Review Summary: Chapter I - The Beginning of the End
In 1991, His Infernal Majesty (or HIM) was formed. A boiling pot of goth, doom, rock and metal, HIM would go on to find success across the world and create what would later be referred to as "love metal". Even though many undoubtedly cringe after hearing those words, it is the most accurate description for the band's sound. Whatever your stance on them may be, you can't deny that HIM effectively combined heartfelt sentimentality with brooding heaviness to create their very own sound. Not many groups have done that. While the sound of "love metal" has shifted over the years, it has always sounded like HIM. And it all started way back in 1997, with the groups debut album: Greatest Love Songs, Vol. 666.
HIM's music has typically been characterized by an overall melancholic atmosphere. "When Love and Death Embrace" and "The Heartless" serve as great examples of this, with the former benefiting from a superb keyboard hook, and latter from vocalist Ville Valo's distinctive falsetto. Greatest Love Songs, Vol. 666 effectively introduces his instantly recognizable and suave vocal style. Even though he employs a much deeper and brooding tone here than on later releases, it's still Valo. One of his trademarks has been his soothing falsetto, which unfortunately is used much more scarcely here. Instead he employs is lower register much more (as stated before), which is most evident on "It's All Tears". While the song isn't bad per-say, it suffers from Valo's "growl", which lacks any of the charisma that made his's voice so enjoyable to begin with.
Greatest Love Songs, Vol. 666 has often been cited as the group's heaviest record, which is largely due to its distinctive guitar sound. Guitarist Linde Lindström's playing has never sounded as dirty and raw as it does here. Whether this is a good or a bad thing depends on the listener. However the the openings of "Our Diabolikal Rapture" and "The Beginning of the End" are sure to melt your face and punish your eardrums all at the same time. Unfortunately this doesn't help the aforementioned tracks from being quite forgettable.
The album also features two cover song: "Wicked Game" (originally by Chris Isaak) and "(Don't Fear) the Reaper" (originally by Blue Oyster Cult). While these could easily be regarded as filler, they're actually quite enjoyable. While neither of them stray too far from the originals, they do ramp-up the heaviness and give them a unique twist. "Wicked Game" works largely due to Valo's voice and charisma, while "(Don't Fear) the Reaper" creates a great atmosphere thanks to the keyboards and female vocals, courtesy of Sanna-June Hyde.
When examining Greatest Love Songs, Vol. 666 as a whole, it is clear where the group was coming from. The Type O Negative and Paradise Lost -influences are obvious, but the album does still manage to be its own beast. By adding more soothing melodies and a very slight pop sensibility, HIM managed to create something of their own. However the rawness and overall dirtiness of the album is not for everyone, and their is this underlying feeling of a band still trying to find themselves. HIM would continue to experiment on future releases, but their debut set the blueprint for the world's first and only "love metal" band.
Recommended tracks:
"When Love and Death Embrace"
"The Heartless"
"For You"
"(Don't Fear) The Reaper"
