David Bowie - Blackstar

Blackstar is a strange trip; a trip tinged by sadness, although that particular sadness was steeped in strength and ready to face what lay beyond. It isn't everyday that you get to hear a record put out by a man who knew that he was dying (inb4 the general existential dread that comes with the knowledge that we are all slowly dying lol). This in itself should cut an interesting enough scenario, but things were made even more poignant, as two days after the album dropped (on the 8th January 2016, Bowie's 69th birthday), the man himself passed away. Dealing with this alone was one thing, but him having left us this gift, mere hours before he passed on, is something truly special and unique in such a mournful time. Sure, I'm not saying Bowie planned to fucking die after dropping this record, but shit, that's incredibly bad/good timing (delete as appropriate).

Morrisey - Low In High School

(Words by Gareth Burra)

Cracking Morrissey album, this! The strongest sounding Morrissey album since 2004's You Are The Quarry, very easily so in my opinion - yeah Christ, I really enjoyed this one. Great sound here, especially from the very grand opener "My Love, I'd Do Anything For You", with its horn section coming into play, adding to that nice big band vibe. I keep going back to this one - a definite favourite!

I won't waffle on about this album too much or pick it apart, but I will say that it is a very solid Morissey album; one that if you are a long-time Morrissey fan I'm you'll very much enjoy. And if you aren't? We'll you'll probably still continue to stay well away from it hoho - I realise he's not to everyones tastes, but this is cracking.

As well as that awesome opener, highlights for me would be the single "Spent The Day In Bed", as I really like the little keys jingle, which mega makes this song, as well as the lyrical content too on this one. "Jacky's Only Happy When She's Up On Stage", which aside from being a good song in general, I really like the drumming. Lovely drum sounds here (as there is throughout the whole album, mind you). Whilst we are on the subject, the instrumentation aspect of this album is 10/10 to be fair, a fantastic sound. "Home Is A Question Mark" is also very much one I keep going back to here out of the bunch as well as "I Bury The Living", again another mega huge sounding one.

Great record overall, what else can I say!? Listen to in it's entirety and enjoy.

Killing Joke - Pylon

Pylon is the latest (at time of writing) in a long line of consistently excellent contributions from the legendary Killing Joke. It would be rather cheap of me to say the ol' "if it ain't broke..." thing that I always say, but that is somewhat true here: Pylon offers nothing new to the Killing Joke palate of sounds, but that is absolutely not to say that it doesn't offer a whole new menu of phenomenal tracks, boasting a massive, impressive production thanks to Tom Dalgety (known for working with (uch) Ghost, and having been a producer at Wales' own Rockfield Studios). 

"Autonomous Zone" and "Dawn Of The Hive" kick things off in proper Killing Joke fashion; the former boasting a spine-tingling bass guitar performance. "New Jerusalem" brings more of that Hosannahs... grade brutality'n'chug to the table, whilst tracks like "Big Buzz" show that the band are still more than capable of unfurling massive euphoric choruses. If you are looking for beautifully crafted, slightly weird and paranoid industrial rock, then you really should look no further. 

Kilslug - Sin, Tricks And Lies

Kilslug are a sludgy band from the USA fronted by the mysterious Larry Lifeless, who initially comes across as a mix between Eyehategod's Mike Williams, Scott Walker and err, Crank Sturgeon or something like that. Kilslug have been around for yeeears, and the Limited Appeal (what a label!) pressing of Sin, Tricks and Lies is so awesome it makes me want to start collecting vinyl again. I mean, just mosy on over to Discogs and look at that cover, and it plays from the inside out, for fuck's sake!

I get an almost Christian Death vibe here (run through a thousand fuzz filters, of course!). The opening croons of "Your God is not real!" sets the bar for the type of journey that we are going on. Imagine if Lou Reed fronted Black Sabbath, just for a second. Really, the comparisons can go on and on, but you should really just listen to this thing, especially now that it is in Spotify. Stand out tracks for me are the opener "Hangman's List", and the spoopy "March Of The Skeletons". 

