Razorblade Romance
Reviewed by:
Zlatorok7, on july 09, 2007 1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Sound: So what’s the sound? An interesting blend of music, combine elements of Nine Inch Nails, Tool, Blister, Jonathan Davis’ dark vocals (early Korn, none of that weird stuff), Sixteen Stone from Bush, the intensity of Type O Negative, style of Kiss Trend and passion of a porn star on Viagra with a Cialis chaser. If you’ve read any of my music reviews you know it takes something pretty mind-blowing to get me to write outside of my usual grunge/metal/'80s norm; when I wrote about CKY I started to branch out and check out some of the groups that Bam gave a thumbs up to I fully expected H.I.M. to have a harder edge (err skate rock) but was extremely pleased with what I found. It’s really hard to peg the complete sound of the group because each person is going to have a different take on their style but make no mistake, there’s no shortage of talent here, be it the song writing, vocals, music or general appeal of the group. Some people have compared them to Lacuna Coil, My Dying Bride and even early Danzig but again, to try and compare this group to another is edging it into a corner, possibly alienating some potential listeners. // 9
Lyrics and Singing: Oh where to start, with so many great tracks it's almost impossible for me to pick one and call it the best. If you are only going to give the group one chance, then pick Right Here In My Arms to start with. If you’ve seen any of the CKY home video footage, you might be a little familiar with a few of the H.I.M. songs but you can’t go wring with this tracks as an introduction. The light touch of keyboard combined with the rise and fall feel of the music sets a nice stage for the song which, to me, is a little harder edged than most of the other material on Razorblade Romance. The beat is powerful and strong but it never overpowers the vocals or music. For me this is a little more “rock oriented” than their darker stuff but still an outstanding track. On the softer, darker side there’s the slightly bizarre but ultra interesting One Last Time. This is the last track on the CD so I was reading over the lyrics before I actually got to the song and fully expected it to be deeper and darker than it was. The distorted vocals, fluffy music and recessed beat work well together but I doubt many groups could pull this type of combination off with this much style. The first time I listened to it I though of the older Spacehog and Oasis material, but that’s just me, and it’s only a splinter of the song that actually reminds me of these groups so don’t let that scare you off if you have a dislike for Oasis or Spacehog.
Heaven Tonight makes for a great introduction to the overall style of the group but take it with a grain of salt, it’s just meant as a taste of what the group has to offer so if it doesn’t immediately strike you, check out some of the others before you write it off as a wash. The intro doesn’t do the song justice but if you get past the first few seconds, you’ll get a nice slice of H.I.M. and some of the sweetest background vocals. As much as I love the music and vocals, it’s the lyrics that always hit me the hardest. They are on the simple side but have deep meaning once you read them and let them sink in. Your eyes have lost their light and you're empty, oh my god you're so empty. Death Is In Love With Us might sound like it’s some dark, depressing and morbid track but it’s the complete opposite. Much like Right Here In My Arms, this song is harder, louder and faster than most of the other stuff you'll find on this release but it isn’t without that touch of death, dark love and sinister romance that H.I.M. has become known for. Again, listening to the song is one thing but reading the lyrics and getting to the meat of it is another; there’s a lot of different ways you could take this song but personally, its best not to try and pick it apart and do a line by line breakdown or you might drive yourself insane. If you are looking for something along the lines of a Type O Negative style song, then look no further than Bury Me Deep Inside Your Heart. Don’t expect this to sound exactly like Type O, but it’s a pretty close comparison. To me a song isn’t just about the music [but if the music sucks that’s a bad thing]; it’s the presentation, content, lyrics, vocals and how the talent of the group is used. Not since Type O’s Christian Woman did I play a song over and over as much I did this one. The music is definitely dead on but it’s the emotional vocals and lyrics that led me to playing it at least ten times in a row. … my heart stops beating only for you. The slight break of silence towards the end of the track is one that often trips up new listeners, resist the urge to fast track and you’ll be gifted with one hell of an impressive climax. In the middle of it all, you’ll find one of the groups best songs to date, I Love You. If I could be bold enough to slap a “best track” sticker on a song, this one would be the one leading the pack. On every single level the song f*cking smokes. What really hit me the hardest is the deep vocal chorus that’s shoved in your face with the outstanding guitar work of Linde and Ville, it’s something that you just need to hear to understand and yes, you can listen to the track at the website. I’ve been lucky enough to get my hands on several of the H.I.M. releases and a few of the singles (thanks to Chad at Import Masters) and have to say that this song, when compared to the rest of their tracks, stands out. It’s one of those songs that you can listen to over and over again without it getting old or stale.
