ALBUM REVIEW: Neon Noir – VV
The breakup of Finnish love metallers HIM crushed a great number of people. Led by the charismatic Helsinki heartthrob Ville Valo, their brand of lovelorn goth rock took the world by storm and became the soundtrack to the life of many an emotional teen in the early to mid 2000s. The breakup was coming however, with Valo stating it was the right time to move on, and while there have been signs of life from the frontman, it’s taken five years to truly see his solo ambitions brought to life.
Neon Noir is a masterful body of work that showcases Valo‘s song-writing prowess. The blueprints laid by HIM are obviously there for all to hear, but it’s his past influences that have shone through into his debut album, with notes of DEPECHE MODE all the way through to BLACK SABBATH. Now, this album is far from the goth metal stylings of HIM’s Love Metal, and while there are moments of heaviness that breakthrough, Neon Noir is mostly a laid-back album with many acoustic moments that feature Valo‘s trademark velvet smooth crooning.
The album starts with a bang though with the galloping Echolocate Your Love. It’s a ‘drive in the night, windows down’ hit. The snappy chorus will become lodged in your brain after just one spin. Run Away From The Sun is arguably one of the album’s biggest numbers. The tambourine-tinged, pop-induced rhythms will invoke those warm fuzzy emotions in you that you thought long dead. Valo‘s gentle but commanding voice feels like an alluring vampiric accosting. The 80s flair that accompanies the bridge is a prime example of Valo‘s love affair with that era of pop and it fits the track perfectly. That sound is echoed throughout the album, sometimes in a more subtle way than others.
Baby Lacrimarium and the gorgeously spacious In Trenodia exist to flaunt Valo‘s otherwordly song-writing skills as well as his faultless vocal tones. The effortlessly emotional latter is one of the album’s most spectacular moments. Its sunny disposition is different from the usual tone of his old work with HIM but it’s a welcome change.
Fans of the heavier side of Valo‘s repertoire will be pleased with the burning desire that rages through the heart of the title track. The acoustic intro and driving chorus sound like they were ripped from the days of Deep Shadows And Brilliant Highlights. The same goes for the goth pop fantasia of The Foreverlost, which features a distorted riff of HIM-like delights which gives way effortlessly to its acoustic counterpart throughout.
The emotion that Valo emanates throughout Neon Noir is transferred straight through to the listener via every single note. Not a single moment is wasted. He is able to somehow seduce you with every line, which is delivered with such ease and purpose. The intoxicating Heartful Of Ghosts carries a sense of hope even when encased in darkness and is an atmospheric goth anthem that sways with a haunting heaviness.
The 90s grunge that runs through the veins of Saturnine Saturnalia is yet another standout. There’re shades of Venus Doom in the swagger of the riff. Valo‘s low tones sung in the pre-chorus over the bright instrumentals make it feel like he’s managed to dip the sun into some melted chocolate. The breathtaking bridge opens up like the gates of heaven before the chorus swings back into action once more.
What makes Neon Noir even more incredible is the fact that Valo wrote and played every instrument himself. Not just settling to be a vocalist but he also proves just how remarkable he is as an all-round musician and songwriter. Whether he’s penning a near eight-minute epic album closer like the DEPECHE MODE love letter Vertigo Eyes or a radio rock masterpiece like Loveletting, the man seems to be able to do it all. With Neon Noir, Ville Valo has created a deeply emotional and personal album that has allowed him to blend his influences into his past work with HIM in a marriage of warmth and melancholy.
Rating: 9/10
Neon Noir is set for release on January 13th via Heartagram Records and UMG/Spinefarm Records.
Like VILLE VALO on Facebook.