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Product Description
Review
HIM are the most successful Finnish export since Hanoi Rocks, prosthesis-clad-Eurovision-party-crashers, Lordi or even (where are they now?) goth-lite rocksters, The Rasmus.
Fronted by eye-shadowed, disco-tanned, emo eye candy, Ville Valo, H.I.M began life playing Danzig and Depeche Mode covers. This is their fifth album.
Their sound is grand, gothic metal combined with cod-mysticism, crunchy guitars, thrashy drums and a breathy vocal delivery tinged with effects. This all comes sweetened with poppy choruses, appeal-broadening keyboards and dark, lovelorn regret-tinged lyrics.
Melodically it's a Frankenstein: The head of Whitesnake, the body of Savage Garden and the floppy, pale and mysterious boy next-door hair of A-ha's Morten Harkett (unwashed and dyed black of course).
The title track is a strong one. The opening chords are heavier than a bag of spanners and soar into an energetic, and hummable chorus that sticks in your brain like the pointy bit of a freshly sharpened pick-axe, underpinned by chugging guitars and heart-plucking strings.
It's like listening to Buffy the Vampire Slayer!The Opera. 'Watch me fall for you my Venus Doom, hide my heart where all dreams are entombed!' and 'Give him a kiss worth dying for...' In other words; it's gothic mumbo-jumbo meets the hormone drenched teen psycho-drama of Smallville or The OC.
Their tunes are instantly catchy, heavy and melodramatic, and produced with polish and with some great choruses, but the material still sounds dated at times.
After several listens it also emerges that, like the distant clank of rusty chains through the sticky fog of an abandoned abattoir, that they know what works and stick to it a bit too rigidly.
It's well done but as a whole it lacks sonic variety. And - while I'm pushing the chainsaw in and out of the solar-plexus - without a second voice underpinning it, Ville's voice isn't all that.
Having said that there are 6 very good tracks here (the over-long 'Sleepwalking Past Hope' and the quite dreary 'Cyanide Sun' being the only real stinkers), but you'd already have to like this sort of thing to want to go there. Oh, and place a demonic Hex on everyone that doesn't like it. --Eamonn Stack
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Just to clear up the Special/Limited edition debate: referring to www.heartagram.com : The Limited edition is the 1 that's leather bound, with the booklet, etc, & THIS is actually the "Special Edition" with the extra disc. Not that it really matters what the hell it's called, or which version you end up with, because this is the one we've been waiting for! It's absolutely bloody brilliant, has all the authentic H.I.M qualities: it's hard, it's heavy, it's melodic, it has light & shadow, beautifully "corny" lyrics, wailing guitars, thumping HUGE base lines that, to quote Mr Valo: "make your test*cle hair vibrate", haunting keyboards, kickass drumming & above all: Ville's soulful, stunningly beautiful, melancholic voice crooning over it all. What more could you ask for, go get it, NOW!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I don't think there'd be a single regret if you bought this, seriously.
It's basically number two on my list of their best albums (try Deep Shadows And Brilliant Highlights for their best)
I will admit that they haven't changed, but, to me, that is rather a good thing. I will never grow tired of hearing this or any other of their albums.
I think the only downfall to this album i Song Or Suicide, and that isn't really that much of a downfall. It's just one of those songs I can't seem to get into that well.
Yet again, it's not their best work, but it's so damn close.
It's basically number two on my list of their best albums (try Deep Shadows And Brilliant Highlights for their best)
I will admit that they haven't changed, but, to me, that is rather a good thing. I will never grow tired of hearing this or any other of their albums.
I think the only downfall to this album i Song Or Suicide, and that isn't really that much of a downfall. It's just one of those songs I can't seem to get into that well.
Yet again, it's not their best work, but it's so damn close.
9 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I found this a frustrating album to listen to. On the one hand it is competently performed and contains some decent songs but it takes no artistic risks whatsoever and consequently doesn't deliver to its full potential.
None the less it is an enjoyable enough slice of radio friendly soft/heavy gothic rock with the odd catchy chorus, some pretty decent riffs and solid bass lines from the rhythm section.
The frustration arises from two sources; primarily from the fact that songs often start with a strong Sabbath Bloody Sabbath style riff and appear to be about to launch into fully fledged adult rock but then morph into a vehicle for Ville Vallo's undoubtedly pleasant voice to croon over.
