HIM: HOLLOLA TAPES

SCORE: 98/100

HIM's Deep Shadow's demos are more than worthwhile for any diehard fans of the band, they hold enough substance to feel like another full-length project; with the demos being polished enough to pass for regular songs while holding the same high standard set by the album that came from them.

The Hollola Tapes manage to be just as worthwhile as the actual album (Deep Shadows), and it's a demo tape that truly showcases the raw talent of the band with some highly interesting versions of the tracks. The 'Lose You Tonight' is surprisingly dark when compared to the finished version of the track - it feels much more stripped and murky, but in the best possible way; making it highly comparable to the actual track in a way where it's hard not to love both just the same.

The demo for 'Beautiful' was particularly surprising, with heavy guitar and a sound more similar to the rock-heavy songs on their first and second albums. It's clear to see that the band would have had Deep Shadows going in the same direction if it weren't for the label pressuring them into something softer, and these demos are an absolute must.

There is only one downside to this tape and it's the poor recording quality of the live tracks, but even then the live tracks are just as worthwhile as the demo's themselves. There's a huge sense of competence with how this tape was put together, and it feels like a massive love letter to fans of the band.

It's more of a rock-fronted version of what came to be on Deep Shadows, showcasing what the album could've sounded like with less constraints and pressure from the label to make a more pop-edged album to match the success of their previous project. There's a darker edge to these demos which is quite unexpected, but it's more than welcomed.

(The version of this tape I listened to tacked the live tracks onto the blunt end of the album rather than having them in between the demo tracks, meaning that the tracklisting was slightly out of order)