Venus Doom

by

HIM

Edit

It seems that a band can't ever do anything new without being labeled a sell-out. And those spouting such epithets are often those who have no experience whatsoever in playing or writing music.

I've noticed that after many years of working in retail establishments that sell CDs, a lot of people are like sheep. They find one band they like, cling to it, and then search out other bands that sound just like it. I have never understood this. I don't want all of my music to sound alike; what would be the fun in that? Honestly, I can't think of a particular band that really reminds me of HIM. They are, in my opinion, an entity unto themselves. I love the variety of HIM's music over the course of their career, and COMMERCIAL SUCCESS DOES NOT MAKE YOU A SELL-OUT. It makes you a hard worker. Sheesh. And honestly, do you people think that Ville Valo would ever conform to what a record label wanted just for the sake of selling albums? Come on! That guy has never conformed a day in his life, and he isn't about to start now.

I loved this album. I've loved all of HIM's albums since I discovered them a mere two years ago - I'm surprised I didn't know of them sooner, as my husband is half Finnish. Anyway, the album is very guitar heavy, owing to the fact that when they started to record the album, Burton (keyboards) was home with a new baby. And you know what? The heavy guitar works. The riffs are great - Linde (lead guitar) really gets to show off on this album. Ville's vocals are brilliant - really, when are they not? - and the overall sound is tight and speaks to the band's many years together.

This album is dark and a bit gritty (in a good way), and different from what I expected. There are no tender love songs here, no sweet words, mostly just desolation, grief, and anger. Mmmm. My inner goth girl loves it. I enjoy the more sophisticated structure of the songs, especially changing time signatures in the course of a single song (example: "Bleed Well"). And having a song completely in 3/4 time ("Cyanide Sun") is daring - I've been told by people in the music industry that you can't have a hit in 3/4 time. Riiiight.

Writing songs is hard. Making a living in music is harder. (I know both of these things from personal experience.) I respect anyone who can do it, and HIM does it well. People can cry "sell-out" all they want - it's a free country - but my opinion is that the band is excellent at what they do, and the rest of the world is finally starting to notice.

End of story.

I'll be honest, I've got all the albums and am a huge fan if Ville and the boys but the new offering Venus Doom.....well for me it just dosen't deliver. Let me explain, Every album before Venus Doom has got those songs that hit you square in the face and infect your soul.

But like I said Venus Doom just falls flat for me, it's as if they're trying too hard to reach something and losing focus on the way. It sounds messy and complicated with some thrashy moments thrown in and at one point I thought that they were going to turn Death metal then they came back from the edge to where they belong.

Basically if you want to enjoy H.I.M. at their best buy any other cd but Venus Doom.