Band:	HIM
Album:	Tears On Tape
Style:	Suomi metal
Release date:	April 2013

01. Unleash The Red
02. All Lips Go Blue
03. Love Without Tears
04. I Will Be The End Of You
05. Tears On Tape
06. Into The Night
07. Hearts At War
08. Trapped In Autumn
09. No Love
10. Drawn & Quartered
11. Lucifers Chorale
12. When Love Starts To Die
13. Kiss The Void
14. The Kiss Of Dawn [bonus]
15. Buried Alive By Love [bonus]

HIM is lucky to have such a dedicated fan base that is hard to disappoint if you manage to create a few catchy choruses. I consider myself a serious fan of them, trying to value their music by quality instead by mass market appeal. The reason this album is different from their last one is because it succeeds in both ways, although having considerable flaws.

Regarding the overall sound this album is a lot heavier than the last one, having a lot more distortion and a lower tone in the lead riffs. On the other hand, the verses are accompanied by acoustic guitars, being much mellower. This difference on some songs is so vast that it seems a little unnatural, although there are no weak songs. Ville manages to create really catchy choruses, which is the main thing that holds this album together. However, most verses seem bland, functioning only as a bridge to the really excellent choruses.

Another flaw is the length of the album. It is probably the shortest they have released yet, even if you add the fillers. Yes, there are four instrumental pieces which I regard as fillers, and by far being the weakest points of the album. The intro track is the only one that actually manages to create a certain type of epic, melancholic atmosphere, the other ones being laughably lousy.

Production wise it is excellent, the soundscapes being varied, and the heavy parts sound crunchy. The mellow parts have room to breathe so that the atmospheric effects, like reverb and delay, can be noticed.

All in all, I am happy that HIM tried to push themselves away from their super sweet radio friendly sound, creating a heavier album; most similar to Venus Doom. Fans that like them because of their quality will certainly get a glimpse of the good old band that played Goth-infused hard rock, and the fans that love them because of Ville and their overall image will love it anyway.