David Lynch - Crazy Clown Time

Crazy Clown Time is, for the most part, a journey through rusted Americana with treated, dense beats. Repetition is God, repetition is key! Lynch has openly admitted that he is neither a singer nor a guitar player, but it only seems right that the all-encompassing artist releases his own music as well, and it does not disappoint me in the slightest. I mean, I kinda half-braced myself for some Mr. Bungle / John Zorn style freakery, but what we have here is much more fitting into the Lynchian aesthetic.

There are good songs, and there are not so good songs. Some of his vocal performances are lacking somewhat; not so much in quality, but in delivery. I love Lynch, and I don't dislike this record, but as someone who has listened to thousands of albums, I can't deny a weak vocal performance when I hear one. Lyrically, the man is on point, and the music is smokey and authentic. It's just the whole thing lacks a little, how should I say it, pizzazz.

Dreamcar - Dreamcar

(Words by Gareffff Burra)

Dreamcar is a new project made up of Tom Dumont, Adrian Young and Tony Kanal of No Doubt, and AFI's Davey Havok.

Since hearing of this unique and perhaps mix-matched collaboration, I have been very keen to hear how this album would sound, having the majority of the members (i.e the band itself) coming from a very ska and pop-based background, and the vocalist coming from more of a punk and alternative rock style of music. This was definitely something I was curious about hearing; excited about how it'd sound, especially as I'm quite partial to both acts, especially AFI.

Upon first listen I am immediately drawn in by - and familiar with - Davey's vocals, and pleasantly surprised as the album kicks off with opener "If I confessed", which sets the tone and sound for the project nicely to anyone else curious. I'd say there is a strong 80's vibe shining through on this release with the guitar sound particularly, which is very A Flock of Seagulls-esque at times. Overall, we're talking a more moody and darker 80's sound here, rather than a straight up pop record. Although, I can't help but get an ever so slight Duran Duran vibe from "On the Charts", especially from that vocal hook, so there are elements of both.

Overall though, a cool and very refreshing sounding side project here, and a great album. Personal highlights for me include "All The Dead Girls Love Me", and the album's single "Kill For Candy".

Altered Sky - Without Wonderland

(words by Gareth Burra)

Here we have Without Wonderland from Scottish pop rockers Altered Sky. I have seen this band play a good number of times (and in most instances, I shared the stage with them, in my Led by Lions days). I can say that every single time, there was always a very good live show with a fantastic stage presence, and I have always been impressed with how well front-woman Anna performs vocally. They were a band that I'd actually heard live first before hearing a record, so when it came to checking out their stuff I had a very good idea of what to expect and was looking forward to hearing it.

The production on this album is spot on for this type of music; it is on point for all instruments as well as the powerful vocals - there's a perfect, big, dramatic pop rock sound here (just like their live show). Something for everyone here really too, a nice mixture of pop rock anthems (i.e "Bury It All", "Waves") as well as some piano ballads ("Imagine Adventure"); some really high quality sounding material throughout.

Highlights include the massive sounding "Waves", and the slightly heavier toned "White Witch". Overall, a great sounding album, from a very hard working band.

For fans of: 

Avril Lavigne, Paramore, Tonight Alive

Salt Bath - Uncomfortable Choices

Salt Bath are a new band from the Newport area of South Wales, playing an abrasive form of back-to-basics noisemongery distilled through the blunt force weapons of choice - bass guitar and drums (with Venom Prison sticksman Sheehy on the skins). Uncomfortable Choices boasts an impressively all-encompassing production sound, courtesy of One Louder Studios, again in Newport. Imagine Big Black meets Melvins or if you want to go all out; Death From Above 1979 meets early Mr. Bungle.

