HIM: GREATEST LOVE SONGS VOL. 666

 

SCORE: 100/100

Recorded in just fifteen days in the summer of 1997 before being released in the winter, 'Greatest Love Songs Vol. 666' is a stunning debut album by a band that would go on to become hugely iconic. It isn't common that a band from a different country becomes so popular in the United States, but HIM was a different case entirely. This wouldn't be the album to help catapult them into a new audience, but it would be the one to start it all for the band. 

Widely described as gothic rock, HIM's debut opened the doors for what would be classified as "love metal" by both the band themselves and fans of the band. HIM's electrifying, passionate, and dark style all crash into each other - leading to an almost undefinable mix of soundscapes littered throughout their impressive discography. It's a wildly impressive and awe-inspiring debut, a debut that makes a band instantly recognizable, leading them to praise and leading their second album into very impressive territories. When a band has their sound this mastered so early on in their career there can only be good ahead. 

'Greatest Love Songs Vol. 666' is produced immaculately, with precise sound choices and stunning arrangements coming together into a much bigger picture. The band makes themselves known instantaneously, with the individual talents of the members coming through on the tracks while charismatic and dark frontman Ville Valo takes the steering wheel and brings the album to where it needed to be. He is the grounding element to the band - the element that makes the band as incredible as they are; without Valo, there is no HIM.

It's clear that the band already knew what they were doing at this point in their career. Their sound is down to a masterclass level despite this album being their official debut - the songs are polished and crisp, with new sounds flooding in and a huge amount of variety between the tracks. It's a heavier album than 'Razorblade Romance', making use of heavy guitar riffs and dark-tinged instrumentals that bring the album to sheer greatness. It's a stunning portrait of the band as a whole, with their style being showcased to the nines for the entire runtime of the LP.

The songs on 'Greatest Love Songs Vol. 666' are simply gorgeous. The compositions throughout the album are impressive and captivating - mixing heavy rock elements with sensual hooks and rhythms that are enchanting to listen to. It's the type of album to leave a person in a trance; it manages to be the perfect opening to their discography, showcasing the heavier edge to their music while the lighter side of their style still battles for dominance throughout. 

Ville's vocal range makes the project that much more impressive, with his voice going from dark & deep to high and airy in mere seconds. His vocal performances make this album even more enjoyable, with it being clear that he was destined to be the frontman of the band with his voice alone; his image helped, but his voice is what really drove the band into the wonderful spot they were in. He has the melodies of each track wrapped around his finger, toying with each track until they are perfectly catered to the sound of the band.

HIM had their sound mastered by this point in time - but it was their image that was not yet fleshed out to its full potential. The growth of their image as well as the shift in their sound is what would make them even more mainstream, but this album does an excellent job at introducing the world to the band. Their heavier sound is wonderful to listen to - mixing light and dark & love and death into one intimate melting pot.

It's not often that a debut album is this striking - but when it does happen it's that much more impressive. The band works together incredibly well and it shows all throughout this album; their playing is cohesive and consistent in both style and quality, the individual members of the band all coming together to make something deeply impressive and highly enjoyable. The guitar in particular stands out by a long shot on this album, with the heavy, gritty riffs leading the album into the heavy and dark direction that it winds up being in.

The switches in the mid-end sections of some of the tracks make the album even more captivating, with the tracks hooking you in and making sure that your attention is kept all throughout the album. It's an impressive album that is comparable to 'Razorblade Romance' in quality - but they differ in style slightly due to this album feeling heavier in its compositions than their 1999 album release. The tracks don't drag from their length, and the entirety of the album is impressively consistent through and through. It's truly something worth marveling at, and it's clear that the band had infinite am