ShockHound

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  4 of 5

  
  

  Love hurts. But if it didn't, many of our favorite bands would most likely be taking orders at Burger King, while our favorite pop starlets would probably be working the pole at their local strip club. As with all HIM offerings, there's no shortage of sweet heartache on the Finnish "love metal" band's latest album, SCREAMWORKS: LOVE IN THEORY AND PRACTICE. However, frontman Ville Valo is that rare literary metalhead with a sense of humor, and he continues to weave his pain into some very clever and catchy hard rock anthems. Take the propulsive opening track "In Venere Veritas," with its Latin refrain that twists the phrase "In wine we trust" to "In Venus we trust." Very rarely do rockers look to Ovid over Ozzy, but that's Ville for you — and he croons the chorus with an unbreakable delivery as riffs crash around him. That's not to say Ville's Sabbath obsession has dwindled: In fact, standouts like "Heartkiller" and "Dying Song" possess a classic rock energy in their simplicity, while the singer's sharp lyrics make for a broken-hearted rollercoaster. Many of the tracks hearken back to the beautiful brevity of 1999's RAZORBLADE ROMANCE and 2003's LOVE METAL, while clearly evolving from the funereal, Neurosis-style laments of 2007's VENUS DOOM. By the time "The Foreboding Sense of Happiness" hits with a heavy outro, HIM's latest love elegy begs for a second go-round. And it never has to ask, "Would you like fries with that?" — Rick Florino

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  RobinElizabeth 4 of 5

  
  

  With every album HIM releases there is always a different, unique sound to each and their new album “Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice” is no exception. It is a very emotional album with songs like “Disarm Me (With Your Lonliness)” and “Love, the Hardest Way.” But it also has very catchy numbers as well, such as “Heartkiller” which is probably my favorite off of this album, and “Like St. Valentine”. The music in the album is something new and fresh, a sound that they haven’t had before. It’s much more rock-esque then their previous releases, which have more Gothy undertones. When I first heard this album, I wasn’t too sure about it, but as I listened to it more and more it grew on me and I can say with surety that this album will have a nice home on my CD shelf next to my other HIM albums.

4 months ago

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  Valo_Skelington of 5

  
  

  Being a HIM fan of the past 10 years I cannot help but feel a bit let down by "Screamworks." Although the lyrical content of the new album is similar to that of the past, the music simply does not live up to what we have all grown to love and expect from the band. Venus Doom was a vast improvement over Dark Light and left me feeling very optimistic of the what was to come. "Screamworks" simply did not live up to my expectations. I am by no means saying I am upset with the band for trying something new, or that I am no longer a fan, but simply offering an honest opinion. I can only hope that Ville and the rest will return to their roots of the past for any upcoming releases. We need another "Lovemetal" or even "Razorblade Romance."

5 months ago

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  RobinElizabeth 4 of 5

  
  

  With every album HIM releases there is always a different, unique sound to each and their new album “Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice” is no exception. It is a very emotional album with songs like “Disarm Me (With Your Lonliness)” and “Love, the Hardest Way.” But it also has very catchy numbers as well, such as “Heartkiller” which is probably my favorite off of this album, and “Like St. Valentine”. The music in the album is something new and fresh, a sound that they haven’t had before. It’s much more rock-esque then their previous releases, which have more Gothy undertones. When I first heard this album, I wasn’t too sure about it, but as I listened to it more and more it grew on me and I can say with surety that this album will have a nice home on my CD shelf next to my other HIM albums.
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  charlotte_08 purchased this item
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  girgirlr 5 of 5

  
  

  LOL I've made my parents sick of this album...I still love it, and I usually listen to it at least twice a day!(I got it two days after it was released, to give you an idea of my obsession...). For some reason, I like the last half of it better, though.
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  girgirlr 5 of 5

  
  

  LOL I've made my parents sick of this album...I still love it, and I usually listen to it at least twice a day!(I got it two days after it was released, to give you an idea of my obsession...). For some reason, I like the last half of it better, though.

6 months ago

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  Coffin_Girl_666 5 of 5

  
  

  disarm me is my favorite
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  victoriaross of 5

  
  

  i love this album! its very HIM, buti think it has a touch of industrial and techno...which are some of my favorite genres. HIM is amazing!!
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  irishchick_smiles of 5

  
  

  hmh. well im not much of an official critic. but i am a person who is completely in love with the old music of bands. ive realized in the past couple of years that bands tend to move away from the heart of their music. And Mainstream takes ahold. and it seems this time, that HIM has been taken in by this trend. i recognize the old soul of the songs, and the metallic sound of the Love Metal singer. But the songs...just dont have the heart that it used to. Passion's Killing Floor and Vampire Heart remain my favorites for now. i Rate the album a 3.5-5----Erin
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  brokenhalo_5 purchased this item
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  Sevell purchased this item