Kinski auf dem Bauch - HIM-Sänger Ville Valo im Interview
Ville Valo von HIM sieht einfach hinreißend aus!
Zehn Jahre nach HIMs Durchbruch-Hit „Join Me" sieht der finnische Sänger Ville Valo besser aus denn je. Inwiefern Klaus Kinski dazu beigetragen hat, erzählt der 33-Jährige im Interview mit Katja Schwemmers für DU&ICH.
DU&ICH: Ville, zum ersten Mal seit langem zeigst du dich im HIM-Video zu „Heartkiller" wieder mit entblößtem Oberkörper. Das erinnert ja fast an „Join Me"-Zeiten!
Ville Valo: Ich kann es mir wieder leisten! Ich habe den überschüssigen Speck am Bauch verloren, weil ich dem Alkohol abgeschworen habe.
DU&ICH: Das lenkt den Blick auf ein neues Tattoo neben deinem Bauchnabel: den Kopf von Klaus Kinski! Wie kommst du dazu?
Die Antwort - und viele mehr - findet sich in der aktuellen Ausgabe Februar/März!
10 years after HIM's breakthrough hit "Join Me" singer VV looks better than ever. In an interview with Katja Schwemmers for DU&ICH the 33-year old tells in what way Klaus Kinski has added to that.
DU&ICH: Ville, for the first time in ages you show your naked chest again in the "Heartkiller" video. This reminds me of the time during "Join Me"!
VV: I'm able to do that again. I got rid of all the fat on the belly because I renounced alcohol.
DU&ICH: This draws the glance to a new tattoo on the belly: Klaus Kinski's head. How did that happen?
Listen to the Rock Show with Daniel P Carter on Feb 9th for HIM session tracks and an exclusive interview. Get more info Here!
The Heartagram Edition of Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice pre-order is now available! Also the iTunes pre-order Screamworks: Love In Theory And Practice is now live for both the STANDARD & DELUXE editions!
HIMin johtohahmo Ville Valo uskoo raitistumisestaan huolimatta yhä boheemitaiteilijuuden voimaan. Yhtye palaa uudella Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice -levyllään popahtavien sävyjen pariin, mutta laskelmoidusta kaupallisuudesta ei voi senkään osalta puhua.
Teksti: Toni Keränen Kuva: Markus Paajala
Vuonna 1997 ensimmäisen levynsä Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 julkaisseen HIMin menestystarinan perusfaktat lienevät tuttuja useimmille suomalaisille populaarikulttuurin ystäville. Razorblade Romancen (1999) Join Me -hitistä lähtenyt nousukiito on johtanut maailmanlaajuisiin kiertueisiin, ensimmäiseen suomalaisbändin saamaan kultalevyyn USA:ssa ja niin edelleen.
Monet suomalaiset musiikkialan toimijat ovat myös lausunnoissaan rakentaneet laulaja Ville Valosta kuvaa, jonka mukaan hän on kaikkia lankoja käsissään pitävä rockbisneksen nero.
- Mun asiantuntemus liittyy musiikkiin ja ehkä visuaaliseen antiin, levynkansiin ja muuhun. On hyvä olla tietoinen siitä, mitä tapahtuu, mutta eivät minua kiinnosta mitkään bisnesjutut tai budjetit. Hällä väliä, paljonko videot ovat maksaneet tai muuta vastaavaa, Valo selventää.
- Itse voi kelailla vähän tuollaista friikimpää kamaa, ja sitten on erikseen ne tyypit, jotka tavallaan pitävät minut aisoissa. Että tämä levy ei voi olla neliön muotoinen, kun sellaista ei voi laittaa soittimiin. On kiva antaa oman mielikuvituksensa ja ideoiden lentää, ja sitten joku pitää minua kaulapannassa, myös makuuhuoneen ulkopuolella.
Valon viime aikojen tapahtumia kuunnellessa käy joka tapauksessa selväksi, että myös hänen mainitsemassaan "friikimmässä kamassa" riittää työsarkaa yhden miehen tarpeiksi. Kiireet eivät loppuneet siihen, kun Screamworksin äänitykset saatiin päätökseen loka-marraskuun vaihteen tietämillä Los Angelesin The Lair -studiossa.
- Olen nyt ollut puolitoista kuukautta Suomessa ja keho on vieläkin Los Angelesin ajassa. Olen joka aamu kuudelta ylhäällä. Odotan, että videoista tulee uusia leikkauksia, levystä master-versioita ja kansien hyväksymisiä ja niin edelleen. Samaan aikaan äänittelen uutta materiaalia kotini yläkerran pienessä studiossa. Se vie paljon aikaa.
- Toisaalta hommaan liittyy tietty intuitiivisuus. Jossain vaiheessa pitää osata päästää irti jutuista, ja se on oma taiteenlajinsa. Ei sitä voi kelata jokaista asiaa kuolleeksi asti. Jokaisesta asiasta löytyy jotain, johon et ole tyytyväinen tai muuten pitäisi tehdä aivan jokainen juttu itse. Sitä kautta ei vain löydä iloisia onnistumisia ja yllätyksiä.
