As always click twice and you should be able to read it
Translation:
„The screams grow terribly loud. The darkness of love spreads its wings again.“
Ville Valo
Heart of Darkness
After almost 2 decades the finnish Love Metal band HIM is more successful than ever. With their 7th studio album Screamworks VV & co return with their hitherto most energy-rich and catching Dark Love Songs. Big Cheese met the iconic frontman to take a look into the new record’s dark heart...
“My songs have always been about love and relationships in general – for me this is the only natural topic I can write about, ” VV admits. “Whenever I start writing lyrics I always end up with that topic.”
Thus it’s no surprise that HIM’s new record is a sequel of that dark romantic which has already run through the previous albums – the newest chapter of Ville’s book of lovepoems. Anyway Screamworks is obviously the most focused and personal HIM album up to date.
“Since the album is released in the week of Valentine’s Day it is my personal Valentine’s card. A particular person has been my muse and the centre of my thoughts while working on the songs. I’m very happy about that fact. I’ve put much emotion into the songs and at the same time I’ve been to afraid, too much of a coward to actually tell her those things. I tend to hide my feelings pretty good. If that person listens to the record she will hear a lot of things differently than anybody else which I find very sexy.”
“For my the core of love is something magical and untouchable.”
Secret messages aside V admits that not one person alone is responsible for all new razorsharp romantic songs on Screamworks. While the album itself is a web of different influences – “For me it’s a mix of Sonic Temple by The Cult and The Corrosion by Sisters of Mercy and 80s synths-stuff, ” V enthuses – “the complexity is expressed already in the title itself.” [something is missing in this sentence]
“The title Love in Theory and Practice as an expression sounds paradox but this is what I like about it. I still can’t find a theoretical or practical way to speculate upon true love or relationships. You can speculate upon the meaning of marriage or talk about different aspects of the relationship your in. But the core of love is something magical, untouchable. This is way I like the title. Screamworks expresses the same thing. There are different kinds of screams and the sound pretty similar what makes it easy to mistake them. There are ecstatic screams, screams of pain and everything in between...”
“I understand the there is light at the end of the tunnel but I’m not sure it simply is an oncoming train.”
Valo did more than just write a diary of last year’s May and June: It’s a musical ode to love which is as diverse as its complicated topic ranging from rising melodic hights down to noisy hard depths. “The feeling of the album to me can change on a daily basis depending on where I am. I wanted the album to work properly every time I listen to it. And so far it has been.”
V’s constant development and his singing during the last couple of years becomes clear on this record especially in comparison to 2007’s Venus Doom which was way darker and heavier and sounds almost like a Peaceville record.
“The main features of the band are still there – my hot bariton voice and the special accent didn’t change, ” he explains and continues joking: “We have drums, bass, guitar and keyboards. What did change over time is the mixture of those things, from production to the aspiration of writing better music.
“The previous album was writting from the point of view that all hope was lost while on this record I at least admit the existence of hope while not being sure where to find it. However I accept its existence. But it only makes things more dramatic for me since I admit that to myself. I understand the there is light at the end of the tunnel but I’m not sure it simply is an oncoming train. That makes matters even more dramatic and pressing for me.”
The powerful energy of Screamworks is the result of Valo concentrating on songs with live qualities while writing.
“It felt natural to make it a quick album and in that regard it’s our fastest album up to date while the songs still have that melancholic feeling which you know for example from Depeche Mode. In a way the songs are atmospheric and sad but you can still shake your butt to them and celebrate. You can listen to them in a club, get mindlessly pissed and talk big to them. But when you listen to them at home then I hope they develop a certain depth on an emotional level and that it’s interesting to listen to those songs.”
It’s not just interesting to listen to them bu also to look closer. The cover, inspired by Siouxsie and the Banshees, Andy Warhol and posterart, shows a strange and amazing picture of a nun whith 4 eyes and 2 mouths which mirrors the surreal and abstract nature of the lyrics and emotions of the music.
