HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: Razorblade Romance – HIM

January 24, 2025 Alex Morgan

When you picture Ville Valo in your mind’s eye, what do you see? Chances are you envisage his pale, waifish figure set against a pink background. Long and wild dark hair framing his face and a lit cigarette dangling elegantly from his lips. The second studio album from the Finnish self-described love metal band HIM, Razorblade Romance which released on 24 January 2000, didn’t just propel them into an international spotlight, but its cover also remains an iconic cornerstone of the aesthetic of the early 2000s alternative music scene.

Printed on many a poster and T-shirt in the years since, the renowned cover was created by Janne Uotila and features photography by Jouko Lehtola. The concept for the design took inspiration from the glam-rock scene of the 1980s, as evidenced by the vibrant pink make-up and artwork. In terms of sound however, the album emerged as a more lyrically mature and melodic offering compared to their EP 666 Ways to Love: Prologue (1996) and debut album Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 (1997).

The newly signed band were encouraged by their label BMG to work with an international producer for the album. Originally planned to be titled “Goth ‘n’ Roll” (a name which was thankfully rejected by the label) the band opted to work with British producer John Fryer who was known for his extensive work with DEPECHE MODE, NINE INCH NAILS, and CRADLE OF FILTH.

Lead single Join Me In Death, released in November 1999, saw the origin of the heavy, yet catchy signature sound which would go on to form the basis of the band’s future success. Upon relistening these many years later, it’s easy to draw parallels between this first single and later hits such as Killing Loneliness, Funeral Of Hearts, and Wings Of A Butterfly. With the track title shortened to Join Me for the release, the single would be the first number 1 charting song for the band in their home country Finland. To this day, Join Me remains one of the top 20 best selling singles in Finland.

HIM would go on to release a further five singles from the album throughout 2000. Right Here In My Arms, Poison Girl, Your Sweet 666, and their dark reimagining of CHRIS ISAAC’s Wicked Game. The latter of which was added to the international release of the album, and had been the track which originally caught the attention of then label BMG and lead to their being signed.

With Razorblade Romance capturing the hearts of the international market, HIM soon embarked on their largest tour to date. The tour took the group across just about every corner of Europe. Having worked in Wales while recording the album, they returned to play some of the most beloved venues the country had to offer. UK dates included performances at Rock City in Nottingham and The Astoria London, a 2000 capacity venue which was an icon of the rock scene before it was sadly demolished in 2009.

The success and critical acclaim of Razorblade Romance would not be without its pitfalls. The lengthy tour took its toll on the group. Even after pulling themselves back from the brink of disbanding, they found themselves struggling in their attempts to follow up the album amid the increased pressure and new-found attention. Production on what would become their third studio album, Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights, would prove to be a fraught journey. The result was a more commercialised album which failed to live up to the expectations set by Razorblade Romance.

It seems the group learned from their experience. After the minor setback and slight disappointment of Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights (2001), HIM went on to release some of their best loved work including 2003’s Love Metal and 2005’s Dark Light. Across their varied discography, HIM truly earned their place as a genre defining and defying act. They remain one of Finland’s finest (and most commercially successful) musical exports.

All good things must, however, come to an end. Frontman and creative driving-force, Ville Valo, announced in January 2017 that HIM would formally disband following a farewell tour later that year as they felt the band had ‘run its natural course’. Since then members of the group have taken on other creative endeavours. Most notably, Ville Valo has successfully carved out a solo career under the moniker VV, but with Kerrang! reporting in 2023 that this project too was to conclude following the world tour, is it possible that we could see HIM follow the current trend of reunion and anniversary tours?

With 2025 marking 25 years of Razorblade Romance, as well as the 20^th anniversary of Dark Light, we can’t help but hope it may be possible.