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HIM (Finnish band)

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For other uses of the abbreviation HIM, see HIM (disambiguation)

HIM (formerly His Infernal Majesty or HER in the US; see History below) is an alternative rock band from Finland. The band was formed in 1991 by vocalist Ville Hermanni Valo, along with Mikko Viljami "Linde" Lindström (Lily Lazer) and Mikko Heinrik Julius Paananen (Migé Amour). After many lineup changes, the band now consists of Ville, Linde, Migé, their 3rd Keyboardist Jani Purttinen (Emerson Burton), and their 2nd drummer Mika Kirstian Karppinen (Gas Lipstick). The band is also widely recognizable by their heartagram design. It consists of a heart and a pentagram, which symbolizes the contrast between life and death or love and hate. Ville has also said that "the heartagram stands for HIM as a band, as an entity. And for love metal in general." Despite common belief HIM is not a satanic band.

History

File:HM2005.jpg
HIM - 2005 Promo Shot for 'Dark Light'.

The band released their EP in 1996, titled 666 Ways to Love: Prologue, which features the only publicly known picture of Valo's mother, Anita. They became reasonably well-known throughout Finland because of their cover of Chris Isaak's hit "Wicked Game". In 1997, they received a large amount of exposure in Scandinavia, when their first full length album was released, titled Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666.

In 2000, the band released their second full-length album titled Razorblade Romance, which was recorded in Wales. The album received a large amount of exposure in Europe, when a track titled "Join Me" was featured in the European version of the sci-fi movie The Thirteenth Floor, which reached the top of the German charts in 2000. After the European success they went on to release three more singles from the same album entitled: "Right Here In My Arms", "Poison Girl", and "Gone With The Sin".

The album also reached some US stores but HIM were not allowed to use their name for sales in the US because another American band owned the rights to that name. Therefore they changed their name to HER only for the US and Razorblade Romance. The full rights to HIM were finally bought and all HER Razorblade Romance's were discontinued and were replaced by a HIM version.

In 2001, the band released their third full-length album titled Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights. They released four singles off that album: "Pretending", "In Joy and Sorrow", "Heartache Every Moment" and "Close To the Flame". After recording Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights, three members of the group formed a rock and roll group called Daniel Lioneye. The members of that band include Linde, Ville Valo and Migé Amour.

In 2003, the band released their fourth full-length album titled Love Metal, which was well received by the United States media, in particular Kerrang magazine and also the Rolling Stone magazine. The band did not develop a wide following in the United States until the release of this album. After the release of the album, the band did a United States tour in February of 2004 and then another one later that year.

HIM released their fifth album, Dark Light on September 26, 2005 internationally and on September 27, 2005 in the USA. Songs on this album include "Vampire Heart," "Killing Loneliness," "Behind the Crimson Door" and the first single "Wings of a Butterfly". In addition, "Wicked Game" was featured on Smallville and it's soundtrack album.

Trivia

The band's manager, Seppo Vesterinen, is also the manager of The Rasmus and has worked with Hanoi Rocks, a 1980s (though still going strong) glam rock band that was for a long time the most internationally successful Finnish band.

HIM is the favorite band of professional skateboarder Bam Margera. Bam’s house is decorated with a huge heartagram and he has the same tattoos on his lower stomach, arm and wrist as Ville Valo. HIM has appeared several times on his TV show, Viva La Bam and in his movies, CKY.

Juliette Lewis (Actress and singer for Juliette and the Licks) appeared in the video for “Buried Alive by Love”, which was directed by Bam Margera.

Discography

Studio releases

  1. Greatest Lovesongs, Vol. 666 - (1997)
  2. Razorblade Romance - (2000)
  3. Deep Shadows And Brilliant Highlights - (2001)
  4. Love Metal - (2004)
  5. Dark Light - (2005) #18 US

EPs

Live And other releases

Singles

Year Title Chart Positions Album
US Mainstream Rock UK Singles Chart German Mediacontrol Charts
1996 "Wicked Game" - - - Greatest Lovesongs, Vol. 666
1997 "When Love and Death Embrace" - - - Greatest Lovesongs, Vol. 666
1998 "Your Sweet Six Six Six" - - - Greatest Lovesongs, Vol. 666
1998 "It's All Tears (Drown in This Love)" - - - Greatest Lovesongs, Vol. 666
1999 "Join Me in Death" - - #1 Razorblade Romance
2000 "Right Here in My Arms" - - #22 Razorblade Romance
2000 "Poison Girl" - - #34 Razorblade Romance
2000 "Gone With the Sin" - - #19 Razorblade Romance
2001 "Pretending" - - #10 Deep Shadows and Brilliant Lights
2001 "In Joy and Sorrow" - - #17 Deep Shadows and Brilliant Lights
2002 "Heartache Every Moment" - - #20 Deep Shadows and Brilliant Lights
2002 "Close to the Flame" - - - Deep Shadows and Brilliant Lights
2003 "The Funeral of Hearts" - #15 #2 Love Metal
2003 "Buried Alive By Love" - #30 #27 Love Metal
2003 "The Sacrament" - #23 #22 Love Metal
2004 "Solitary Man" - #9 #17 And Love Said No: Greatest Hits 1997-2004
2004 "And Love Said No" - - - And Love Said No: Greatest Hits 1997-2004
2005 "Rip Out the Wings of a Butterfly" #21 #10 #10 Dark Light
2005 "Vampire Heart" - - - Dark Light
2006 "Killing Loneliness" - - - Dark Light

Current members

Former members

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