The meat and bones of the record is a series of under-two-minuters that really compliment the chaotic bass and drums combination (I might be biased here...), although there is a smattering of longer tracks too, which not only help to break up the chaos and offer something a bit more profound, but contribute an intense layer of atmosphere, which considering the mediums chosen for expressing such sounds, is no small feat. Case in point would be "Love Song"; a lurching - almost swaggering - minimalistic crawl that just gathers in tension as it clamours together its seven minutes.

What a beauty!

Eisley - I'm Only Dreaming

(Words by Burra)

So here we have Eisley's first release since the departure of Stacey and Chauntelle (as well as drummer Weston who remains as a studio member but not a live member), leaving vocalist Sherri Dupree Bemis and bassist Garon Dupree to pick up where the band left off and move forward. It is always tough to lose band members, especially ones that brought a lot to the table and in this case, the loss of the beautiful vocal harmonies between all the Dupree sisters. I was very keen to hear how the sound would be affected, if at all. 

What we have here though is a very nice sounding record; still luckily managing to capture the soothing, dreamy, spacey, far-away Eisley sound that I have always loved, and with guest appearances too from Sheri's husband Max Bemis (of Say Anything) and Anthony Green (of Circa Survive and Saosin). 

Opener "Always Wrong" instantly erased any doubt in my mind that this wasn't anything but a solid Eisley record, despite all the missing personnel. Personal highlights for me are the Anthony Green collaboration "Louder Than A Lion", and definitely the tracks "You Are Mine" and "Snowfall". That being said, Eisley are the type of band where I can easily just listen to the entire album in full rather than single anything out, hence my very brief picking apart; it all just flows together so lovely and it is easy to get lost inside it all. That is the best way to enjoy this band in my opinion.

So, all that's left for me to say is I'm really glad that the group continued despite the setbacks and blows to it and returned with such a great album; they will still continue to be a personal favourite of mine. I hope other fans of the group will agree.

This Becomes Us - This Becomes Us

(Words by Burra, The Fresh Prince Of Porth)

This Becomes Us is the solo collaborative release from Future Of The Left (and not forgetting ex-Million Dead) bassist Julia Ruzicka. This debut contains ten tracks of absolute pure gold, featuring a different vocalist on each track, including Black Francis from The Pixies, among others. Opener "The Picture of Delorean Gray", is a cracking little number; a nice and fast-paced, hard-hitting, fuzzy, punky number that leads into the bouncy "Undervalue Love", which has a kind of dark pop vibe to it. 

The third track - and a possible favourite -  is "Big Hitter" (featuring the vocals of Billy Mason Wood), which has quite an At The Drive In sound to it, I'd say. Absolutely love this one. Not to go for the obvious and lazy review, but "Painter Man Is Coming" (featuring the vocals of Black Francis) has such a nice Pixies vibe to it. This is a lovely track, and is very reminiscent of some of Pixies' finest work at times. Another favourite from this release.

I would describe "At The End Of Everyday" as having a very early 2000's kind of sound; I'm thinking like that original emo/post hardcore sound that was starting to come out around then; Cursive, Rival Schools etc. vibe I'm getting - it is refreshing to hear, either way!

The short and sweet "Simple Too" leans towards a distorted-yet-arty punk type of sound, leading into "The Gift That Nobody Wants", which sounds very Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster-esque, "Songs In My Mind" is great, really like the vocals on this one, a catchy little punk number with some powerful female lead vocals from Chantal Lewis-Brown. "Sassessa" is cool; a more laid back number compared the rest of the bunch, yet still upbeat and driving. The album's closer "This Horse Needs Peace" is a well-placed last track to the record, and a subtle instrumental outro to the whole thing.

Overall though, This Becomes Us - despite having a different collaboration on each track - still does the wonderful thing of managing to sound like a fully flowing, coherent album and not just a compilation of songs. As solo projects go,  this is exceptionally well done!

