HIM - Dark Light (#2974)

Eyesore · **Posted:** Mon Oct 17, 2005 8:23 pm

What I find funny is how much people hate HIM and always refer to the fans and Hot Topic in their justification. First off, fans and Hot Topic have nothing to do with a band and their music. Second, if you want someone to blame, blame Bam Margera. I've said it before, the only HIM album available in the US prior to last year was Razorblade Romance and that was under the name HER because the band had issues with trademarks. Still, even under the HER name the album was very hard to find.

I saw the growth of this band because I was a fan from the beginning and initially people actually liked HIM, even metal fans. It is melodic goth rock. Always has been. But the second Bam Margera declared the band the greatest in the world, all the kids jumped on the band's nuts, as did US labels, and psuedo-goth chain stores like Hot Topic. That is when the perception of the band changed! The thing is, the band themselves never changed! I think it's great for the band that someone like Bam Margera would open doors for them that undoubtedly would never have been opened had he not given them some promotion. But when does popularity become a negative fault of the band?

In the end, though, even with this new album, the band has not changed. They're really no different now than they were when they started except for the fact that the songs are actually written better! Don't give me the "they're too poppy now" crap because that is untrue. The difference now is the perception of the band based on the popularity they have garnered since they were more "underground." They have not changed. This is a good album, not their best, but a good, solid 85/100 for me.

Radical Cut · **Joined:** Sat Jul 09, 2005 10:19 am **Posts:** 960

Slayer Of Kings wrote:

I thought the recent 80% of hard rock album reviews per week was bad enough. Then you review this truckload of utter crap. Do you still want this site to be taken serious?

I couldn't agree more about the stupifying amount of lame hard rock reviews...as for the bolded part of this quote:

No.

They are too busy making sure Burzum doesn't get reviewed to actually care at all whether or not a review belongs on this site or not (I had to). If you look at the archives you see they were reviewing Korn and Limp Bizkit favorably at one point, and now it's simply changed to metalcore and whatever other alternative rock-ish crap that is the rage with the kiddos, in this case it's HIM. They are less concerned with being a reputable source for metal reviews than they are with putting on a nice face for scenesters or those much maligned hot topic fans to traffic the site.

As for HIM, I thought they were bland and stupid 3 or so years ago when a friend told me to check them out, and I think the same of them now.

Legacy Of The Night · **Posted:** Mon Oct 17, 2005 9:49 pm

I don't like HIM, but I won't start bashing the site saying, and I quote...

Quote:

They are too busy making sure Burzum doesn't get reviewed to actually care at all whether or not a review belongs on this site or not (I had to). If you look at the archives you see they were reviewing Korn and Limp Bizkit favorably at one point, and now it's simply changed to metalcore and whatever other alternative rock-ish crap that is the rage with the kiddos, in this case it's HIM. They are less concerned with being a reputable source for metal reviews than they are with putting on a nice face for scenesters or those much maligned hot topic fans to traffic the site.

...becuase they reviewed it. Grow up, people.

Radagast · **Posted:** Mon Oct 17, 2005 9:50 pm

Slayer Of Kings wrote:

leee wrote:

Eyesore wrote:

It's funny, you guys come off as some 14 year old Hot Topic girls when an album you don't like gets reviewed.

lol, this is very true, you guys bitch more then a 14 year old you ran out of masscara or something. I don't like HIM.......whaaa, HIM isn't Metal enough for me......whaaa, why do you review HIM.......whaa, Whaa you put a gun to my head and made me read it......whaa, when will 80's thrash come back so I can be really metal......whaa damn go wash the sand out of your vaginas and get back to us when you feel better.

Is good radio rock, nothing more, nothing less.

Sounds like something a 14 year old Hot Topic girl might say in defence.

Exactly.

As soon as people criticise a band like this, you get some smart-arse trying to sound all knowing and witty defending it. If something is shit, I'll say its shit, and why I think that it is.

Clarifying my post above - HIM are shite because they play the same (terrible) song again and again. Their playing is totally average in every way and Valo can't sing. He also writes the same lyrics over and over again. The fact that stupid goth kids think they're listening to some dark piece of art doesn't come into the equation.

Ben@MetalReviews · **Joined:** Fri Sep 17, 2004 12:12 pm **Posts:** 126

Here's the only post I'll make on this thread. Everyone that is getting all whiny over the fact that I reviewed HIM, you make me laugh my ass off. I didnt review this because I got it for free, no I paid for it. I didnt review this because MR had a team meeting and decided "Ok guys, lets be trendy and current, Ben you review HIM this week, Jay next you'll interview Bobaflex. Ok guys... BREAK!"

