As a lifelong HIM fan, I can easily recall their album cycles. I remember the fervor surrounding Dark Light, the premiere of “Wings of a Butterfly,” and Ville Valo’s new haircut (fangirls wept). Listening to Venus Doom brings back memories of dissecting the album on the fan message boards, debating which song was the best. Yet, HIM’s final era feels like a blur. I don’t remember much about the release of Tears on Tape. No memorable performances or interviews come to mind. I remember struggling to buy the Metal Hammer fan pack edition of the record at work and being anxious about interviewing Ville Valo for the first time. He called me “Darling.” I still swoon thinking about it. When I finally got the album, I played it for weeks, waiting for the moment when it clicked with me. It never did. I didn’t think it was bad, just decent. Then I forgot about it and moved on, already looking forward to HIM’s next record. What I didn’t know was that Tears on Tape would be their final album.
Read More “Revisiting HIM’s Final Album, ‘Tears on Tape’”Revisiting HIM’s Final Album, ‘Tears on Tape’