Ghost - Opvs Eponymovs

Ghost (or is that Ghost B.C.?) have easily become one of the most over-rated bands in modern rock and metal, and it is sometimes easy for me to forget about their fairly awesome beginnings. It would possibly be super-hipster of me to consider them to have entered the realm of plebs and rocker dads (I played this for my Dad in 2011 and he didn't like it, FYI) but I'm gonna be unprofessional as fuck and just sweepingly generalise that everything Ghost has done Infestissumam onwards is a steaming pile of mediocre shit. As soon as I heard that fucking Abba cover, my relationship with Ghost was over.

Opvs Eponymovs still exists, however. It isn't as if I spin this thing often, but I would have considered myself a fan, and I own this on purple vinyl. I kinda saw it as everything I ever wanted King Diamond to be, and I was initially charmed with the band's image and kooky occult rock songs. On Opvs, Ghost played fun, quirky rock that was as infectious as it was stupefying. Case in point, "The Night Of The Witch", with one of the hammiest choruses ever written, is also one of the greatest things ever put to tape. The same can be said for "Prime Mover", and even "Elizabeth", to a degree. "Genesis" is a fantastic instrumental song and a perplexing closer to the album. 

I play this and remember the good ol' days, as I sit in my rocking chair with my whiskey and my hipster beard. Sometimes I like to think how much money Lee Dorrian has made off this band, but sometimes I can be a pointless asshole. Next!

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Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody

(I don't have a cover with my copy, but here's a cover anyway, because I'm too good to you. Happy new year!)As ridiculous as this sounds, this 7" will always hold a special place in my record collection. I've been putting off writing this post for years, mainly due to Lines In Wax evolving away from just speaking about my physical vinyl records, but also due to not really being able to face writing about Queen; a band that, for the most part, I absolutely fucking despise. Realistically though, owning this 7" has absolutely nothing to do with Queen at all. 

The reason I have this 7" is because when I was a nipper my parents used to drink at a bar that was basically in the attic of the local leisure centre. My dad worked at the centre for many years and sometimes I would get taken along to said nights out. I will always remember the bar's jukebox; a bizarre, circular affair that seemed pretty rare as far as jukebox shapes go. I used to like watching the records as they were taken from the stacks by the machine and played on the platter. 

Many, many years later when I would work at the centre myself for a few years, I was surprised to see the jukebox as it was wheeled from storage. We were due to move premises and we had to empty the building of absolutely everything. My colleagues got into the habit of plugging in the machine whilst on shifts and enjoying the shaky, crackly tunes as if it was 1992 all over again.  I made many inquiries into what the fate of the jukebox was to be, and if it was somehow possible that I could purchase the jukebox for myself. The manager at the time told me that it was going to be taken for refurbishment and sold on to specialists for a profit. Sad, but I could live with that.

This is the version I own, sans cover, as explained. I just can't be bothered to dig it out and take a picture of it. This isn't LIW circa 2012!

A few months later I was finishing up a shift at the centre. I was dragging two black bags of rubbish out to the bins, and after I opened the fire doors, I looked up to see a sight that made my heart sink. In the skip where all the junk from the move had been thrown, was the jukebox, face up. Two builders who had been working on the new centre had pried the face off the thing and it was in pieces. To add insult to injury, they were stood over the broken machine, harvesting the 7" records and flinging them across the river like frisbees. I was shaking with rage, but I managed to run over and save a bag-full of soaking wet 7"s (I must have looked a right nutter), most of which were damaged beyond any reasonable use. The three that survived and that I still have to this day include this copy of "Bohemian Rhapsody", "O Carolina" by Shaggy and Iron Maiden featuring Mr. Bean (yes! lol) covering Alice Cooper's "Elected". 

Popular Culture tells me that Bohemian Rhapsody is one of Queen's most well known tunes. Personally, I fucking hate it, especially when people try to drunk-sing their way through it. But, I will never get rid of this single. 

Not a review as such, but a bit of Lines In Wax backstory as a change of pace. Normal service returns tomorrow!

