THE ALBUM OF THE DAY IS… H.I.M., LOVE METAL
If The Cure were a metal band, I’m pretty sure they’d be H.I.M.: dark, gothy, pseudo-romantic. There’s an obvious, kinda adolescent theme here – “Funeral of Hearts,” “Buried Alive by Love,” etc. – and I’d wager that Ville Valo is just as inspired by American hair metal as he is by Type O Negative; the songs here could be played on an acoustic guitar and sound just as good. Undeniably hokey, Valo’s voice is rich and smooth – he’s like the Barry White of metal or something. Plus, there are a few awesome, epic guitar solos; the closing track, “The Path,” is the kind of ridiculously over-the-top power ballad I live for, and my personal favorite H.I.M. song of all time; by its conclusion, when Valo is belting out notes with a force that would put most American Idolers to shame, I find myself rooting for him to get whatever girl it is he’s after. And he probably does.
-AR
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