HIM (Finnish rock band)

~ Group

Wikipedia

HIM (sometimes stylized as H.I.M.) was a Finnish gothic rock band from Helsinki. First formed in 1991 by vocalist Ville Valo and bassist Mikko "Mige" Paananen under the name His Infernal Majesty, the band broke up after only a few years, only to be reformed in 1995 by Valo and guitarist Mikko "Linde" Lindström. After being rejoined by Mige, as well as keyboardist Antto Melasniemi and drummer Juhana "Pätkä" Rantala, the band, now called HIM, released its debut album Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 in 1997. In 2000, now with drummer Mika "Gas Lipstick" Karppinen and keyboardist Juska Salminen, the band released Razorblade Romance, which reached the number one spot in Finland, Austria and Germany. The first single "Join Me in Death" also charted at number one in Finland and Germany, eventually going platinum and gold, respectively. Following the addition of Janne "Burton" Puurtinen on keyboards, HIM released Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights (2001) and Love Metal (2003). Both cracked the top ten in several countries and allowed the band to tour in the United Kingdom and the United States for the first time.

In 2005, HIM released Dark Light, which became the group's most commercially successful album to date. HIM also became the first Finnish group in history to receive a gold record in the US. In 2007, HIM released Venus Doom, the making of which was marred by problems in Valo's personal life. Nevertheless, the album gave the band its highest chart position in the US at number twelve. After 2010's Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice, HIM went on a hiatus after Gas Lipstick was forced to take medical leave. Following several months of uncertainty, the band regrouped and released the album Tears on Tape in 2013. Gas Lipstick announced his departure from the band in 2015 and was subsequently replaced by Jukka "Kosmo" Kröger. On 5 March 2017, HIM announced that the band would be disbanding following a farewell tour in 2017. The band played its final show on New Year's Eve 2017 as a part of its annual Helldone Festival.

HIM is one of the most commercially successful Finnish bands of all time, with sales of over ten million records. HIM has also received numerous accolades, including eight Emma Awards. The band is known for its distinct sound, which combines more melodic and melancholic elements with heavier influences. This made it difficult for audiences to categorize HIM's music, which led to the band coining the term "love metal". HIM is also known for its logo, the heartagram, which has made numerous appearances in other media.

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Discography

Album

YearTitleArtistRatingReleases
1997Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666HIM4.412
1999Razorblade RomanceHIM4.518
2001Deep Shadows and Brilliant HighlightsHIM3.417
2003Love MetalHIM3.814
2005Dark LightHIM3.814
2007Venus DoomHIM411
2009Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice, Chapters 1–13HIM3.3510
2013Tears on TapeHIM413

Album + Compilation

YearTitleArtistRatingReleases
2002The Single CollectionHIM1
2004And Love Said No: The Greatest Hits 1997–2004HIM38
2004Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 / Razorblade Romance / Deep Shadows And Brilliant HighlightsHIM1
2005Love Metal Archives Vol. 1HIM2
2006Uneasy Listening, Volume 1HIM45
2007Uneasy Listening, Volume 2HIM33
2007Uneasy Listening, Vol. 1 & 2HIM2
2008Dark Light / Venus DoomHIM1
2012XX: Two Decades of Love MetalHIM32
2014Lashes to Ashes, Lust to Dust: A Vinyl Retrospective ’96‐’03HIM41
2024When Love & Death Embrace: The Best Of Him 1997-2003HIM1

Album + Live

YearTitleArtistRatingReleases
2008Digital Versatile Doom: Live at the Orpheum Theatre XXXVII A.S.HIM53

Album + Remix

YearTitleArtistRatingReleases
2010SWRMXSHIM22

Album + Demo

YearTitleArtistRatingReleases
1998Slippery When Dead: Razorblade Romance DemosHIM2

EP

YearTitleArtistRatingReleases
1996666 Ways to Love: PrologueHIM31
2002Heartache Every Moment & Close to the Flame EPHIM2
2007Bleed WellHIM2

Single

YearTitleArtistRatingReleases
1997When Love and Death EmbraceHIM2
1998Your Sweet Six Six SixHIM1
1998Wicked GameHIM4
1999Join MeHIM5
2000Right Here in My ArmsHIM3
2000Your Sweet 666HIM41
2000Poison GirlHIM2
2000Gone With the SinHIM3
2001PretendingHIM4
2001In Joy and SorrowHIM2
2001Heartache Every Moment & Close to the FlameHIM1
2002It's All Tears (Drown In This Love)HIM1
2003The Funeral of HeartsHIM7
2003Buried Alive by LoveHIM3
2003The SacramentHIM3
2004Solitary ManHIM2
2004And Love Said NoHIM2
2005Wings of a ButterflyHIM45
2005Killing LonelinessHIM45
2007The Kiss of DawnHIM54
2009HeartkillerHIM53
2010Scared to DeathHIM1
2012Strange WorldHIM41
2013Into the NightHIM51
2013Tears on TapeHIM51

Single + Remix

YearTitleArtistRatingReleases
2010In Venere Veritas (Huoratron remix)HIM1

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