The Diary of a Hobbyist

SCORE: 100/100 Deep Shadows is an album I knew I was wrong about from the moment I posted my review. I went into HIM's third album expecting the heavier sounds of the band to be ever-present on this LP as well - but when I was met with a different sound with more experimentation and ballad-fronted tracks, I was caught off guard. I still gave it an overwhelming amount of praise in my original review, but I knew it was more than a 97. It felt like something I might not have come back to as much, as if the songs weren't as memorable - but I quickly realized that some of the band's absolute best material resides on this album. From the night I reviewed it I found myself coming back again, and again, and... again. The opening track alone for this album shows how different it is from the rest of their catalogue, with a more experimental sound palate that refines their sound into something even more melodic and atmospheric while keeping the sounds that fans of the band had come to...

SCORE: 100/100 HIM's second and final EP before their debut is even more gritty and striking than their first, with arrangements from their first demo that have been worked upon and tweaked until they would become tracks that would make their way into other albums/versions, '666 Ways to Love: Prologue' feels like an absolute essential piece in HIM's discography for both content and context. The demo versions of these songs are just as good as the more recognized finished versions, with the demo for 'Wicked Game' having a sense of grit that makes it one of their most worthwhile demo tracks. Along with two tracks that would make it onto their debut, this EP contains 'Stigmata Diaboli' and an early version of 'Dark Sekret Love', with both tracks feeling like absolute must-hears for any HIM fan. '666 Ways to Love' is about as good as it gets when it comes to a demo tape. It's an absolute powerhouse showcase of the band's sound while r...

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 t...

SCORE: 98/100 'Tears On Tape' is a bittersweet moment for me, an album that drives in more of the synth-focused sounds of 'Screamworks' to phone in one last victory lap for the band. After a softer opening the album kicks off in a heavier direction than expected, and it brings in all of the elements that made HIM so great; one final time. This album does things that their previous albums have not, with the introduction of instrumental tracks that help to break the album up into different segments; this helps to keep the energy of the project very much alive, and it still has the same spark as all of their previous works brought into one final crossroad for the band. The songs have a bittersweet tinge to them, but they are undoubtedly HIM in every sense of the world. I'm pleasantly surprised by how consistent this project is for how (semi) recent it is. It keeps the charm of their previous works and brings in all of the elements that they used throughout their career...

SCORE: 100/100 After 2007's heavier 'Venus Doom', HIM went back to a more accessible and melodic project full of their distinctive catchy choruses, this time with Ville Valo having a muse for the project. 'Screamworks' is light and accessible like 'Dark Light' and 'Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights', but in a way that provides even more clarity than both of those albums. It's incredibly impressive that they released an album this good so far into their career together as a band, and some of their most beautiful tracks are within the 13 "chapters" of this album. I had heard a few tracks from 'Screamworks' prior to my sit-down listen, but I had held off (which was SO hard to do) on listening to the whole album so I could listen to the band's previous works first. There's something absolutely awe-striking about this album, and some of the band's most overlooked material resides here. 'In Venere Veritas' is e...

SCORE: 100/100 'Venus Doom' is very clearly HIM's heaviest record from the very moment it starts, and I was honestly somewhat unsure as to how I would feel about this one - that is until it started and I was immediately completely immersed in the melodically heavy sound of this album. I was instantaneously captivated by this record - and the opening shows that you're in for a wild ride, but it's one where there's a method to the madness.  The guitar in particular on this album sticks out by tenfold. The instrumental work on this album is unlike anything HIM has ever done before, and yet you can still sense their style throughout. Ville's vocals take on a slightly different tone than on the band's previous works, but this new tinge in his vocal performances allows for this album to REALLY feel like a fresh breath into the band's discography. It's wildly different than anything else they have put out - and this uniqueness is something that truly sh...

SCORE: 98/100 HIM's fifth studio album falls back into the more accessible, people-pleasing side that was showcased on 'Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights', with a sound that has been described as more polished for the band. It continues the same form as 'Love Metal' while mixing in a softer edge and more melodic tracks with less heavy instrumentals, letting a lighter side back into the bands' discography that works better the second time around. 'Dark Light' was the first HIM album to see a worldwide release under Sire records, a label that the band had signed with a year prior to the albums' eventual release. The sound of 'Dark Light' helps to give the band a sound that can appeal more to a general crowd, with pleasing melodies and some very catchy tracks being scattered throughout the album, it works as a breather into their catalogue to squeeze in a more "clean" album for the band; showcasing their softer side to appeal to a ...

SCORE: 100/100 'Love Metal' feels like HIM's return to form after the more pop-influenced nature of their previous project. The songs are heavier with the bands' signature catchiness in full swing, and the sound of this album feels more orientated to fans rather than seeking a mainstream appeal like the band did on their previous work. The album has less restraint than their previous - their harder edge coming through alongside tender sweet tracks that feel like the bands' roots seeping back into the compositions of this album. The instrumentation and compositions throughout 'Love Metal' are worth spending the time to marvel at, and it's another clear triumph for the Finnish band.  Tensions were less high with this album, the ideas coming naturally after a point in time that nearly broke the band up. Touring so extensively for their previous album had taken its toll on the band, leading to conflicts amongst them that were soon resolved as 'Love Metal...

