Artist: HIM
Title: XX - Two Decades Of Love Metal
Genre: Rock/ Metal
Release Date: 26th October 2012
Label: Sony Music
Album Review
As the title of the new compilation album of HIM suggests it’s here to celebrate their 20 year career. Or you can see it as filler in the break between their last effort and the forthcoming new album ‘Tears On Tape’ to be out around March/April time (or winter according to another source) of next year. The compilation opens with a cover version of Ké’s ‘Strange World’, which is said to be the band’s new material since their last album of 2010 (Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice) and soon delves into the band’s “best of-s”. The sound quality and production is trying to be minimal probably to give an impression of rawness but that really doesn’t suit the style of HIM, nor does it make ‘Love Metal’ to be taken more seriously.
Another idea (though one that feels like searching through the empty darkness) that comes to me is that the attempt is here to make is sound somewhere close to live experience but not having one to record this is the closest as it comes. It doesn’t really work either; I’d have enjoyed it with a better sound quality a lot more than I did this way. The radio edits sprinkled across the release work a lot better and illustrate the point made. I don’t find this compilation to celebrate their anniversary with much justice, it seems more of a commercial decision of their label and the songs sequencing makes the band sound rather repetitive and with its length even boring, which is a shame. Even with the cheesiness of ‘Love Metal’ there is a decent amount to like and enjoy (more stress on enjoy) with HIM, but in short doses and not so contrived ones.
Even if I was a die-hard fan of HIM, I’d not be wasting my money on this compilation. Can anyone tell me what their point is anyway in this day and age when anyone can make their own compilations?
Tracklist
01. Strange World
02. Join Me (In Death)
03. Heartkiller
04. Wings Of A Butterfly
05. The Kiss Of Dawn (Radio Edit)
06. The Funeral Of Hearts (Radio Edit)
07. Right Here In My Arms (Radio Edit)
08. Pretending
09. Buried Alive By Love (Radio Edit)
10. Gone With The Sin
11. Your Sweet Six Six Six
12. The Sacrament (Radio Edit)
13. Wicked Game
14. Killing Loneliness
15. Bleed Well (Radio Edit)
16. In Joy And Sorrow (Radio Edit)
17. Poison Girl
18. Scared To Death
19. When Love And Death Embrace (Radio Edit)
20. Heartache Every Moment
Line-up
Ville Valo – Vocals
Mikko ”Mige” Paananen – Bass
Mikko ”Linde” Lindström – Guitar
Janne ”Burton” Puurtinen – Keyboards
Mika ”Kaasu” Karppinen – Drums
Websites
www.heartagram.com/ / https://www.facebook.com/theheartagram
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 7
Sound: 5
Total: 6 / 10
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