Sound: For fans of the darkly charismatic frontman Ville Valo, HIM’s latest release should keep them glued to their screens for a good while. Not only does the new CD/DVD Digital Versatile Doom: Live From The Orpheum Theatre XXXVII A.S. feature a 1 ½ hour-long concert, you’ll also get a lengthy one-on-one interview with Valo in which he talks about more than a few deep topics. With 16 tracks on the CD portion and 19 songs on the DVD, musically it’s a solid package. During the DVD portion, guitarist Mikko Lindstrom actually puts on the most memorable performance at times thanks to some incredible solo work, but don't worry HIM devotees - that intriguing, chain-smoking Valo is given the spotlight for the biggest portion.
With footage taken from Los Angeles’ Orpheum Theatre back in November of 2007, Digital Versatile Doom provides a pretty well-rounded look at HIM’s song catalog. It would have been easy for the band to focus primarily on material from it's latest album Venus Doom, but HIM touches upon albums like Dark Light and Razorblade Romance as well. The whole experience is just as much about the imagery (whether that be Valo’s dramatic entrance onstage or the black-and-white motif used before the music begins) as it is the music, and that attention to drama meshes well with titles like “Join Me In Death” or “Buried Alive By Love.”
Among the highlights are “The Kiss Of Dawn” (which features Valo’s insanely wide vocal range), “Poison Girl” (Lindstrom performs some of his best solo work on this one), and “Your Sweet 666” (the band interaction is priceless in this one, particularly when Valo giggles while playing a little air bass). The guitar mix overtakes the vocals in the first few tracks, but those kinks are worked out pretty quickly. HIM might not be everyone’s cup of tea and a few of the songs do get a bit repetitive, but all in all the DVD offers a solid show that should absolutely please fans. // 9
Content: With 19 songs that run about an hour-and-a-half long, the DVD concert portion (not to mention the CD) will keep you occupied for a while. Considering that HIM usually evokes an image of Valo, it won’t come as too much surprise that he’s the only member of the band interviewed in the bonus section. Even if you’re not a fan, Valo comes across as very well-spoken during this portion, talking about such topics as his songwriting method, alcohol addiction, and his pursuit to be a vegetarian. When he discusses how he’s a vegetarian for his health rather than for animal abuse/political reasons, the videographer gets a close-up of one of the many, many cigarettes he smokes throughout the interview. It’s priceless.
The other behind-the-scenes bonus is a look at the winners of HIM’s Biggest Fan Contest. If you’re interested to know just how enraptured some fans are by HIM’s music, look no further. At times you’ll find yourself uttering how pathetic some of these winners are, but then again, we’ve probably all acted a little goofy/addicted to a band at one time or another. // 9
Production Quality: Digital Versatile Doom has an artsy look through and through, and it works well with the music it’s supporting. The entire live show looks like a music video, and you get a clear read on the emotions onstage thanks to some excellent close-ups. The only complaint is that there are a few times when the camera will get a close-up of Lindstrom or Valo’s face during a key guitar solo. The obvious focal point should have been the player’s hands, and it frankly would have been nice to see a tight shot of the guitar a little more often. // 9
Impression: The new DVD/CD presents HIM in a complimentary light, and you do get a sense of what all the hype is about. There are fans out there who are more obsessed with Valo’s persona than the songs, but it’s hard not to be impressed by the musicianship in Digital Versatile Doom. The 10-minute-plus track “Sleepwalking Past Hope” might be a bit much for some to swallow, but that’s easy to forgive with memorable, infectious riffs like the one in “Bleed Well.” Valo doesn’t necessarily move around a lot onstage (unless it’s to light a cigarette mid-song), but he does have a unique stage presence that is upstaged only by his impressive vocals. // 9
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