Documentary
Wicked Game Rock Am Ring 2001
Wicked Game (Bulgaria)
For You (Acoustic)
Rebel Yell
Gone With The Sin
Under The Rose (Live)
Making of BABL (Purkissa)
Ville Arm Wrestling on German MTV
Ville Valo In Greece
Sacrament Promo Intro
Gone With The Sin
Bittersweet
Circle of Fear & Endless Dark
Mige & Linde Kiss
Daniel Lioneye - Ankkarock 2001
Daniel Lioneye & The Rollers (Interview)
Daniel Lioneye - Never Been In Love


OTHER ARCHIVE:

Joan Osborne: St Theresa
O-Zone: Dragosta Din Tei
Cake: Never There

The Initiation

It was somewhere in the later part of 2004. My younger sister bought the Love Metal album and was playing it along with some other metal bands. I actually made fun of HIM at that time thinking they were some kind of trashy worthless sorry excuse for a rock band. Then one night when we both couldn’t sleep she asked me if I wanted to watch their video. Funeral of Hearts. That was the defining moment for me. From then on, to me, Funeral of Hearts became the signature of HIM. Funeral of Hearts is what HIM is about. The music, lyrics, video and ville himself was so uniquely put together, there has been no video like it since. My sis liked Burton then and I agree he did look good in that video.

Crash and Burn

What happened next was tragic in more ways than one. I naturally went online to find out what I could about the band. There was this site with pictures and somehow Ville looked awful in all of them, I actually thought he was gay! But the picture which I found incredible was the one on the Razorblade Romance sleeve. Just when I set it as my wallpaper my laptop crashed! Probably Ville getting back at me for thinking he was gay. That spelled the end of HIM for me until May this year. Also because I happened to be occupied looking to switch careers at that time.

Re-embodiment

I was on a Finnair flight to Europe. The lights had gone out. I was having a bad case of the flu and feeling miserable. All of a sudden on the flight screen was this video all white and red and full of ice. There was Ville asking me to Join HIM In Death J. My sister (the older one who happens to know but isn’t crazy about HIM) nudged me and we got all excited. I wanted to jump up and down and yell: “I know them! I know them!” at the passengers dozing off. I decided my life was more precious than risking doing that so I remained seated beaming in my seat. It never occurred to yours truly that I HAD a headset and if I had stopped being an idiot for a minute I could have plugged it in and actually HEAR the song. So that was it. I had joined HIM not in death but in spirit, watched the video, didn’t know what the hell the song was about but knew for a fact that on the return flight I was going to get HIM in Helsinki!

And that I did. Got Razorblade Romance, Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights and the Love Metal Archives. It’s safe to say I guarded it with my life all the way back to Singapore. I would like to add here that the Finnish people are awesomely friendly. Especially the guy in the store who took us to where the HIM albums were and led us back to where we could hear them for ourselves.

On a Roll

When I heard there was going to be a new album release in September I placed an order for the Internet edition of Dark Light. Just after the release the order amount was deducted from my credit card and I waited anxiously for the package to arrive. Exactly a week from the release date I came home and found a pudgy brown envelope on my bed. Knowing immediately what it was I squealed and jumped up and down (I actually did) and got to opening the envelope. I felt the cold collectible tin box, pulled it out and meticulously opened it lest the content might jump out and run away. It came complete with the booklet (lyrics and pix), the Heartagram flashlight keychain, the Dark Light cd and a Certificate of Authenticity authenticating this edition of the Dark Light album! Actually it didn’t look like something that would have cost too much to put together but what the heck! It was HIM! I was the 19,160^th owner of the 20, 000 copies.

Needless to say I played the album everyday for about a month before I actually took a day’s or 2 day’s break in between.

Whatz da buzz tell me whatsa happenin?

All this time, I used to view HIM pix on Buzznet and it was only when I was on a week’s leave last week did I decide I wanted to be part of this splendid community.  So Hushlinde was created on 10/30/2005.

Why Hushlinde?

I started taking notice of Linde when I saw him play guitar solos in some of their concert videos and thought to myself that he was really good.  My elder sister is a pretty good guitarist herself so I got her to watch one of Linde’s solos to validate him. I actually was nervous when she was watching it because I value her judgment but at the same time I didn’t want her to say anything negative. After a few minutes into it she said that he was actually very good and that the guitar work should be more prominent in the HIM albums. I was ecstatic because she took the words right out of my mouth. And now my sister actually thinks the band has some credibility.

Apart from playing good guitar, the other reason why I like Linde is because he doesn’t crave the limelight. He looks contented playing in the shadows on stage. Even in photographs he looks like he is ok with just being there taking photographs. Ville and the rest do a great job with their hilarious expressions anyway. That’s the appeal Linde has. A silent charm. Hushlinde J

My thoughts on the band..

It may be that I don’t understand how the publicity for bands work. Ville is undoubtedly photogenic (ok maybe not all the time) and eloquent so it is natural that he makes the cover or insides of the magazines and he is the voice of the band. Again, I am not sure if that is the way it is but it would be interesting to hear from the rest of the band mates.

Having said that, I also feel that the band’s sole interest is in the music they make and for Ville the songs he writes. So maybe that’s their priority – it’s all about the music. But they need to promote themselves and someone has to front it – hence the ubiquitous Ville.

They seem just glad to know that there are many out there who are able to appreciate their work. They are not about pleasing the fans or basking in glamour.

That’s my take, from what I have read.

Where I am coming from

Apart from Guns n Roses I have never fancied entire albums of a rock band the same way until now. And that too is probably because HIM is not your typical rock band. But I don’t need to explain all that to you because the reviewers to a better job articulating their music and persona.

The two big advantages I had at birth were to have been born wise
and to have been born in poverty.

Sophia Loren
(1934-, Italian film actress)

You'll break the worry habit the day you decide you can meet and
master the worse that can happen to you.

Arnold H. Glasow

When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece.

John Ruskin
(1819-1900, British critic, social theorist)

Let us act on what we have, since we have not what we wish.

John Henry Newman
(1801-1890, British religious leader, prelate, writer)

World peace, like community peace, does not require that each man
love his neighbor - it requires only that they live together with
mutual
tolerance, submitting their disputes to a just and peaceful
settlement.

John F. Kennedy
(1917-1963, American President (35th))

What you think about yourself is much more important than what
others think of you.

Marcus Annaeus Seneca
(BC 3-65 AD, Roman philosopher, dramatist, statesman)

Every failure made me more confident. Because I wanted even more
to achieve as revenge. To show that I could.

Roman Polanski
(1933-, Polish film, director)

Believing in yourself is an endless destination. Believing you
have failed is the end of the journey.

Author Unknown

You can have no greater or lesser dominion than the one over
yourself. The greatest deception men suffer is from their own
opinions.

Leonardo Da Vinci
(1452-1519, Italian inventor, architect, painter, scientist,
sculptor)

Never feel self-pity, the most destructive emotion there is. How
awful to be caught up in the terrible squirrel cage of self.

Millicent Fenwick

The way you entered is too far away now

Thought you made a leap across the wall

Into another maze you fall

Which turn you take wherever you hide

You are always deeper inside

It's all a game played with the mind

No winners in this game you'll find

I will watch you from far above

And laugh till hate becomes of your love

You can't say you've had enough

When turns are sharp

And the journey's rough

It is my wish

To see your faith die

To me, remember, your words can't lie

No, it is not revenge I seek

But to make your strength weak

I want to crush your ego

Between my palms

Then only will my river of emotions

Be calm

Sheri (1993)