Blues Pills - Blues Pills

When Blues Pills first came about it was a refreshing, very accessible take on the done-to-death blues rock template. With the resurgence of both stoner and occult rock, Blues Pills offered a simpler route without any of the ridiculous satanic pomp and edgy marijuana references. When Bliss was released in 2012, I fell in love with the band's dusty, authentic rock and roll music. Blues Pills inevitably got signed to a big label, and it all went downhill from there.

This album has been out for two years and I haven't been able to bring myself to write about it because of how disappointing it is. I've tried and tried and tried, and now I finally give up and present this negative review. It is as if the band have had all the life and soul sucked out of them. Sure, better production value is to be expected with a big budget debut, but any magic that the band had previously has well and truly been washed away in the studio polish. Most tragically, even the vocals, once crackling with bluesy lust, energy and fever, are now flat, compressed and devoid of any real emotion or interest. Having several tracks from Bliss re-recorded here does nothing but cement this fact. This debut is nothing more than a 10-tracked, convenient 40-minuter designed to shift units. Bitterly, bitterly disappointing.

How to go from alternative music's new hope to boring dad-rock 101, courtesy of Nuclear Blast.

Taking Back Sunday - Tidal Wave

(Words by Burra, who recently gave back Wednesday)

I really like this album. Overall, it feels so much more alive with energy than any of the more recent releases; maybe with a slight return to their classic sound at times. Although nothing they do will ever be as good as Tell All Your Friends or Where You Want To Be, unfortunately thats just how it is! So anything they do always lives in the shadow of those albums, I guess (feel free to disagree, mind).

However, that is not to say they don't come close at times on this record at re-capturing some of that magic. It stands its ground well. That aside, here is a band that has obviously aged and grown up into a more mature sound over the years, and why would they want to just keep releasing the same record over and over again?

I haven't caught the band playing anything off this album live yet, but some tracks on here I can imagine go down really well in a live setting, especially the opening track "Death Wolf"; one of my favourites off the album, and a cracking introduction and welcome return.

If you're already a fan and have followed the bands rise since the mic swinging "emo" pioneers they were, then I'm sure you'll enjoy this just as much as anything else they've done. Lots of energy as well as the odd slow moment. A great record!

Highlights: "I Felt It Too", "Death Wolf",

Jimmy Eat World - Integrity Blues

(words by Burra; eater of worlds, rustler of Jimmies)

Here we have the band's latest 11 track release: Integrity Blues; a beautiful sounding record from start to finish, and one that definitely shows off the slower, softer side to the band (which I love) with lots of atmosphere and lots of emotion. Haunting, soothing and yet, at times, harder hitting. 

It's very difficult to pick any stand-out tracks from this album, simply as this is a band that when I choose to listen to them, I can listen to the album in its entirety, rather than single out any specific tracks. I feel that is the type of band that Jimmy Eat World are. For arguments sake however, I do really enjoy "Get Right", with it's dark, driving riff and big chorus; one of the somewhat heavier tracks actually from this little bunch. "Sure and Certain" too, for that big, happy-sounding chorus alone. I also enjoy the soft yet moody "Pretty Grids", as well as "Pass The Baby", which builds and builds slowly until out of nowhere in comes those surprising riffs to lead the song out. But, as the entire thing all flows so well I won't delve any further into picking the tracks apart!

In a nutshell, this is just a really nice sounding record, and there's always something about Jimmy Eat World's music that gets me lost inside it. I'll admit that Clarity, their 1999 release, is one of my favourite albums ever, so it was of no surprise to me that I really enjoyed this release. Haven't really got a bad word to say about this, if you're a fan no doubt you'll enjoy, and if your new to them I still recommend a listen.