Poison Girl is definitely one of my favorites for more than a few reasons; the pace of the song varies, one minute Valle is unleashing an emotional enema of sound and the next the music sweeps you up and gives you that spine tingling feeling. You know what I mean, when you hear a song for the first time and it hits you so hard that you get that shiver, that’s what happened when the first time I listened to this track (thanks to Jess for recommending it). There’s a nice rich blend between the guitar and vocals and the light touch of keyboards in the background gives it just the right amount of spice to make it sultry in some spots and dead on rock in others. But if it were just the music, it would be a simple assumption that the group has some talented members, it’s the lyrics that will haunt you long after the song ends.
If you are someone that appreciates deep lyrical content, then I have to point you in the direction of Gone With The Sin, probably one of their most morbid tracks but at the same time, most beautiful. Ville might slap me for calling one of his works “beautiful,” maybe haunting is a better word. This is the slowest cut on Razorblade Romance and retains the same slow, languid beat throughout the entire song. The first time I listened to this I wanted to close my eyes, lean back in my chair and block out everything around me. While some may look at the lyrics and see something that glorifies death, I see it as the last moment of love, that split second between life and death when one person dies and a part of the other goes with them. The perfect companion to Gone With The Sin is the equally impressive Resurrection; sporting a little more spunk than the aforementioned tack, it’s tender at some points and forceful at others, in other words, it’s a song that you just have to hear to get the meaning of it and how it connects with the other tracks on the CD. // 10
Impression: Bam Margera was 100% correct when he called H.I.M. one of the best groups around and this freak gives Razorblade Romance high marks across the board. If you are into the darker side of music or are just looking for something with a little more flavor than the usual rock fodder, this is one group well worth checking out and a CD that has extremely high replay value. For more information about the group, check out their official website at www.heartagram.com. You’ll be able to check out their music, read the message boards and get the latest information about concerts but if you do listen to the songs, note that the releases are not the same as the American versions of the CD’s so there may be bonus tracks listed on the page that you won’t find on the standard US releases. // 10
Razorblade Romance
Reviewed by:
motley music, on april 06, 2004 1 of 3 people found this review helpful
Sound: The sound on this album is amazing. It is completly different to any other band. The way that Linde can play guitar is great and fits in well with the songs. Burton's keyboards add a very touching element to songs such as 'Join Me'. The whole band put together make a very emotional and touching musical record. // 10
Lyrics and Singing: Villes lyrics are all about love but not in a traditional way. Songs like 'Death is in love with us' and 'Join me' show this. The way Ville can write is so poetic and you can really feel the emotion in his singing. His vocals are amazing. He is a very talented singer. The lyrics and singing really fit very well with the music and it creates alot of atmosphere and genuine emotion. // 10
Impression: You can not compare HIM to any other band. They are in a genre of thier own. This is, in my opinion, their best album. there is not a single track that you want to skip when listening to it. If this album got lost or stolen I would buy it again straight away. It's an absolutle classic, since I got it there has not been I day I have not listened to it. The standout tracks are hard to choose because this is an album of standout tracks, but the absolute best are 'Join me' 'Right here in my arms', 'sweet 666' and 'Razorblade kiss' this is an amazing album...if you haven't got it you have to get it NOW NOW NOW! // 10
Razorblade Romance
Reviewed by:
Ellie_90, on december 01, 2005 0 of 2 people found this review helpful
Sound: This is the best CD by HIM. Actually all their albums are great but this one takes the price. Same old HIM sound as ever it sounds great. Ville's voice sounds so great and the lyrics are the best. Only one thing that's sad is that some of the songs are so slow. Nice cover but wierd. // 10
Lyrics and Singing: I think that Ville does a great work with the lyrics on this album. It's good that they write about love and maybe you can recognize yourself in some of the lyrics. The music is great maybe not the real metal lyrics but it fits in very good and that makes the songs great. Ville sings very good his voice fits perfectly. // 10
Impression: I think this is one of the greatest albums HIM has done great lyrics and music. The best songs on this album is "Your Sweet 666," "Death Is Inlove With Us," "Resurrection," "Gone With The Sin" but the very best song is "Sigillum Diabolic" actualy all the songs on this album is good but I think that "Sigillum Diabolic" is the best song HIM has ever done. I love that it's good lyrics and guitar, but the one thing that's sad is that some of the songs are so slow that you just wanna change to the next track but you won't do that because it's so good lyrics. A little it more tempo for me. If I lost this album I would absolutley buy it again. // 8
Razorblade Romance
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on august 09, 2004 0 of 2 people found this review helpful
