Long time no see. I've just listened to the new album today.
Hello guys! I don't know if any of you remember me. I used to wander around here quite a lot a few years ago. I tamed after some time, due to lack of news from the band. I was sick of waiting around without knowing when the album would come out, if it ever did come out one day.
I was excited when I heard the album would finally come out. I was even more excited when I took the subway downtown today, release day where I'm from, to get my hands on this brand new gem. I hadn't been too naughty really - had just listened to Strange World and Tears On Tape prior to purchasing the album. I hadn't even listened to the album trailers. I didn't want to spoil that day I had been waiting for so long. I wanted to savour as much as possible the very first listening of this album.
And I did. I didn't know what to expect. I listened quietly, in my bed with my earbuds on. I listened to it all in a row, without interruption. I was surprised to find no lyrics in the CD case. That didn't matter, I thought. What was it gonna be like? Pop-y like screamworks? Rock like Venus Doom? Or maybe something more American-sounding like Dark Light. I know all HIM songs, much like everyone else on here. It's the way HIM songs stay rooted in the heart that makes the band differ from any other. It's also the way the lyrics come to life. They're accessible and honest. We might not know everything Ville's referring to, but at least we feel like he's talking to us somehow.
Or so I thought. Today was the first time I listened to a HIM album and realized that I didn't love it. I'm not here to troll. I'm not bashing on the band. I'm not spoiling the surprise to you guys. I know most of you might like it like any other HIM album. Maybe it's the waiting but I expected so much more. I feel like Ville isn't talking to us in this record. He's talking to himself. I used to love the crisp sound and melodies in every him song. I used to like the way Ville would knit intricate lyrics which would make us wonder for months "What did he really mean by that?". Today, I didn't feel like he was singing anything new, anything interesting. I felt like he was singing cliché words on top of a too complex, muddy sound. Of course, there are bits there left of the "old" HIM. But is it the same old, same old? No. I feel like it's become pretentious and outdated. And you know what? For the first time today, I skipped a HIM song. I have no care for experimental, lyric-free, 1 minute long songs. There are 3 of those out of 13 songs on the album. After years and years expecting new hits from HIM with sensitive lyrics, I'm left to realize that this album has neither hits, nor a familiar feel. To me, this album is the outcome of Ville making music for himself. So there it is. I'm disappointed, and I'm left wondering what is was in the old records that made HIM music sound fresh, like a piece of art. What is 'It' that's missing in Tears On Tape? Maybe I'm the only one feeling like that. 'It' was appealing to me. 'It' made me able to tell people "Listen to this, it's like nothing you've ever heard before". Tears On Tape isn't bad. Let's say though that I wish I had something else to say about it than that, after years waiting for it to come out.
What do you think of the album? I want to know. I can't believe I didn't see any reviews from fans on here.