SCORE: 97/100 An attempt to follow suit after the success of 'Razorblade Romance', HIM's third album is more polished and has more pop-orientated elements than any of their previous works. With buildups and catchy hooks, 'Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights' takes the band into a new, "cleaned up" direction that mixes commercial appeal with songs catered to fans of the band. This album received more mixed opinions than their previous bodies of work - with the more commercial sound of the album being a cause for controversy surrounding the album. It feels "safer" than their other projects, but it still comes off as very nicely defined and polished in a way that sets it apart from the rest of the bands' albums at this point into their careers. The change in their overall sound and image (to some degree, with the sound being what changed most) was something that the band needed to keep their discography feeling fresh, and this album did just t...

SCORE: 98/100 It's always interesting to see the early forms of songs by various bands, demos for huge tracks like 'Razorblade Kiss' and 'Join Me In Death' reside on the 'Slippery When Dead' demo collection, and HIM manages to make even the earliest, choppiest stages of their songs sound like pure, otherworldly bliss. The demo versions of the songs are drastically different from the album versions - making this an absolute must for any fans of HIM/fans of the main album ('Razorblade Romance). Each demo is just as gorgeously crafted as the main, polished tracks, and despite some poor audio quality due to the tracks being demos - 'Slippery When Dead' is just as good as their finished efforts in the end. 'Slippery When Dead' is both highly interesting and deeply entertaining. There's something truly captivating about the demo versions of what would become 'Razorblade Romance', and some of the instrumental choices on these unfinis...

SCORE: 98/100 I've seen Haggard three times now - twice on my own and once with company, and I can safely say that it's a movie best watched with other people. I found a new love for the movie when I watched it for my third time - not that I wasn't fond of it the first times, but there was something different about the last time I watched it that made me appreciate it even more. The film itself is a clear Bam Margera passion project - using his signature bright colouring, high-energy editing, and shots that just have his name written all over it. Every single person in the film is in their own element here - with each and every one of them doing the things they do best within the film. It has everything you would expect from a full-length Bam film, and it does it well. The soundtrack is a huge reflection of the style, different tones, and overall aesthetics of the film - it's packed full of bands that Bam has openly loved for years, with HIM taking the forefront of the ...

RAZORBLADE ROMANCE + BONUS ALBUM: SCORE: 100/100 March 23, 2025 Both 'Razorblade Romance' and 'Greatest Love Songs Vol. 666' are two of my favorite albums - with 'Razorblade Romance' managing to be one of my all-time top favorites. Both albums are in constant and wildly consistent rotation for me, and having them both in one convenient package sounds like a HIM fans' dream come true. It was a very smart marketing move for the people selling the combined albums, and the overall quality of both is deeply consistent. The albums go together like puzzle pieces, with both feeling like essential rock albums despite being somewhat niche in a greater sense. These are two albums you simply cannot miss out on, and having them together is a gorgeous showcase of HIM's earliest polished projects on a larger scale. GREATEST LOVE SONGS VOL. 666 SCORE: 100/100 March 19, 2025 Recorded in just fifteen days in the summer of 1997 before being released in the winter, 'Gre...

SCORE: 95/100 'This Is Only the Beginning' feels more like a demo than a proper EP in a sense - but this early quality to the songs provides the band with even more grit. The songs are heavier and more intense than some of their more melodic work; with heavy guitars and dark thematic lyrics, this EP is an absolute essential for any fans of HIM.  The overall sound of this EP is somewhat different from the bands' other material - with more of a metal sound than what would become deemed "love metal" in their later projects, the murky sound of this EP provides a listening experience with some of the bands' weaker material packaged around one of their best songs. The poor sound mixing is one of the dimming elements of the EP - but it's easy to ignore when you realize the sheer amount of heat carried by each track. It's certainly an impressive start - and it shows that the band had their style down from the very roots of their career. It isn't quite as p...

  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 i...

SCORE: 79/100 Ville Valo's first solo project is reminiscent of HIM, with heavy traces of the bands' style coming through in his personal work. If you're a fan of HIM there's a large chance you'll enjoy this three-track EP based on sound alone. It's clear that Valo was the defining element of the band when they were together due to how his energy radiates through both this project and his projects with the band - but it isn't quite as memorable as some of his work with HIM. The more modernized sound of this EP leads to some weaker moments all in all - but it's a solid overall project that shows a large amount of promise for Ville as a soloist. His vocals are the driving force of the project, the instrumentals are great and the compositions of the songs lead his solo venture into a good starting point that can lead to other great projects further down the line. It's clear that he's still got it - and his creativity can continue outside of the band...

SCORE: 100/100 HIM's second and most well known album manages to be both loving and melancholic all at the same time - with almost otherworldly qualities that you simply will not find from any other band, 'Razorblade Romance' is a passionate album that is full of feelings and heart within every track, it's a clearly fleshed out and worked on project that was polished until absolute perfection, and Ville Valo makes himself even more known as a stunning vocalist throughout the 42 minute runtime of the album. Each track is just as stunning as the last - with gorgeous compositions and a masterful chemistry behind the members of the band, HIM made themselves even more known with 'Razorblade Romance'; an album that contains some of what may be considered their "signature" material and their sound being shown off to the max. It's not often that a band can create a new subgenre due to how striking their music is - but with HIM came love metal. The album is...