I just got through touring with Lilitu, God Dethroned, Nightrage, Manntis, Thine Eyes Bleed, and Hell Within. Do you want to know what the guys in Nightage, Lilitu and God Dethroned listen to? There are guys of Nightrage who really like Korn, Slipknot, Meshuggah, Corrosion of Conformity alot.

On Manntis' RV in Chicago we had people from Nightrage, Atrocity, Lilitu and Hell Within onboard drinking and partying to the sounds of Motley Crue, Firehouse, Testament, the new Avenged Sevenfold, Pantera, and HIM. Everyone was having a blast singing along and air guitaring and whatnot. Other groups that were on the playlist on the tour were : 30 Seconds to Mars, John Mellencamp, Dream Theater, Emperor, Darkest Hour, Johnny Cash, R. Kelley, Paul Oakenfold, Nightwish, Within Temptation, 3 Inches of Blood, Rammstein, Threshold, the classic rock stations on the radio, Kelly Clarkson, drum n bass mixes, and a whole slew of other stuff. So personally I think its funny as hell that all of you are throwing a fit over a HIM review when bands you listen to and admire probably have this album sitting in their collection right now as well as others that you would cry and get red in the face over if we even brought them up.

Grow up, move out of mom's basement and push yourself away from the computer for a few hours. Life outside of elitism is actually quite nice.

Radical Cut · **Joined:** Sat Jul 09, 2005 10:19 am **Posts:** 960

Legacy Of The Night wrote:

I don't like HIM, but I won't start bashing the site saying, and I quote...

Quote:

They are too busy making sure Burzum doesn't get reviewed to actually care at all whether or not a review belongs on this site or not (I had to). If you look at the archives you see they were reviewing Korn and Limp Bizkit favorably at one point, and now it's simply changed to metalcore and whatever other alternative rock-ish crap that is the rage with the kiddos, in this case it's HIM. They are less concerned with being a reputable source for metal reviews than they are with putting on a nice face for scenesters or those much maligned hot topic fans to traffic the site.

...becuase they reviewed it. Grow up, people.

Oh spare me the ass-kissing bullshit. I simply made the same obversation that everyone here without their head up their ass can make for themselves.

Radical Cut · **Joined:** Sat Jul 09, 2005 10:19 am **Posts:** 960

Ben@MetalReviews wrote:

Here's the only post I'll make on this thread. Everyone that is getting all whiny over the fact that I reviewed HIM, you make me laugh my ass off. I didnt review this because I got it for free, no I paid for it. I didnt review this because MR had a team meeting and decided "Ok guys, lets be trendy and current, Ben you review HIM this week, Jay next you'll interview Bobaflex. Ok guys... BREAK!"

I just got through touring with Lilitu, God Dethroned, Nightrage, Manntis, Thine Eyes Bleed, and Hell Within. Do you want to know what the guys in Nightage, Lilitu and God Dethroned listen to? There are members of Nightrage who really like Korn, Slipknot, Meshuggah, Corrosion of Conformity alot.

On Manntis' RV in Chicago we had members from Nightrage, Atrocity, Lilitu and Hell Within onboard drinking and partying to the sounds of Motley Crue, Firehouse, Testament, the new Avenged Sevenfold, Pantera, and HIM. Everyone was having a blast singing along and air guitaring and whatnot. Other groups that were on the playlist on the tour were : 30 Seconds to Mars, John Mellencamp, Dream Theater, Emperor, Darkest Hour, Johnny Cash, R. Kelley, Paul Oakenfold, Nightwish, Within Temptation, 3 Inches of Blood, Rammstein, Threshold, the classic rock stations on the radio, Kelly Clarkson, drum n bass mixes, and a whole slew of other stuff. So personally I think its funny as hell that all of you are throwing a fit over a HIM review when bands you listen to and admire are probably have this album sitting in their collection right now as well as others that you would cry and get red in the face over if we even brought them up.

Grow up, move out of mom's basement and push yourself away from the computer for a few hours. Life outside of elitism is actually quite nice.

Ok, so maybe you don't have trendy review meetings, but you certainly seem to have "let's use run of the mill insults against anyone who cares about something that happens on the site" meetings. You know how you were so proud to tell us that you laugh at our responses? It's a reciprocal activity, trust me.

And all of those bands suck anyway.