Future Of The Left - The Plot Against Common Sense

Future Of The Left are one of those rare bands that my friends are into that I can also get into. I'm a stubborn fucking dickhead, so when someone tells me to listen to something, I usually don't. So, the fact that I love this album is nothing short of a total miracle, but the love comes in heaps, and for good reason. I initially gave the whole thing a chance on the strength of "Beneath The Waves An Ocean", which has a bass riff dirtier than a Tory politician rolling in a mud pit at Reading Festival.

The whole thing is a bizarre mix of indie-style rock wrenched into odd time signatures and filtered through a scuzzy lens. I guess it's kinda like feeding The Strokes into a meat grinder whilst listening to John Zorn's Naked City, or something like that. "Goals In Slow Motion" is one of my favourite songs here; and if not more straight-forward than a lot of the tracks (think REM meets Green Day, seeing as we are on the subject of ridiculous comparisons), it does however possess a bangin' chorus hook which more than makes up for it. Church.

The Beatles - Live At The Hollywood Bowl

(Words by Burra, the 6th Beatle)

So pretty much, if you're not already a fan of The Beatles, then there's an extremely slim chance you'll be buying this record, as a live album is pretty much in my eyes a fan-targeted release. Normally I'm not a fan of live albums, I'll be completely honest. There are exceptions, however I just feel that some moments you can't recapture when it comes to this type of thing, kinda like how 90 percent of gigs you go to now there's someone standing in front of you holding their phone in the air the entire time! And not only that; a lot of live material can just be a quick cash-in or something to bang out in between studio albums or quiet patches (or an easy one for the christmas market).

Anyway, that's my rant over. So yeah, here's a collection of songs taken from what appears to be 2 separate performances at The Hollywood Bowl (1964 and 1965) in a nicely packaged and put together little bundle, released to coincide with the documentary film that that hasn't long come out. The constant, piercing fan screaming throughout this record can be very off putting, and I feel makes for an uncomfortable listen here, but it is what it is, as that's exactly how a Beatles concert was and would have been, so even if you were actually there that would have been an overwhelming thing.

Other than that it's a decent listen and something nice to add to the collection if you're already a fan, but not something I would go back and regularly listen to though, I'll be honest. If a live Beatles album is what you were after and would enjoy, then I won't deny that this doesn't do the job however and would be a great addition to anyone that enjoyed the film also.

Track-listing wise, we have an inconsistent mix-up from both performances, so don't be confused into thinking you are listening to one complete show as it kinda skips into a mixture of the both. I'm not really sure why they've chose to present it in such way. All the early classics are here though, which I'm sure need no introduction, including the odd early cover song they used to perform such as "Twist And Shout", and "Roll Over Beethoven".

Overall not the most comfortable of listens (that constant screaming and low clarity), and definitely a fan-only thing, although one I'm sure most fans will enjoy regardless. It's just not the kind of album that I would listen to time and time again, as I would the majority of their studio albums. If I really wanted to enjoy these songs at their full glory I would choose a studio recording rather than seek my enjoyment here of such.

Billy Talent - Afraid Of Heights

(Words by Burra, writaen a'yon thon billae talgan)

Everything I could have wanted from a Billy Talent album is right here. I'm happy that they've released yet another solid album from start to finish, as few bands nowadays manage to release cracking record after cracking record with little filler, but so far Billy Talent haven't let us down there at all, I feel. This is full of catchy hooks - both vocally and musically; the catchy riffs and shouty choruses that this band have mastered so perfectly and what makes them so great to listen to. "Ghost Ship Of Cannibal Rats" is a standout track on this one for me - it literally has all the right amounts of the above mentioned and more. Easily my personal favourite, and I'm pretty sure most fans of the band will agree with on this one too.

Another big highlight is "Rabbit Down The Hole", a very anthemic number. But, as I say there's literally not a bad song on the whole album. In a nutshell, if you're already a fan of this band you'll love it, whilst it is also strong enough to maybe pick up some new fans who might have been late to the party upon checking them out. Very high energy, very fun, very enjoyable! It's also worth noting the drums on this record were instead performed by Alexisonfire's Jordan Hastings - who's also touring with the band too - as regular drummer Aaron Solowoniuk is currently unable to drum due to a multiple sclerosis relapse (both drummers feature in current 2016 promotional pictures).

