerful when added in with the other instruments and even without for the verses’. The solo is very good when it begins it sounds very different to all the other songs, and finishes to a silence with an almost metronome (I think, not sure) and lyrics. The song has a section were Ville is singing along to either a clean or acoustic guitar which then becomes distorted and powerful again for the outro which adds the effect especially with the finger picking.
The Path 4.5/5
The piano at the intro to this song works well and is very comforting which then fades into the distorted guitar, which doesn’t sound as powerful as it does in the other songs. The entire instruments fade out and you hear the piano when the lyrics are back in which adds a comforting side to the song. As he feeds into the chorus the power from the guitars and drums come back with the piano still in the background, which makes it sound unique sound. The song has an aspect of a marching beat on the drum and (like) humming which then fade into the solo, which has a lot of power, even though it isn’t unbelievably fast and distorted. A surprising aspect about this song is that a second solo comes in near the end of the song which sort of breaks up the riffs between the middle of the song and the outro as you begin to hear the piano/synthesiser add into the background, this gives the solo more depth and power which adds to the effect where it fades out into an outro riff and finally stops abruptly as the outro.
Overall I gave this album a 4 because I thought all the songs were good, the album on the whole is good. I know that some people aren’t fond of H.I.M. but I feel this is some of their best work and it does have some unique points to it like the use of the keyboard/synthesiser/piano (I not sure which).