Caligula_K · **Joined:** Mon Nov 22, 2004 8:56 pm **Posts:** 3561

How did this topic get to page 2? H.I.M. (More like S.U.C.K.) suck ass. End of story.

Legacy Of The Night · **Posted:** Mon Oct 17, 2005 10:00 pm

Radical Cut wrote:

Legacy Of The Night wrote:

I don't like HIM, but I won't start bashing the site saying, and I quote...

Quote:

They are too busy making sure Burzum doesn't get reviewed to actually care at all whether or not a review belongs on this site or not (I had to). If you look at the archives you see they were reviewing Korn and Limp Bizkit favorably at one point, and now it's simply changed to metalcore and whatever other alternative rock-ish crap that is the rage with the kiddos, in this case it's HIM. They are less concerned with being a reputable source for metal reviews than they are with putting on a nice face for scenesters or those much maligned hot topic fans to traffic the site.

...becuase they reviewed it. Grow up, people.

Oh spare me the ass-kissing bullshit. I simply made the same obversation that everyone here without their head up their ass can make for themselves.

Oh, right, how could I forget? Yes, reviewing Exhumer and Xasthur is really putting on a nice face for scenesters or those much maligned Hot Topic fans.

Misha · **Posted:** Mon Oct 17, 2005 10:08 pm

Ben@MetalReviews wrote:

So personally I think its funny as hell that all of you are throwing a fit over a HIM review when bands you listen to and admire probably have this album sitting in their collection right now as well as others that you would cry and get red in the face over if we even brought them up.

Ben told me Dhaubgurz listen to HIM :shock: No Ben... No.

But you gotta review whatever you like, it's not that this review from HIM takes the place of a review by another reviewer. Although I got to mention this is HIM!! :cry:

Just curious, what do the members in God Dethrone listen to?
Not that they are that good, as Radical Cut said, about all bands mentioned suck.

Dead Machine · **Joined:** Sun Sep 19, 2004 6:24 pm **Posts:** 2527

Jesus Christ, pyramids on Mars. There's no preset mainstream agenda. Reviewers review what they want to review, which can fall under anything from 'album they've been anticipating for upwards of 4 years' to 'album that they grabbed randomly off their desk while drunk because the name sounded funny,' and ranging in genre from 'Vociferous Proto-Grind-Black-Extreme Metal' to 'Happy Tea Parties With Unicorns Power Metal.'

If you don't like HIM, congrats. If a reviewer likes HIM, he'll probably review it favorably. The reverse may happen as well. Live with it, for fuck's sake. It's not like you HAVE to read the review.

Good review, Ben. I admit to a fondness for Deep Shadows... and Razorblade Romance. I'll probably check this one out at some point based on the review, given that I didn't like Love Metal much at all.

Radical Cut · **Joined:** Sat Jul 09, 2005 10:19 am **Posts:** 960

Since when does 'living with it' strictly demand that you don't post about it?

It's always the double-team of "OMFG DEAL WITH IT" and "get a life losers!". How about you guys deal with the inevitable fact that people won't always like your review, or the band you review, especially when you review something so far removed from the genre from which the site takes its name.

Dead Machine · **Joined:** Sun Sep 19, 2004 6:24 pm **Posts:** 2527

Radical Cut wrote:

Since when does 'living with it' strictly demand that you don't post about it?

The site-bashing is uncalled for.

Posting about it is fine, but leave the damn site out of it.

Ness · **Posted:** Mon Oct 17, 2005 10:42 pm

Radical Cut wrote:

Since when does 'living with it' strictly demand that you don't post about it?

It's always the double-team of "OMFG DEAL WITH IT" and "get a life losers!". How about you guys deal with the inevitable fact that people won't always like your review, or the band you review, especially when you review something so far removed from the genre from which the site takes its name.

Posting about it sure, but you were bashing the website.

Ness · **Posted:** Mon Oct 17, 2005 10:43 pm

Dead Machine wrote:

Radical Cut wrote:

Since when does 'living with it' strictly demand that you don't post about it?

The site-bashing is uncalled for.

Posting about it is fine, but leave the damn site out of it.

damn you for posting before me

Eyesore · **Posted:** Mon Oct 17, 2005 10:51 pm

Radagast wrote:

...they play the same (terrible) song again and again. Their playing is totally average in every way and Valo can't sing. He also writes the same lyrics over and over again.

Change a few words around and you just described AC/DC.