Montreux Fires - Trying For The Sake Of Trying

(Words by Burra; The 6th Beatle)

This is the debut EP from fresh on the scene South Wales-based female-fronted four piece, Montreaux Fires. The EP starts with a quick spoken word intro taken from the recording process (it's worth noting that this was self-recorded by the band's bassist in his living room) before launching into the track "Our Little Life" - a cracking opener and one I can imagine would go down really well live, with a nice big riff to kick this one off before slowing down into some dreamy, haunting verse vocals and unleashing that perfect chorus hook! Great track to kick off the release with is this one!

"Disclosure", which the band has made a video for - I feel this track shows off all elements of the band, both musically and vocally, again with another awesome chorus (there's a pattern emerging here). The track is somewhere in-between the slower and faster side to the band, so I think it was perfect choice to choose to showcase themselves with. Loving the group harmony sounds too, on this one.

"Trying" is a lovely slow number, with a what I would describe as very Brand New-esque sound to it, which works so well, leading into a nice big faded out ending and with some spot on guitar sounds throughout. A big sounding track overall and a definite EP highlight. However it's "Walls" that really is the perfect choice of track to see out the EP with. I love how the song builds up to that massive sounding ending! Again, with some big sounding group harmonies thrown in here too, which accompanies vocalist Lydia's powerful vocals very nicely indeed. Well crafted and well chosen.

Overall this is a fantastic debut release; one that the band can be confident in too. I'd also like to say top job on the production here; keeping things DIY yet still managing to set the bar at a very high standard, and despite being a such a new band it's very promising to see and hear material so strong already.

For fans of: Brand New, Paramore, Jimmy Eat World

HIM - Razorblade Romance

I guess this is probably one thing you wouldn't have expected me to cover, but I was chatting recently with LIW regular contributor Burra on many things musical, and somehow, somewhere along the highway HIM came up. Burra raised the quite valid point that Razorblade Romance was a solid album in any respect, and I had to agree with him, regardless of the band that released it, or what they would become. It is eternally bizarre to think that HIM started out as a Black Sabbath tribute band (I for one cannot image them playing any Sabbath tracks), as that would be far cry from the pop-dressed-as-metal that we have here.

But, if you're gonna do something, do it right. You have to understand here that this thing came out before HIM had any real international recognition; before Bam Margera forced this band into the playlist of every male with a beanie hat and a Jackass DVD; and most definitely before Ville Valo was wetting up goth teen panties on the other side of the pond. On top that, this thing isn't going to win any awards for originality. The same lame-ass fucking drum beat carries every song, as does the muted chugging of the guitar riffs, which is used so often in verse structure that Mushroomhead started to draft up a cease and desist order. It's almost offensive to musicians worldwide how simple this shit is.

But it works. Throw in some lazy but effective keyboard playing to fill out the middle-ground and you've got the perfect backdrop for the man himself; His Infernal Majesty, Ville Valo. You gotta admit this guy has some pipes on him, and without a doubt helped carried this band to it's success. This thing is loaded with hits that could easily top charts if backed with sickly electronica instead of distorted guitars; "Poison Girl", "Right Here In These Arms", and the, I gotta be honest, absolutely fucking fantastic cover of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game".

This is one of the closest instances where metal almost became pop music (anyone who raises me that fucking farce Babymetal loses 9000 internet points - that shit is a product, nothing more).

HIM Trivia: The song "Join Me In Death" was blamed for a fan suicide and was re-titled "Join Me" for a while to avoid any further controversy. It now seems to be back as the original title, even on the band's Vevo. Also, the band are supposed to go by the name HER in America, kinda like how Ghost is supposed to go as Ghost B.C. but never do.