The other source of frustration is the lyrical content; Vallo has been singing about forbidden love, death, sadness, sunset, dawn, vampires and self harm for the better part of a decade and has turned the corner from gothic romance into morbid cliche.
It might be the kind of stuff that teenage girls can bite their lips to but it isn't fresh enough to work for me anymore - having heard it long before on Razorblade Romance.
It feels formulaic and lacks either the necessary passion or even the sort of black humour that would allow an adult to connect and identify with.
The fundamental problem is a form artistic laziness that pervades the album. The band occasionally let rip (around half way through track 5 is a good example) but after 30 seconds or so they run out of space or ideas and revert to being Ville Vallo's backing band for another four minutes of crooning.
I've given it a generous four stars because it is an eminently listenable rock album and the musicianship is tight and professional, but I doubt if it will be on my playlist for very long.
None the less it is an enjoyable enough slice of radio friendly soft/heavy gothic rock with the odd catchy chorus, some pretty decent riffs and solid bass lines from the rhythm section.
The frustration arises from two sources; primarily from the fact that songs often start with a strong Sabbath Bloody Sabbath style riff and appear to be about to launch into fully fledged adult rock but then morph into a vehicle for Ville Vallo's undoubtedly pleasant voice to croon over.
The other source of frustration is the lyrical content; Vallo has been singing about forbidden love, death, sadness, sunset, dawn, vampires and self harm for the better part of a decade and has turned the corner from gothic romance into morbid cliche.
It might be the kind of stuff that teenage girls can bite their lips to but it isn't fresh enough to work for me anymore - having heard it long before on Razorblade Romance.
It feels formulaic and lacks either the necessary passion or even the sort of black humour that would allow an adult to connect and identify with.
The fundamental problem is a form artistic laziness that pervades the album. The band occasionally let rip (around half way through track 5 is a good example) but after 30 seconds or so they run out of space or ideas and revert to being Ville Vallo's backing band for another four minutes of crooning.
I've given it a generous four stars because it is an eminently listenable rock album and the musicianship is tight and professional, but I doubt if it will be on my playlist for very long.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great CD!
This is a definitely one of my favourite HIM albums and is the reason they are my all time favourite band. I genuinely love every song!
Published 2 months ago by beth
Masterpiece
In my opinion HIM's best album, it's very creative, stunning from start to finish, I highly recommend it, favourite tracks are 'sleepwalking past hope' and 'cyanide sun'
Published 5 months ago by Jennifer Ferri
Great Album!
This is a heavier HIM album than what you would be used to. If you enjoyed their 2003 Love Metal CD then this is a must have. It is filled with heavier riffs and darker lyrics. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Chris
Venus Doom, the wonderful HIM record but in "luxurious suit"
Well, it's not so different from the original and basic Venus Doom. It's only with a deluxe cover. It has the same booklet inside and the same music. Read more
Published 24 months ago by Nuria Teuler Pujol
A dark masterpiece
First off, if you're a fan of HIM or are simply checking out a recommendation, this is definitely a good album to start with. Read more
Published on 23 Feb 2010 by Kieron Naylor
Probably my favourite HIM album!
I've only just bought this album after meaning to and then never getting around to it. Also, I had read my mixed reviews on here about it so wasn't really sure whether I was going... Read more
Published on 13 Feb 2009 by Mr. S. Lewis
Stick to what your good at next time.............
I've been waiting for two years for this new album and was very dissapointed when i first heard it. I've listened to it many times now and it doesn't really get any better. Read more
Published on 12 Oct 2007 by Mr. Philip Dean
Venus Boom
What really good cd this is. Ville had me entranced with his brilliant vocals and song writing. Another album joins the collection.
Published on 6 Oct 2007 by Elaine Grant
Excellent Album
Def the best Him album since Razorblade romance am very surprised that they managed to pull it of once more
Good job Boys Keep on Rockin in the VENUS DOOM
Good job Boys Keep on Rockin in the VENUS DOOM
Published on 28 Sep 2007 by Keith Brady
soft to Heavy
You can really tell the difference in this ablum from the "heaviness" of their songs. They are a lot heavier. I also think it is one of their best albulms, so far.
Published on 25 Sep 2007 by Kenneth Morgan
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