HIM - Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 review
| Band: | HIM |
| Album: | Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 |
| Style: | Suomi metal |
| Release date: | November 20, 1997 |
| Guest review by: | Valmont |
01. Your Sweet Six Six Six
02. Wicked Game [Chris Isaak cover]
03. The Heartless
04. Our Diabolikal Rapture
05. It's All Tears (Drown In This Love)
06. When Love And Death Embrace
07. The Beginning Of The End
08. (Don't Fear) The Reaper [Blue Öyster Cult cover]
09. For You
10. [Hidden Track (666)]
Having released two demos and an EP helped HIM to establish its own ideology and gave the audience a little bit of a sense of what they were: a well fit Finnish gothic rock/metal band that sings dark romance songs. Actually it was nothing but a combination of 80s rock music and metal music on a love theme that is a little bit "satanik" in Ville Valo's words. "Satanik" refers to the evil in love, don't get the wrong impression. Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 is a good example to understand and look at the idea of love with a different and a bit unusual perspective.
My very own reason about liking this album is that all the songs were produced very well. There is not one song that can stop the emotions flow as you listen to the album. As well as the producing the lyrical, poetic side of the work is awesome. Singer/Songwriter and the vocal for the band Ville Valo, displays his talent in songwriting in the songs like "Our Diabolikal Rapture", "It's All Tears (Drown In This Love)" and "When Love and Death Embrace." I think these songs are the backbones of the album and the whole idea of Valo's very own love theme which is symbolized with the "heartagram."
Along with that the band has two unique covers on the album; Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" and Blue Öyster Cult's "The Reaper." Two cover songs on a nine track debut album might be too much but interestingly they fit so well on Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 ideologically.
The band has a very powerful and striking way of playing. Their performance is very good with their instruments. I find Juhana Tuomas "Pätkä" Rantala's (former drummer) drums far more better than Gas Lipstick's (present drummer) and Valo's voice was rather fresh and touching back then. You'll see that if you buy the album.
Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 is the best HIM album in my opinion. The performances, lyrics, songs and the idea behind all that are simply original. This album is pretty much acceptable for metal music audience comparing to the late works of HIM. You can find rather heavy guitar riffs, thrashy drums and the beautiful voice of Ville Valo in this HIM masterpiece.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 8 |
| Songwriting: | 10 |
| Originality: | 9 |
| Production: | 9 |
Written by Valmont | 29.06.2006
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Comments
Comments: 19
Visited by: 130 users
| AnGina-- Dark Phoenix Posts: 3555  |
great review  I personally would give the rating 9.5  but the songwriting really deserves a pure 10!  Ville!
---- You think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it. Molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was a man. But it was nothing to me but blinding.
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| Valmont Posts: 274  |
Written by AnGina-- on 30.07.2006 at 02:01 Heh, thanks. I tried to leave my fanish side behind and be more realistic and objective. With that the result as you can see is 9.0 LOL
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| Bitch Boy Posts: 1353  |
Very good review. In my opinion the best song from this album is The Heartless. Anyway, for me, it's not HIM's best, but I agree with you that the songwriting is perfect.
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| AnGina-- Dark Phoenix Posts: 3555 |
@Valmont: ok, I get the idea of 9.0  But anyway, aren't reviews meant to be subjective? 
---- You think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it. Molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was a man. But it was nothing to me but blinding.
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| Valmont Posts: 274 |
Written by AnGina-- on 31.07.2006 at 00:06 Well not necessarily but it's upto the writer. I don't wanna spend my time writing hateful words on an album when one of my favorite bands' album stays un-reviewed. And it's kinda like a shield for possible haters. Right?
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| Valmont Posts: 274 |
Written by Bitch Boy on 30.07.2006 at 23:53 Thanks much for your comment. I appreciate it.
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| AnGina-- Dark Phoenix Posts: 3555 |
@Valmot: Well, that is correct. I've done some reviewing myself, never posted here though and I must say I also never wrote a review just how much I hate a certain album or how much is some album swell to me and that's it. That is why I said I like your review, you showed you liked the album (which is awesome, just listening to it ), like the band and put down the facts why so. And yea, it is a good shield for possible haters... Especially when talking about HIM
---- You think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it. Molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was a man. But it was nothing to me but blinding.
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| Valmont Posts: 274 |
Written by AnGina-- on 31.07.2006 at 00:23 I understand. Yeh, true. I appreciate your concern and ofcourse, your liking.
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| iaberis Advice Troll Posts: 1698  |
Inspired by this review I went to buy the album and I have to admit it wasn't bad at all. I had seen this album before in the stores but never really stoped to have a look at it... It's a great album, with some songs not so widely known. Very good album (including review )
---- Bitch! Please
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| Valmont Posts: 274 |
Written by iaberis on 08.09.2006 at 23:25 Wow! I'm thrilled! Thanks very much. Glad you like it. HIM has to pay me now man.. Seriously, I make 'em sell! 
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| iaberis Advice Troll Posts: 1698 |
But that's the point of the reviews, to give an opinion to the buyers about to buy or not the album!
---- Bitch! Please
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| devildriver86 Posts: 23  |
This band is a fucking emo faggot band that i personaly hate i dont see how people can listen to them all the ppl that do are prolly cutting there wrists and crying right now 
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| Valmont Posts: 274 |
Written by devildriver86 on 14.11.2006 at 03:27 Well, saying that only proves that you don't know HIM or the band is just not your type. Now i don't even take that emo sh*t for 90's HIM (you can see up there, this album is from 1997) but even today they are far far and far away from the emo type. What they do today can be described as just.. pop. Almost anything that comes out of the world of materialism in other words the American music industry is just plain sh*t and should not be listenend. So if you meant that, i'm with you. I hate their new stuff too but talking random sh*t about 90's HIM is just ignorant. Thanks for the comment.
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| Baz Anderson Staff Posts: 13254  |
yeh - talking as a HIM-hater myself, the first album isnt so bad. they had some credibility then i find it refreshing to find HIM fans that dislike the new stuff this band is putting out as well (i cant believe i just posted about HIM on here)
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| W-Lash Metal Master Posts: 2531  |
I don't like HIM very much and i think that only Razorblade Romance deserves a written review.
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| Valmont Posts: 274 |
Written by W-Lash on 17.11.2006 at 01:23 Well, this album is the only reason for HIM's presence in MS. I also thought about writing a review on Razorblade Romance but then for some reason i gave up.
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| Murder Posts: 255  |
This is the album that sounds closer to metal... Personally, I love this album and the EP, it shows the best lyrics and music of the band (well, Razorblade Romance is an album that I love too, although this album is more glamy ). I love the band, but really I prefer this HIM... the Dark Light "experiment" it's so far of the project that I heard and liked.... but they still like me so much.One thing:actually they don't play metal, there's no doubt, everybody know it... so what's the fuck&%ng matter?  Leave the HIM fans in peace hahahahahahaha 
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| lusitanian Posts: 11  |
just to say that makes me sick whem ppl call him a metal band.......ahhggggg
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| fosi Posts: 97 |
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