HIM formed in Helsinki, Finland in 1991 around Ville Valo and coined “love metal” — gothic rock, doom, and romantic balladry under the heartagram logo. Razorblade Romance (2000) and Dark Light (2005) are the essentials; the band bowed out with a farewell world tour at the end of 2017. Find HIM vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
HIM formed in Helsinki, Finland in 1991 around Ville Valo. The band coined the term love metal to describe their signature sound - a combination of gothic rock, doom metal, and romantic balladry. They were one of the first Finnish rock bands to achieve international commercial success, particularly across Europe and (through the support of Bam Margera and the Jackass crew) the United States. Their distinctive heartagram logo (a hybrid of heart and pentagram designed by Valo) became one of the most widely-recognized rock visual identities of the 2000s. The band dissolved at the end of 2017 after a farewell world tour.
HIM's sound combines gothic rock, gothic metal, doom metal, hard rock, and alternative rock with Valo's distinctive deep vocal delivery, the band's signature heartagram visual identity, and lyrical content extensively addressing love, death, and romantic darkness.
Original BMG Finland, Sire, and Razor & Tie pressings of the HIM catalog are widely collected. Multiple anniversary editions have been released.
Listeners new to HIM typically start with Razorblade Romance (2000) or Dark Light (2005).
