Starting in the early ’90s, a band by the of His Infernal Majesty was making their way on the small, yet mighty Helsinki Finland Metal scene. Sending demos to labels such as Nuclear Blast, Roadrunner, and their homeland’s Spinefarm Records, each of them passed on them at the time. Such is the case with many bands, sometimes it is just not meant to be, however, this little band would eventually catch the attention of BMG Records. A shot in the dark, you could say they got lucky, but instead they would go on to become one of the most recognized international Metal bands in the world. Do not recognize their name? Let us clarify it for you, they are better known as HIM.
Amazing to think the formative years were a bit tough for HIM, but they soon became a massive hit in Finland, with their 1997 debut album Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 winning an Emma Gala award for the best album in Finland. From here they built a following around Europe before something rather unexpected happened… they broke into the North American market. Doing so in a big way, their 2005 album Dark Light made them the first Finnish band to achieve a gold record in the US. A massive achievement, you would be hard-pressed not to see HIM Heartagram logos all around young Rock and Metal fan’s wardrobes for many years. A truly magical time, sadly HIM split up in 2017, but that does not mean we cannot revel in those golden years. In fact, in 2024 BMG is releasing a new compilation called When Love and Death Embrace – The Best of HIM 1997-2003.
Released on October 25, 2024, When Love and Death Embrace- The Best of HIM 1997-2003 is an anthology with a lot. Available on CD, vinyl, and digital platforms the new collection showcases the popular career of Ville Valo and his band as they progressed over six years. Covering Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 through to 2003’s epic Love Metal, these could be referred to as the BMG years; because the band moved on to Sire Records for three more studio albums before releasing their final album Tears of Tape in 2013 via Razor & Tie. The band’s second greatest hits compilation with BMG, with the label last releasing one in 2004 called And Love Said No: The Greatest Hits 1997–2004, much of what is included on When Love and Death Embrace – The Best of HIM 1997-2003 is similar.
Overlapping the material, only several songs on the list are different for 2024’s When Love and Death Embrace – The Best of HIM 1997-2003, that is “Soul on Fire” replacing both”And Love Said No” and “It’s All Tears (Drown in This Love).” Beyond this, the rest of the tracks are just in a different order. A factor that may find some long-time fans a little frustrated, but for the more casual HIM fan, it might be just fine.
Treating this like a legitimate new release with no recycled aspects, When Love and Death Embrace – The Best of HIM 1997-2003 includes many of the hits from the band’s heyday. We all know “Right Here in My Arms” would become synonymous with the movie series CKY, while “Pretending” would be a hit in 2001 and is another track that is sure to give HIM audience a hint of nostalgia. Meanwhile, you have their cover of Blue Öyster Cult’s “Don’t Fear the Reaper” and Chris Isaak’s “ Wicked Game.” Two which become almost cult classics, Vile Vallo gives a haunting performance of “ Don’t Fear the Reaper” and “Wicked Game.” This is while the hits collection’s title-track is also featured… and this makes logical sense.
Overall, HIM is a band that is known for its macabre love songs and catchy ballads. While this collection does not offer anything new, it is a great way to remember HIM seven years after they made a final bow. A great idea for a Christmas present, Cryptic Rock gives When Love and Death Embrace – The Best of HIM 1997-2003 5 out of 5 stars.
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