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 Biography HIM
Based in Helsinky, FINLAND, HIM -a.k.a. His Infernal Majesty- was founded in 1995 by the charismatic frontman, singer+bassist & songwriter Ville Hermani Vallo who assembled the band around guitarist Mikko 'Linde' Lindström and bass player Mikko 'Mige' Paananen; at the time Vallo switched from bass to vocals and he enlisted drummer Juhana Rantala to complete the line-up.
The next year saw Janne 'Burton' Puurtinen joined as keyboard player and the band released an EP which showcased their distinctive sound, a mix of Goth-Rock, Metal and a touch of Industrial.
In 1997, after Antto Melasniemi replaced Burton on keys, the group released their debut full-length disc, "Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666"; it contained the cover of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" which received massive airplay all over Europe.
During the following years, keyboardist Zoltan Pluto stepped in to replace Melasniemi, a few months later Rantala also left, Gas Lipstick replaced him on drums.
By the fall of 1999 the band recorded a single entitled "Join Me" for the movie soundtrack of the film "13th Floor"; this track was issued in the the U.S. four years later credited under the moniker of 'HER' while a Chicago outfit had already registered the name HIM.
The band's second effort, 2000's "Razorblade Romance", was a massive smash in Finland, it established them as a major European NuMetal act and went on to sell one million copies.
Pluto left the group in early 2001 to concentrate on his studies and Burton was called to replace the keyboardist; HIM unleashed their third album, "Deep Shadows And Brilliant Highlights" a year later.
In April of 2003 the band released "Love Metal", the album shot to #1 in Finnish and Germans charts and generated the U.K. top 20 hit single "The Funeral Of Hearts".
By this point, HIM accepted the proposal of the Universal Record company to represent them in America, consequently both their second and third full-length discs crashed into the top 10 of the Billboard Magazine's Top Heatseekers Albums chart.
"Love Metal" rose to the top spot in the same chart, upon its U.S. release in February 2005 and reached the #117 position on The Billboard Top 200 Albums list.
The band's next album, "Dark Light", come out in September 2005 peaking at #18 on the U.S. Top 200 chart highlighted by the first single, "Wings Of A Butterfly" which crawled up to #19 on The Modern Rock Tracks.
"Kiss Of Dawn" is the first single off HIM's new album, "Venus Doom", due in North America on September 18 and september 17 in europe
Bandmembers:
Ville valo
Lily lazer
Mige amour
Gas lipstick
Emerson burton
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