valen

This week has been a kick in the balls from the State of Kansas. I don't really feel like typing out what happened. Go read Blossom's journal. She give a good telling of the events. I am starting to think that KS wants us to be poor the rest of our lives.

Today, we are driving to Topeka to celebrate my Grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary. The actual date isn't until the 14th, but doing it on a weekend is much easier for everyone.

Also, our 2-year wedding ann. is coming up on the 13th of this month. I can't believe that was already 2 years ago.

Everyone should go wish HeatherAnn a happy birthday. She is a great person who is going through a rough patch right now and could use the well-wishes.

Here is my #3 Album:

H.I.M. - Razorblade Romance

"What's Good About It?

Remember when Billy's chocolate bar fell into Sally's peanut butter? Get you're mind out of the gutter, it's an old Reese's commercial. H.I.M.'s combination of glam and goth are a similar sweet treat. H.I.M. may brandish their music as "love metal," but their not talking about healthy relationships. "Your Sweet Six Six Six" is about an attraction with the spawn of Satan that our singer cannot turn away from. Ville's vocals are seductive and somewhat creepy.


The bass line driven hook of "Poison Girl" delves into the seductive powers of a woman's kiss. If you can't see where these relationships are going yet, you will on "Join Me In Death." Ville transforms into a sinister monster vocally, as the group adds eerie piano to their dark rhythms. My favorite track is a pumped up reworking of the Chris Isaac classic "Wicked Game." You don't know the song? I'll bet you remember the black and white video with the half naked brunette running down the beach. This song about a painful love fits the group's style to a tee. This time around it's darker and heavier.


"Razorblade Kiss" has a rock radio feel to it. It's loaded with razor sharp riffs, a melodic chorus, and a silvery solo section. "Death is in Love With Us" has a more breakneck rhythm to it and we find Ville a little more cocksure in his vocal delivery. How does one end a tortured relationship? "Sigillum Diaboli" answers that question. This track finds the group mixing it up with a little punk rock flow. If you can call it a love ballad, "One Last Time" is an acoustic track with distant, melancholy vocals, which propositions a final affair before these lovers go their separate ways.


Anything Bad?

Could they print the lyrics any smaller?!


Bottom Line

H.I.M.'s combination of deep, seductive, melodic vocals and dark gothic rhythms are a unique twist in the rock genre. Their guitar tone is simply awesome. It's the main reason I liked this CD so much. I can forgive Ville for his brief falsettos. They seem to fit the sinister, tortured love theme he's creating." - Amazon.com

The first time I heard this album I was hooked.

I discovered H.I.M. by watching a borrowed copy of CKY2K. In that video, the music of H.I.M. is featured in many of the skits and stunts. After figuring out who the band was, I then began my battel to find some of it.

At this point, none of H.I.M.s music was available in the US. Bam Margera wasn't the huge celebrity he is now, and he had yet to influence Universal Records to sell the albums over here. At first I resorted to bootlegged copies. I would download the tracks from Kazaa and but together a full cd with artwork scan that I also found online. I then wanted more. I still worked at Sam Goody at this point, so using our order system, I ordered imported copies of all the albums available. These cost me about $30 each, but I was a happy man.

It wasn't too long after buying the European editions that Razorblade Romance was first released over here.........for $9!!!!!!!!!!

Of course I bought it too.

04 - Peter Gabriel - Up
05 - David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust... (Live Concert)
06 - Metallica - ...And Justice For All
07 - Dredg - El Cielo
08 - Fleetwood Mac - The Dance
09 - Dream Theater - Scenes From A Memory
10 - The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie