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the biography
Story of HIM beginsIn the beginning there was three fellows who wanted to spit out their ideas in the musical way. Guys are very good friends since their childhood.They were Ville Hermanni Valo, Mikko Lindström (known as Linde) and Mikko Paananen (known as Mige). In the start Ville plays bassguitar, but because also Mige plays it -Ville has started to sing. Before HIM Ville plays bass in the progressive band called Donits-Osmo Experience with persons (Joel Melasniemi and
Antti Lehtinen) that lately played in Ultra Bra, Scandinavian Music Group and Don Huonot.
Ville made some demos and played them to Mige who rapidly enchanted on them. They wanted guitarist to their new band and
because they know Linde yet, they only need a drummer to their band. Ville's good friend Suho (the singer of Jimsonweed)
gave the phonenumber of Pätkä (real name:Juhana Rantala) to Ville and the band is ready. Pätkä played earlier in the
grungeband called Slumgudgeon from Lappeenranta. Rest of the band was making jokes from Pätkä's origin (Lappenranta is
smaller town in the eastern Finland). First gig was in Teatro (R.I.P. in 2003) in Helsinki on december 19th 1995 (Mige's birthday). Mige worked in Teatro and his brother was shareholder of Teatro, so they were booked to play in there. HIM was supporter of Kauko Röyhkä and because Kauko was earlier spoke about his satanic view of the world, the crowd thinks that His Infernal Majesty is a new nickname for Kauko. The crowd screamed His Infernal Majesty to the stage as they thought that means Kauko and when the 'real' His Infernal Majesty walks to spotlight, the crowd went disappointed and confused. 'What the fuck is that?' they wondered. HIM gets no positive reactions, band's music is not what crowd was came to hear about and the plugs made by Mige exploded continually and technical side of the band was not working. After that they started public performances which was actually coverversionshows, because they've got not enough own material to play. They played Rauli Badding Somerjoki, Dingo, WASP, Kiss, Depeche Mode,Type O Negative and all between them. The second was also in Teatro and there was Burton on keyboards. Burton was old friend of Mige and because they needed a keyboardplayer to their Type O Negative-covergig, so Burton came in. That was night when Apocalyptica played their first gig ever. Teatro was sold-out and the crowd went nuts in the concert. It took finally 7 years that Burton comes and takes permanent place in HIM... Ville imagined that the music that he wants to play sounds like Dimmu Borgir meets Depeche Mode in David Lynch movie. First recordingsThey (actually it was Ville) started to create own material and the first EP released in the autumn 1996. It was called 666 Ways To Love- Prologue and in the cover of the record was the picture of Ville's mother when she's young. EP contains their breakthrough song what was the coverversion of the Chris Isaak's hit 'Wicked Game'. It was played with fuzzed guitars and mood was taken from the TV-serie Twin Peaks. On EP played another guitarist called Oki from band called Charged. Band was from Lappeenranta and Oki was no more member of HIM when his toothbrush was found from the mug of Pätkä's girlfriend. After the EP-release they got one new member keyboardplayer Antto Melasniemi which was old friend of Ville. At the same time band's name is getting shorter. Now it's called only HIM. Formerly noticed mood was maintheme of their first album which was released in autumn 1997. Album contains another
coverversion 'Don't Fear The Reaper'. Song was originally recorded by Blue Öyster Cult in 1970's. They've been worked hard
on the stages and started to plan their future. Razorblade Romance and problems before itSecond album was first named to 'Slippery When Dead' which was dedication to Ville's favourite Bon Jovi. Album is originally meaned to release in spring 1999, but they got some problems with their line-up. Antto leaves band in the autumn 1998 and he was replaced by Jussi-Mikko Salminen (known as Zoltan Pluto and Juska). Juska was hardcorefan of HIM and formerly member of glamrockband Mary-Ann from Kouvola. He started in HIM on their first tour outside of Finland in Germany in November 1998. They toured also in Austria and Switzerland in the end of the 1998. They're doing record almost the whole year 1999. They recorded it with Pätkä and the band was not satisfied for it. Pätkä get his girlfriend pregnant and he don't want to put 100% to the band. So Pätkä left the band and he was replaced by Mika Karppinen (also known:Gas Lipstick and Kaasu). Kaasu was formerly member of Kyyria. Before Kaasu joins the band HIM recorded the album with electronic style without drummer. They recorded album again (third version of it!) in welsh countryside. Razorblade Romance- Band is going to write the history of finnish rockmusicIn the november 1999 they finally released new material. Single was called 'Join Me' and it featured in scifi-movie '13th Floor'. It went number one in Finland, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. 'Join Me' was the first finnish rocksingle that's going to number one in the charts outside of Scandinavia. Couple of months before that another finnish band (Bomfunk MC's) made it in Sweden. Later Bomfunk MC's and Darude continues in same way around the globe (biggest success in United Kingdom). HIM is very popular in Central Europe and Finland and they fill venues wherever they play their music. Years 1999 and 2000 was the biggest success in finnish popmusic ever and it's a challenge for the bands to continue it... In january 2000 they released their second album which title renamed to 'Razorblade Romance' and it goes to the top of
the charts in Finland, Germany and Austria. Album is not as darkmooded as their first album. It's more played on the style
of 1980's. Cover is pink for the contradiction to the goths, because they're always use the black colour.
At the end of january 2001 total sales of two HIM-albums gets over the limit of one million copies internationally.
Deep Shadows And Brilliant Highlights coming up...Band had 14 songs ready for the album in summer 2000 and one choice to the title of the album was 'Ozzymandias Dargunum'. The record should be the intermediate of the first two albums. It could be straighter, more melodic, more rockin' and hopefully more live than studio. In the music they put more Hurriganes which means that the record is closer to 1970's than 1980's. That's what Ville said about the album in autumn 2000 at interview for finnish radiostation Radio Mafia. Listeners can make a choice is that right... In 2000, when July turned to August HIM records demos for their forthcoming album in Hollola. There was rumours about contribution with Desmond Child. Child is a famous composer for Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper etc. That information stays in the state of rumour for the present. In august 2000 HIM took shots for two forthcoming videos in England. The world is getting bigger for HIMWicked Game was heard in chilean moviesoundtrack in autumn 2000. Juska leaves the bandJuska plays last time in the band on New Year's eve of 2001 at Tavastia-club in Helsinki. In the future he concentrates on studying and his energy is not enough for the band. Ville plays keyboards for their forthcoming album and the band is searching replacing person for Juska. Burton replaces JuskaHIM played first gig without Juska in Helsinki surprisely in january 12nd 2001 at little club called Semifinal (in
Helsinki). Behind the keyboards was 'an old friend' of the band. Deep Shadows And Brilliant HighlightsBefore the album there is some kind of problems with videos, the covers of album and what songs are included in it. There were some foreigners from their recordcompany who were unsatisfied about their work and their choices for the album. The cover of album was originally Ville standing in the metallic elevator with the purple background, that was shooted again in London at expensive studio and there were shot those black&white-photos of Ville. The video of Pretending was originally planned to shot with Miikka Lommi (director of Bomfunk MC's-video Freestyler), but recordcompany wants a british guy to direct it, he was Kevin Godley (former member of 10CC). The mess wasn't over, the people in recordcompany wasn't satisfied of new material and they hired different people to produce and mix the album and the final result is underestimated critics in magazines and big pile of dollars to be spent. HIM released their first single 'Pretending' of forthcoming album 'Deep Shadows And Brilliant Highlights' in july 2nd
2001. In the single was two remixes of song and digipak-edition contains different versions of albumtracks 'Please Don't Let
It Go' and 'Lose You Tonight' (what's mispelled in the single's covers!).
Third album of HIM is named to 'Deep Shadows And Brilliant Highlights' and their music has turned from lovemetal to
scandinavian blues... Title of the album is term of photographers and it means differences of colours in
black&white-pictures. Album was released in the end of august 2001.
Second single from album is 'In Joy And Sorrow' and it's going to released in october 2001. In Joy And Sorrow charted on singlecharts position 2 in Finland and position 17 in Germany. It also appeared for one week in the singlechart of Switzerland on position 98. Third single Heartache Every Moment/Close To The Flame, some kind of doublesingle released in the middle of january 2002.
'Deep Shadows And Brilliant Highlights' was in the tenth place in the most-sold albums of the year 2001 in Finland. There were sold over 41.000 copies of the album. 'Deep Shadows And Brilliant Highlights' released in United Kingdom on february 25th 2002.
Tour for Deep Shadows in Finland was going on in march and april 2002 (tour contains 11 shows).
The world is getting bigger for HIM, part 2HIM played only one gig in Finland in summer 2001. That happens in june 17th at Provinssirock in Seinäjoki. The success made that the band is going to be special experience in Finland because they're not playing there very often. European tour of HIM in autumn 2001 is biggest tour what finnish rockband have ever did. Audiences will be between 800 and 10.000 people. Tired for being band after Deep ShadowsEuropean tour of Deep Shadows-album ends in the halfway of december 2001 and the band's going tired for touring and all
the things that the band puts in their lives and they're having a break in the beginning of 2002.
The world is getting bigger for HIM, part 3'Join Me' released in USA at summer 2002 through Universal with help from Jimmy Pop (member of Bloodhound Gang). Razorblade Romance is going to released in U.S.A. in october 2002 and it's out only in Boston/Massachusetts-area through the Newbury Comics stores and will be backed by a promo campaign including television... Records are released with label Jimmy Franks Recording Company. HIM works under name HER in the U.S.A. because there is another band in Chicago called HIM who had registered this name. Also the textiles have to been released under another trademark (there is some kind of earthmovercompany in Arizona who had registered name for printed matter). HIM uses 'the old and known name' and controls all merchandise in Europe. HIM and logos that are known about the band is registered trademarks and that band from Chicago can't use the name 'HIM' in Europe and they can't release any records under the same name. HIM uses name HER with their U.S.-releases and band uses the old logo with new letters in recordcovers. Problems with the name of the band was over in the march 2003. HIM pays to 'American HIM' and finally HIM is HIM also in the U.S.A. The Single Collection before Love MetalHIM released the singlecollection of 10 cd-singles including limited editions and bonustracks in october 2002 before
their next album. The Single Collection climbed to the position 12 in finnish singlechart on its second chartweek (first
week's position was 17). Box made re-entry to the finnish singlechart in april 2003 and it gets positions 14 and 13...
The story of HIM wrote in the bookFinnish musicjournalist Juho Juntunen is writing the book about the band. Book is for sale in the end of october 2002 and it's titled 'Synnin Viemää' (free translation could be 'Gone With The Sin'). The world is getting bigger for HIM, part 4In the end of november 2002 Universal Records confirmed that they will sign the band in USA and the first nationwide release is preliminarily planned for february (that wasn't happened). This release could be some kind of specialedition of 'Razorblade Romance'. This release was removed to release later... The background of the band are also working on the merchandising to make it available in North America and especially to get the pirates out of the market. The first heartagram-kid is coming...Guitarist Linde became to a father of beautiful babygirl in the march 6th 2003. Happy parents gave her a name Olivia. HIM continues in same line-up as before and the rumours that Linde is leaving the band is not true. Love Metal-albumHIM started the recordingsessions of their fourth album on september 16th 2002 in Finnvox-studios and they prepared it
about three months in the change of 2002 and 2003. Mikko Karmila is the producer of album.
Album is meant to be a classic heavyalbum in the spirit of Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. Deep Shadows And Brilliant
Highlights was the 'record for the girls' and the forthcoming album is meant to be the 'record for the boys'. The working
title of the album is 'Love Metal'.
Band shot two videos for Love Metal in december 2002-january 2003. First one shot in the middle of december in Los Angeles
with Bam Margera who directs video. Juliette Lewis is the femaleperson in the story that happens in atmosphere of old
theatre. Video is for song 'Buried Alive By Love'.
Funeral Of Hearts was the first single from 'Love Metal' and it was released in march 21st 2003. Positions in singlecharts were number 1 in Finland (two weeks in a row), 3 in Germany, 24 in Switzerland and 26 in Austria. HIM plays all the songs of forthcoming album in special kind of 'Love Metal Preview Show' in Hamburg. Date for show is march 8th in Grosse Freiheit Club. Tickets were free and available only in the official website www.heartagram.com and different competitions in media around Germany. In their website were special form that's reservation for tickets. Show was sold-out in few days. Ville gave the idea for this kind of gift for their fans. album was released in april 14th. Love Metal climbed to position 1 in Finland (four weeks in a row) and in Germany, nr. 4 in Switzerland, nr. 5 in Austria and nr. 11 in Sweden. It went to charts also in Greece, Hungary, Czech Republic, Spain, Holland, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia , Italy and France. Buried Alive By Love is going to be first single of Love Metal in UK. It was released in UK on may 2003 and lately in october it was released also in the Central Europe. Success in UK-charts are mentioned on below. Love Metal breaks the limit of platinumrecord (30.000 copies) in Finland on early june 2003. International sales of the
album is about 300.000 copies at the same time.
In the may 2003 HIM is shooting a video in Czech Republic at Ploskovice castle near Prague. Video is for 'The Sacrament'
and that's the choice for the next single of Love Metal. Single is going to release in june 27th.
Big in the U.K.HIM plays in London at May 3rd 2003 and the show was sold-out six weeks before the gig. The audience is going to be about 2000 and it's going to be biggest show in U.K. for the band ever. Love Metal climbed to UK-albumchart getting position 55 and album stays on that chart one week.
Buried Alive By Love was released in U.K. on the middle of may 2003 and it's first single from Love Metal there. It gets position 30 in U.K.-singlechart and stays on the chart for two weeks. Buried Alive By Love is ninth finnish track in TOP 40 of U.K.-singlechart. Before HIM there were visits by Darude (3 tracks), Bomfunk MC's (2 tracks), Pepe Deluxé, Slusnik Luna and Dirt Devils. Other finnish artists in TOP 40 is different dance-/hiphopgroups, so we can say that HIM is first finnish rockband that is famous in Great Britain!!! Buried Alive By Love gets also position 2 in U.K.-rocksinglechart on its releaseweek and it stays on that chart for 14 weeks. The Sacrament is second single from Love Metal in the U.K. and it was released in september 8th 2003. It climbed to position 23 in the official singlechart on its releaseweek and it stays on the chart for two weeks. HIM cancelled tour/few shows with their idolHIM planned touring in Europe at autumn 2003 as a supporter for Ozzy Osbourne. Situation was very interested for HIM
because Black Sabbath (band where Ozzy sang in 1970's) was the one of the biggest inspirations to form HIM.. It was also a
great opportunity for HIM to breakthrough for bigger audiences. There were various choices for another supporter, Godsmack
was firstly planned to be another supporter, then there were speculations about Kelly Osbourne for playing in some gigs.
In the late august there were running rumours that Voivod is going to be third band in tour. There weren't any confirmations
about Voivod. Ozzy injured his legs and he needed some surgery for them and the tour is removed for two months by starting in the end of october. Only a week before the second start of the tour there's more bad news, Ozzy's problems with his nervous system needs curing and medicines dries his throat (side-effect of curing) and singing goes difficult because of that. Tour was removed again and now it's going to happen in early 2004. The confirmations for this tour appeared in the late october and there stands information that HIM is not going to be a
supporter for Ozzy this time. The reason why HIM cancelled their participation was their own tour in Europe that starts in
same time as the tour with Ozzy and HIM is not able to remove their own tour anymore.
And bad luck continues: Ozzy injured himself in accident with 4-wheel seated vehicle when he was at his home in England on
december 8th 2003.
Situation in United States is changingHIM had finally found (in summer 2003) a recordcompany for releasing their albums in United
States. HIM is booked by Universal Records in United States. The manager of the band Seppo
Vesterinen told to media that "the deal is license-contract between European BMG and Universal
and it won't change anything of situation in Europe. BMG is not interested to release HIM in
United States, but Universal was and now this contract is complete." Success in GreeceNews from Greece told that the debutalbum Greatest Lovesongs (title of album without 'vol. 666') climbed (for the first time!) to number 31 at official albumchart in october 2003 and stayed 4 weeks there. Deep Shadows And Brilliant Highlights made also debut on that chart on october 2003 and it gets position 38 and stayed there for 2 weeks. An official webpage in U.S.A.There were opened an official webpage for HIM in United States in address www.universalrecords.com/him . Page was opened at early december 2003. Buried Alive By Love released outside of Great BritainBuried Alive By Love was earlier released in UK and it gets some success in charts there and in october it was a time to
release single (third one from Love Metal) in other countries. First positions in the official singlecharts was number 27 in
Germany, nr. 66 in Austria and nr. 98 in Switzerland.
Big in the U.K. - part 2When the problems with Ozzy continued and the band decided to cancel the tour with him, they announced a new dates for their gigs. They're going to play in Astoria (London, UK) in december 19th 2003 and all of the tickets were sold-out in one week (a month before the gig). Year 2003 ends and Year 2004 starts on the televisionFinnish digital TV-channel MTV3+ sends the concert of the new year from Tavastia in live transmission. Program starts in 11:30 pm in Finnish timezone (GMT +2) and it includes special material from the backstage and audience. There is coming also some stuff from 'making of'-documents of different videos made by HIM. ATTENTION!!! You need a digital-TV or separated digital-equipment ("digibox"), if you want to watch this transmission. Smaller edition of above-mentioned concert is going to be sent in normal TV-network in Finnish TV-channel MTV3. Program is in the air on early sunday 4th january 2004, starting time is 00.05 am in Finnish timezone (GMT +2). The duration of program is 50 minutes. The program contained a half of a concert (10 songs of 20). Songs that wasn't showed in this shorter program was (in the order of setlist) Beyond Redemption, Heartache Every Moment, It's All Tears, In Joy And Sorrow, Lose You Tonight , The Sacrament, Wicked Game, Solitary Man, Sweet Pandemonium and And Love Said No... The complete setlist of dec 31, 2003 Tavastia Helsinki: Success rising up in U.K.HIM gets highest chartposition from Great Britain when 'The Funeral Of Hearts' entered on its first week at number 15 in
The Official UK Singles Chart (in the middle of january 2004). Single stayed on this chart for 4 weeks.
Another news from Great Britain told that the show in London's legendary Astoria Club on February 23rd was sold-out (five weeks before the gig). That was a third sold-out night at Astoria for the band in less than a year. In the end of february The Sacrament climbed to UK's rocksingles-chart (peak position 24 on second week) and it stays for 11 weeks in that chart... In early march HIM gets a silverrecord (60.000 copies sold) of Love Metal in UK, that's the first time when finnish band gets a honour like that!! Success in Greece, part 2Love Metal has spent 31 consecutive weeks in the official albumchart of Greece until december 2003. Album made re-entry
to chart in the early february 2004 and the amount of weeks has climbed to 32.
Exclusive merchandising in FinlandThe biggest 'villagestore' in Finland starts to sell merchandising-materials of HIM exclusively in Finland. Store is located in Tuuri (the part of city of Alavus) almost in the middle of Finland. There's coming some special fanstuff that's not for sale in other stores. Compilation coming up in march 2004The shows at Semifinal Club in Finland (7 shows in a row in april 2003) was recorded and there were planned livealbum with DVD for release in early 2004. 'Live Metal' was the choice for the title of album, but the plans for the future changed. Band has recorded some new material in december 2003 for following compilation-release in march 17th. Compilation
includes 2 new tracks and 14 biggest hits of HIM. The name of the album is 'And Love Said No'. There's also special
edition coming up with DVD from Semifinal shows including 6 tracks.
Some of the Semifinal live stuff might end up in a DVD package later year 2004 (probably for christmas). Chartsuccess of Solitary Man'Solitary Man´climbed to different national singlecharts and gained next numbers: 1 in Greece (week nr. 3 in the chart),
2 in Finland (two weeks in a row behind of finnish idols-winner), 8 in Holland, 17 in Germany, 19 in Portugal, 37 in
Sweden, 40 in Switzerland and 45 in Austria...
Chartsuccess of compilation'And Love Said No - The Greatest Hits 1997-2004' gained next numbers in charts: 1 in Greece, 2 in Finland (two weeks in
a row behind Timo Rautiainen & Trio Niskalaukaus, one week behind Guns'n Roses), 2 in UK-rockalbumchart, 5 in Germany,
9 in Austria, 18 in Switzerland, 20 in Sweden, 30 in UK's Official Albumchart, 39 in Welsh Albumchart, 55 in Italy and 94
in Canada (first chartposition for HIM from Northern America)...
Older HIM-albums appeared in the UK-charts'Razorblade Romance' and 'Deep Shadows And Brilliant Highlights' made the chartdebut in the UK-rockalbumchart in the
end of march 2004, one week after them 'Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666' appeared on the same chart.
Love Metal in UK-charts'Love Metal' gets position 3 in U.K.-rockalbumchart on its releaseweek (in april 2003) and it stays for 37 weeks on this
chart (situation in the early may 2004)...
First tour in United StatesHIM confirmed in the middle of february 2004 that they're touring in USA. Tour lasts about 3 weeks (15 shows) starting
from New York at April 15th and it ends to Phoenix in early May.
First UK-Top10-HitSolitary Man entered the UK singles charts at number 9. This is the highest HIM single entry on the official charts
there.
Plans in future...News for the future is that the next album that contains only a new material is planned to release in autumn 2005 with a worldwide distribution. |