“We call it Saint Scream, ” V explains. “I more or less did the cover myself. I have an old religious sculpture of a nun at home. I took a picture of it and started editing it. I created the eye thing because I’m a huge fan of optical illusions. Then I gave it to an artist who put the final professional touches to it. I can’t wait to get my hands on the vinyl since the colors and the cover are literally going to jump at you. I’m really proud of the cover and I think it’s really compelling. There are studies which explain why one get a bit dizzy looking into 4 eyes. It’s because the brain tries to detect the real eyes between. It’s like a car crash – you shouldn’t look at it but you can’t avoid it. It fit the album perfectly.”
With so much love for detail and hard work it’s astonishing that V is still so inspired at this point in the history of the band. At the time of the interview he was busy arranging the last details of the album with the label (e.g. the design of the sticker) – which means living in LA time and staying awake in Helsinki till 6am to be involved in every part of the production. And since Valo has regularly worked 12 hours a day on this album it’s adequate to be such a work of love. “There are many people who get lazy in this late phase but I think you can’t do that, ” V reasons: “For the fans the first impression would be carelessness or discovering faults. We try to make sure to avoid as much of that as possible.”
As the band started recording after months of rehearsing they entered the studio “being as well prepared for lucky accidents as possible” allowing creative energy to change the songs whenever it happened. “We were willing to take risks and to pee onto our own little plant.”
“When I grab a taxi to throw myself into the nightlife of Helsinki I always see the same fools who keep on talking bullshit all through the night. This simply isn’t the best way to spend a night for me.”
“After having rehearsed for 10 hours a day for months I turned into a nocturnal being, ” V admits. This intensive working ethic is partly due to the fact that V who used to be an addict to alcohol, has been sober for the past 2 ½ years.
“Staying sober hasn’t been a problem at all. When I grab a taxi to throw myself into the nightlife of Helsinki I always see the same fools who keep on talking bullshit all through the night. This simply isn’t the best way to spend a night for me. When I’m at home I don’t want to go out or have dinner.”
“Thinking about getting drunk is still adverse to me. I’m still getting sick when I think of drowing some Jack Daniels. I’ve taken this kind of lifestyle pretty far. If I had continued like this I would have ended up in hospital, the band would have split and I would have lost everything. I still regard music as my priority. Drinking is only second. And if music demands no intoxicants to be involved I should respect that.”
While he still “smokes a shit load of cigarettes” – his “only vice except coffein” – this time the intense concentration on music has paid off. Screamworks succeeds in contrasting dashing music and desperate cathatic lyrics which V thinks to be the “eternal Yin-Yang of the band”. And with all those dedicated fans everywhere, from Finland to England, Germany and the USA, HIM’s Darklove-Metal seems to be on a popularity high.
“It’s overwhelming, ” V admits modestly. “All this happened without us having a real hit neither in England nor in the USA. Basically everything has evolved in tiny steps. Being on tour in the states for the first time 2003 or 2004 we played the Whiskey A Go Go and the Roxy, all those classic clubs and they all were sold out. We were really surprised by that. 5000 miles away from home and everybody already knew the songs and the lyrics. It was like a little wonder.”
Seeing how fans adorn themselves with HIM shirts and Heartagram tattoos the esthetics and the message of the dark side of love obviously hit a raw nerve with the rockfans reaching a similar level than metalgods Iron Maiden and Metallica.
“I wouldn’t go that far, ” V says. “If it develops like this I will be really happy since my first concert has been Iron Maiden in Helsinki 1987. I still have that t-shirt which I proudly wear on special occasions. Faithful fans are one of those things you can’t buy with money. I’m astonished that people still are so dedicated, that they always want more. The want to come to concerts, want to buy shirts – it’s really very astonishing. This isn’t the case for many bands.”
This enthusiasm of their wide spread fans is reflected in the plannin for their 2010 tour. After a special Valentine’s Day gig in London, followed by a festival in Australia and a tour through Europe they will do a quick trip to England before entering the chaos of a North America tour, european summer festivals and another european tour.