Sound: I don't quite know how to begin without saying wow what the heck is this? The album intitled Razorblade Romance is by far one of Finlands finest. It seems as if the group actually knew what they were doing. With a bold mix of techno-metal, classic and modern rock, and glam/goth: Him just about fufills anybodys wish of any album that will kick Cky right out the door. The musical talent is steeming. Better yet, you can hear every instrument (for once). // 10
Lyrics and Singing: No every song isn't about love and no, every song isn't about death. Every song is about "love and death" From the suicidal love tragedy in Join Me In Death to Chris Issac's Wicked Game? (Don't ask), Him just about defines modern lyrical art escpecialy in Gone With The Sin. Him's vocalist is also somewhat talent, although not give 100% justice to the albums exquisite lyrics he does give 89%. // 8
Impression: Overall His Iternal Majesty's Razorblade Romance kills Cky's Infilirate Destroy Rebuild. Every song stands out but escpeciall the first 8 or 9. Cover art is wonderful and keyboards are crafty and original so Overall excellent album and if I lost it, no I would buy it again, 'cause I would look for it, but if it were stolen, I might buy it again at Borders for 9.99 (Good Deal!) // 10
Razorblade Romance
Reviewed by:
Merkava Mk3, on march 26, 2004 0 of 2 people found this review helpful
Sound: HIM's sound is amazing. It is full and complete rather than having lots of rests in it. Ville's voice fits well with every song and it creates a love stricken feeling around what is mostly powerful songs. During verses bases are often used with a heavily distorted guitar at the chorus. Pic slides are used accasionally like at the start of "Right here in my arms" but then it falls into place with the rest of the songs. I love the piano tinge to songs such as "Join me","One last time" and "Poison Girl" which makes them sound more purposeful. Accoustics are sometimes used and they are usually high pitched which contrasts the low sound of the vocals. // 10
Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics are all about love. However they are well places and fit the songs perfectly. I would have liked some different subjects however to stop the love sick feel to the album. Do I need to say anything about Ville's singing? It is quite simply spectacular. He can sing both high "Join me" and low "I love you (Plelude to tragedy)" which creates the different sound of the whole songs. I could not imagine a different singer in this band! But this is let down by the constant droning about love. // 8
Impression: I buy HIM albums for the sound. It is so different from anything else I've ever heard. It is also relaxing so when you are tired and cant get to sleep put this on and it calms you down. I found this when I went to Germany (where i bought this album). As I can't get to sleep on coaches I put this on so I could conserve my srtength for the next day. Don't get the wrong impression, this album is NOT boring you into sleep but making you more relaxed which helps sleep. If you know whats best for you go out to your nearest spore and buy this album NOW!!! // 10
Razorblade Romance
Reviewed by:
Spike6sic6, on march 24, 2004 0 of 2 people found this review helpful
Sound: I'll start off by saying this is one of my favorite albums because it's full of song that can make you think and such. All of their songs are love songs but it's bit metal,as they consider themselves "Love Metal". I would call it rock as it isn't fast as metal, they have a good number of slow songs. The guitar is easy on this album tho, but it's still catchy. // 8
Lyrics and Singing: Lyrics are well thought and fits well with Ville Valo's voice, as you guessed he isn't growling or screaming as singers do in metal. You can literaly fall in love with lyrics as in "Right Here In My Arms", with lines like "She's smiling like heaven's down earth", it may by simple but it's still represents what a lot of people feel. Sometimes Ville's voice can get on your nerves when doing some popish sounds and such. // 8
Impression: It's my favorite album by Him and my favorite songs are definitely "Sigillum Diaboli", "Right Here In My Arms" and "One Last Time". I love the fact that every songs are catchy and make you think of the one you love. I would buy it again and it's worth it. // 8
to poison_girl92...i can understand why ur saying bout him but, you need 2 see right here in my arms vid, cuz "his infernal majesty" is sprayed on Linde's amp
ummmm i dont want to sound like a jackass but every member of HIM says that His Infernal Majesty died with 666 Ways to Love: Prologue EP. it became HIM, just HIM, soon after that EP came out in Finland. and by the way, Burton doesnt join the band until Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights, their THIRD ALBUM, razorblade romance is their SECOND ALBUM. and the band changed their name to HIM & HER in germany due to copy rights, not the other way around Afi_rocker_91. how about learning the damn facts before you sprout dumbass ideas all over the place and poison_girl92 is correct by the way, they placed it in the video as a homedge to the old days.
it was meant to be "Him & her" but there was a band with that name so they just chose HIM
Nay, sire. You have that backwards. Their name has always and always be HIM. When they came over to the states, some other band had the rights to HIM, so they released a few copies under the name HIM and HER until they secured the rights to the name. Also, Burton didn't join til DSBH
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