HIM
Tears On Tape

From Finland, for their eighth studio album (the first under the new Razor & Tie label) HIM, acronym for His Infernal Majesty, one of the most controversial bands of the last two decades in the melodic Rock-Metal scene, returns. Before diving into the detailed analysis of the thirteen tracks recorded at the Finvox Studios in Helsinki with the help of the historical technical team, especially Tim Palmer, it's good to make a premise: the band led by Ville Valo reached this result not without turmoil and concerns, which in recent times even cast doubt on the actual continuation of the five Finns with poor social skills. The reason? The interruption of the relationship with Warner, first and foremost, which seemed quite turbulent according to rumors, but also a serious arm problem for drummer Gas Lipstick (Mirkka Karpinnen), sidelined for a good eight months, even considering a sensational breakup, as recently confirmed by Valo himself.

After exhausting the due 'informative' clarifications, the many fans waited three years for the production of this 'Tears On Tape' which, let’s say it right away, appears as the dirtiest album of the entire HIM production, although modern in sound and pushed into the mainstream by the excellent production work done by the Hiilesmaa-Palmer duo. An (almost) clean break compared to the previous 'Screamworks: Love In Theory And Practice', which had disappointed not a little for structural stagnation and a somewhat ingratiating climate that, if we exclude the lyrics, had brought HIM into the pop/rock world in a big way. The poor sales result, however, will have led Valo & Co. to a necessary and dignified step back. But we are only in the realm of speculation. Who knows.  

Musically speaking, there's an immediate surprise. As many as four instrumental tracks, a real absolute novelty, starting with the opener "Unleash The Red", a shadowy whirlwind of a minute or so opened by a cassette tape ready to play, drastically crushed by the riff of 'All Lips Go Blue', which (incredibly) brings back the atmospheres of the successful and now historic first album of the band, that Greatest Lovesongs vol.666, relived in Valo's surges and the substantial sound brought by the guitars, contained only by an easily assimilable chorus, the soundtrack of this start. Softer are the themes of 'Love Without Tears', with a decidedly catchier appeal despite a totally unexpected Black Sabbath-style interlude, which almost brings the listener closer to the furious and direct 'I Will Be The End Of You', a new Right Here in My Arms revisited in a dark mode, with a less predictable and more captivating structure.

The more aggressive episodes then take a long break, so much so that the subsequent 'Tears On Tape' and 'Into The Night' (deliberately singles targeted for the German market and beyond) bring the atmospheres back on purely modern-HIM tracks, catchy songs with a hyper-melodic impact thanks to Valo's excellent delivery, prominently featuring falsettos and baritone parts that will again pave the way among the rather young dark ladies. The stereo revives in the unexpected 'Hearts At War', opened by a heavy riff and concluded by a pleasant doom slowdown that brings the five Finns back to the 2007 production (Venus Doom), although for a brief moment. 

The second part of the album, however, visibly declines. And this is an objective feedback. Ideas are lacking, the interludes (as many as three!) seem slightly forced, at least until the seductive 'Drawn & Quartered', masterfully conducted in atmospheres and rhythms, but not very successful in the final part, due to a not quite fitting vocal style, in some ways out of place in a track that did not require such marked structural upheavals. Ambiguous or perhaps anxious are the brief 'Lucifer's Chorale' and 'Kiss The Void', the latter chosen to close the set, tormented by a faulty tape and abruptly interrupted almost indicating the sense of emptiness that fans will feel upon listening. The experiment succeeded, but a note of merit (not by chance left for last) goes to the surprising 'When Love Starts To Die', simply renamed 'W.L.S.T.D.', a track in which HIM fully delve into the dear Type O Negative, a sort of reinterpretation of the style brought by the always lamented Peter Steele, low notes on a rhythmic carpet that declines steeply almost wanting to reach the underworld. Listen to believe. After all, the Finnish band started their career playing covers of the American Type, and from the very words of description on the eve, the thirty-six-year-old from Helsinki had clearly expressed the intention to pay homage to a good part of the inspiring artists. 

In conclusion, 'Tears On Tape' brings HIM back to a more acceptable position compared to the previous work, while showing an inevitable decline compared to the unreachable 'Love Metal' and 'Razorblade Romance', true cornerstones in the decadent Scandinavian genre recently appeared in crisis. With the fans grown, the time has come for growth for a band now close (on average) to the threshold of forty years, with the necessary pros and cons. If you did not appreciate the 'plastic' Screamworks dated two thousand ten, this album will seem absolutely memorable, a mix of the HIM production with a less cleaned-up sound than usual, pleasant, filled with vocals and keyboard/atmospheric parts easily attributable to the pioneers of love metal. Opponents and supporters will, perhaps, agree on only one point: HIM are unique. For better or worse.