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By JEFF MAKI
It may be hard to believe for anyone who has heard this band before, but this is HIM's first official U.S. release. The band has been around for quite some time now, playing sold out tours and selling a ton of records overseas with their goth rock, what the band refers to as “love metal.” Some of the band's back catalogue has since been released in the States but only after massive demand from the growing number of HIM fans. Dark Light is very much along the same lines as their previous album, Love Metal.
HIM is lead vocalist's Ville Valo's band, and his vocals and lyrics are the forefront for any HIM song. I don't know how it's possible, but Valo's vocals and lyrics are even more dark, depressing and beautiful than ever before. Prior to the album being released, the band described Dark Light as “gothed-up Bon Jovi” crossed with The Misfits. This comparison is not entirely accurate, but it is close. HIM's trademarks are the catchy-as-hell choruses, and while they are present here, they aren’t forced on the listener as much as in the past. The keyboards and synthesizers are amazing, as they have been on all of the band's releases. There's not much guitar distortion or heavy riffs and most of the punk influence the band had before is gone. But that's OK because it sets the album apart from previous releases.
"Vampire Heart," "Killing Loneliness" and "Wings of a Butterfly" are all potential singles and some of the band's best songs to date, while "Drunk on Shadows" and "The Face of God" show off a new side of the band. There is some weaker material, particularly the title track, on which Valo does his best Billy Idol impression. It’s way too soft and poppy even for HIM. "Play Dead" is not a strong song either, and I smell filler. Other than these, Dark Light is a hell of an album. It's not quite up to par with Razorblade Romance but better than their Love Metal.
Dark Light will most likely not garner many new fans for the band but will keep the current fan base happy. It's everything you would expect from HIM and more.
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