Ian Chaddock
Heartagrams
Ville Valo tells some things about the single songs of the dark and romantic album Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice.
1. In Venere Veritas
Strangely a latin unusual title. It means “In love there is truth” which derives from In Vino Veritas which means “In Wine there is truth”. Due to rehab I was forced to switch from wine to crucial things. Actually we wanted Ode to Solitude to be the first song but IVV starts off with “Let’s fall apart together now” and when I say “now” the band gets started. It just felt fantastic to start the album like that. It’s absolutely direct and puts you into the right mood for the album.
2. Scared to Death
This is our pop song. We tend to put one slightly poppy song onto our albums. I’m a huge fan of the alternative rock band Hüsker Dü and this one is a pop song with a really peculiar text: “In the biblical sense and sensibility let me know you, I'll kiss that smile off your face, just say when.” The second verse goes: “All these pickup lines from hell, icebreakers infernal, from the heart so black and blue, only to you.” I love that song simply because of its simpleness. It is direct and melodic without strange contents.
3. Heartkiller
This is the single. You can never tell which song’s gonna be a single. If you write an album you hope that it will be packed with hits and it will be at least as successful as Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Let’s look at it realistically. You work on many songs and play them to many people and it always seems that 2 or 3 stand out. This time its Scared to Death, Heartkiller and Disarm me. Heartkiller is the most rock one of those three. It has everything to describe the new album as a whole – the production, the synths-intro, the swinging depth of the chorus and the extremely peculiar lyrics. We tried to include the different influences of the bandmembers in every single song.
4. Dying Song
This is one of those pseudo-poetic, super melancholy songs and the chorus sounds a lot like The Cult. It’s one of my favorite songs because it differs from existing norms. It’s really rocking but somehow it’s a strange mix of celebration and melancholy. Just go with the flow and you’ll see where it takes you.
5. Disarm me (with your Loneliness)
Sometime in 2001 or 2002 I recorded 4 demos of this one but we never managed to get it right, I don’t know why. I learn to be patient with songs. If it doesn’t feel right we don’t record them.
[6. is missing]
7. Katherine Wheel
This is my favorite song on the album. It has a very simply structure for the chords but it took ages to get this dynamic into it. Sometimes it’s it simple songs which are hardest to get done because otherwise they would sound boring. Lyrically it combines the legend of Saint Katherine of Alexandria who was tried to kill by a wheel until the wheel broke with a story of a relationship. Lyrically it’s awesome.
8. In the Arms of Rain
This is a bit like early electro meeting U2 and then again The Cult. It’s about the time when me and my brother were young and jumping around under the roaring thunder and lightning in the sky during a summer rain in Helsinki. Somehow it reminds me of all the bad things that have happened and how little has changed at it. My brother and me went our own ways but we’re still friends.
9. Ode to Solitude
This is probably the heaviest song on the album. The riff sounds a bit like Metallica and the drums like Lars Ulrich. Its was one of the last songs I wrote for the album. It really has a lot of Metallica in it.
10. Shatter me with Hope
Here we have a song with a riff reminding of Kyuss. It’s simply a pretty rocking song and it’s about you having to overcome a lot of shit to be a bit lucky. There’s nothing for free in life.
11. Acoustic Funeral
This is the second eccentric song on the album. It’s an even weirder hip swing. I call it lullaby from hell. It sounds a little like an old jukebox song and is pretty unrealistic. We tried to mix the aesthetic aspects of The Mortal Coil with November Rain.
12. Like St. Valentine
This was the first song to work on for the new album. It’s really punky. Similarly to Shatter me with Hope it’s a 3minute song which will be superb live.
13. The Foreboding Sense of Impending Happiness
This is the only song we recorded without drums and only little guitar. It is based on syths and has a Depeche Mode feeling to it. It like a strange dialoge which doesn’t really fit the picture but still transports a certain content. It’s one of my favs since it’s very different from what we did in the past.