I think it's really stupid that people actually bitch about what is reviewed here. Did any of you pay attention to the thread created about this very issue a while back where it was explained why certain bands get reviewed and other's don't? Of course no one paid attention because if they did they wouldn't be able to complain about something that is unnecessary. If you want Burzum reviewed why don't you petition Burzum and their label to send their albums to the reviewers here to be reviewed, or why don't you donate copies of Burzum's albums to the reviewers?

Ness · **Posted:** Mon Oct 17, 2005 11:00 pm

Eyesore wrote:

Radagast wrote:

...they play the same (terrible) song again and again. Their playing is totally average in every way and Valo can't sing. He also writes the same lyrics over and over again.

Change a few words around and you just described AC/DC.

I think it's really stupid that people actually bitch about what is reviewed here. Did any of you pay attention to the thread created about this very issue a while back where it was explained why certain bands get reviewed and other's don't? Of course no one paid attention because if they did they wouldn't be able to complain about something that is unnecessary. If you want Burzum reviewed why don't you petition Burzum and their label to send their albums to the reviewers here to be reviewed, or why don't you donate copies of Burzum's albums to the reviewers?

It still won't be reviewed b/c Burzum is NSBM (I know there are those who disagree let's not get into that discussion I'm just explaining to Eyesore why they wouldn't review it so don't say anything because it has all been said before in many many many previous threads).

Radical Cut · **Joined:** Sat Jul 09, 2005 10:19 am **Posts:** 960

You can't deny that this site has no serious concerns with controlling the metal-ness of the things reviewed. There is not much of a standard for what can and can't be reviewed musically, only lyrically. How can I be bashing the site when all I'm doing is stating the obvious? The obvious being that metalreviews' name has a fairly weak connection to what is actually reviewed here. It's like having a black metal reviews site constantly reviewing NWOBHM or something.

Sure, the reviewers should be able to review what they want, but there is a point where things just don't belong on a site that is supposed to be for something else. If you love HIM so much, go post your review on their message board and rejoice, or work with a site that reviews pop and rock if you want so desperately to review pop/rock albums. I don't understand why there is such vitriol and indignance to the reactions here every time when it should be painfully obvious that HIM doesn't belong on a metal site in the first place.

Radical Cut · **Joined:** Sat Jul 09, 2005 10:19 am **Posts:** 960

metalNESS wrote:

Eyesore wrote:

Radagast wrote:

...they play the same (terrible) song again and again. Their playing is totally average in every way and Valo can't sing. He also writes the same lyrics over and over again.

Change a few words around and you just described AC/DC.

I think it's really stupid that people actually bitch about what is reviewed here. Did any of you pay attention to the thread created about this very issue a while back where it was explained why certain bands get reviewed and other's don't? Of course no one paid attention because if they did they wouldn't be able to complain about something that is unnecessary. If you want Burzum reviewed why don't you petition Burzum and their label to send their albums to the reviewers here to be reviewed, or why don't you donate copies of Burzum's albums to the reviewers?

It still won't be reviewed b/c Burzum is NSBM (I know there are those who disagree let's not get into that discussion I'm just explaining to Eyesore why they wouldn't review it so don't say anything because it has all been said before in many many many previous threads).

And as Ben said himself, he went out and bought this cd. This wasn't an obligation.

Eyesore · **Posted:** Mon Oct 17, 2005 11:08 pm

Radical Cut wrote:

You can't deny that this site has no serious concerns with controlling the metal-ness of the things reviewed. There is not much of a standard for what can and can't be reviewed musically, only lyrically. How can I be bashing the site when all I'm doing is stating the obvious? The obvious being that metalreviews' name has a fairly weak connection to what is actually reviewed here. It's like having a black metal reviews site constantly reviewing NWOBHM or something.

Sure, the reviewers should be able to review what they want, but there is a point where things just don't belong on a site that is supposed to be for something else. If you love HIM so much, go post your review on their message board and rejoice, or work with a site that reviews pop and rock if you want so desperately to review pop/rock albums. I don't understand why there is such vitriol and indignance to the reactions here every time when it should be painfully obvious that HIM doesn't belong on a metal site in the first place.

"Metal" is an extremely broad term. When people on this site bash genre labelling they shouldn't then be able to come into another thread and state that "metal" is a strict term. That's stupid. Have you ever seen a family tree? Well, metal is at the top and everything branches from it, thus is encompassed by the "metal" label is some form or fashion. I think HIM are a rock band, but I cannot find fault with anyone seeing them as a metal band.

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HIM - Dark Light (#2974)

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