Tuleeko kaiken kiireen ja säätämisen keskellä mieleen, että hei, tämähän on kuitenkin vain rokkia, kuinka se on mennyt näin vakavaksi? Valo kääntää asetelman hieman toisin päin.
- Itselleni homman ironia piilee siinä, että on joku jätkä kaukaisessa maailmankolkassa, joka itkee sydänverellään ja esittelee kappaleen kavereilleen. Hän käyttää kuukausia siihen, kun sitä kolmen ja puolen minuutin biisiä värkätään yhä uudelleen.
- Sitten se kappale äänitetään maailman hienoimmilla kamoilla parhaimpien tuottajien kanssa. Sitten tuotos muunnetaan ykkösiksi ja nolliksi ja myydään 99 sentin hintaan. Se on todella hauskaa. Ihan sama kuin joku Botticelli tekisi 2 x 2 metrin maalauksen, joka painetaan postikortiksi.
Translation: HIM frontman Ville Valo raitistumisestaan believes, are still in force boheemitaiteilijuuden. The band returns with a new Scream Works: Love in Theory and Practice popahtavien album a couple of shades, but a calculated commercialism is not required, even to talk about.
Text: Toni Keränen Photo: Markus Paajala
In 1997, their first album Greatest Love Songs Vol 666 HIM published its story of success for the basic facts are probably familiar to most fans of popular culture in Finland. Razorblade Romance (1999), Join Me, exited hit nousukiito has led to global tours, the first Finnish band to get a gold disc in the USA and so on.
Many Finnish music players are also built up its opinions singer Ville Light the image that he has all the strings keeping business, the precursor rock genius.
- My expertise relates to the music and perhaps a visual issue, album covers and more. It is good to be aware of what is happening, but do not interest me any business stuff or the budgets. What's the odds, how many videos are paid for or something similar, clear light.
- Self can reel in a bit friikimpää stuff like that, and then specifically the types who keep me in check in a way. That this disc can not be a square, where a can not put a player. It's nice to give your own imagination and ideas to fly, and then someone thinks I'm neck-taboo, even outside the bedroom.
Light of recent events while listening to it in any case clear that he referred to its "friikimmässä kamassa" credible "one man enough to their needs. Rush did not end it when the recordings of Scream Works were completed in October-November of the turn of the way in which Los Angeles-The Lair of the studio.
- I've now been a month and a half in Finland and I have even more time in Los Angeles. I'm up at six every morning. I expect that the videos will be new cuts in the master disc versions and covers of approvals and so on. At the same time äänittelen new material in a small studio in my home upstairs. It takes a long time.
- Second, get you to the end-intuitive. At some point, must be able to let go of stuff, and it is true to my art. It does not rewind every issue until dead. Each issue can be found in something for which you are not satisfied, or otherwise to do every thing right itself. Hence not only find the successes and happy surprises.
Will all the urgency and the adjustment of the center in mind that, hey, that is precisely, however, only a rock, how it has gone so serious? Lighting design to turn a little the other way around.
- For me the job irony is that the guy is a distant corner of the world, who cries, and presents song sydänverellään friends. He used it for months, when it is three and a half minutes värkätään songs over and over again.
- Then the song is recorded kamoilla the best in the world's finest producers. Then the output is converted to ykkösiksi and zeros, and is sold for 99 cents. It's really fun. Just the same as someone would do Botticelli 2 x 2 meter painting, printed postcards.
Ville told you to stay tuned to Euro-Rock Radio to find out whether SCREAMWORKS was going to be all you hoped and now we can finally give you our review! Read on for a very detailed song by song review and get ready for the return of HIM!
It's been with much anticipation that I've been waiting for HIM's seventh studio album, Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice. I bought the first single, "Heartkiller", as soon as it was released and was somewhat surprised by what I'd heard. It was different, but still definitely HIM and very catchy. When the band gave fans an early Valentine's present with the release of a video for "Like Saint Valentine" (www.likesaintvalentine.com) I fell in love with that song immediately. Beyond that only snippets of songs have been released (though the European single of "Heartkiller" has "Shatter Me With Hope" as well) and it's always hard to get a real idea of a whole album from snippets.
Last night I was given the chance to hear the album in its entirety and let me tell you HIM has outdone themselves. I was, quite simply, amazed by what I heard. Vastly different from their previous release, Venus Doom, Screamworks is a straight forward rock album that leaves behind the doom and gloom of Venus Doom and gives you the sense that maybe this whole love thing might not be so bad after all. Sure you're bound to get hurt but it just might be worth it.
I've heard fans voice concerns that it's to 'poppy' and I can see why they might say that. Yes there are some pop undertones in some of the songs but trust me, it works. On top of that there is a very 80's feel to the album as they make plenty of use of synths throughout the songs but HIM have always been a bit cheesy. Valo knows it's not healthy to take yourself too seriously and that's clearly seen in parts of this album. But have no fear HIMlings, the wicked imagery, melancholy, play with words, killer riffs, growls and sighs and screams that hooked you on these guys from Finland are all still very much present. If I had to compare it to one of their previous albums I'd probably say a mix of Love Metal and Razorblade Romance. Plenty to make the long time fans happy and just a little bit more to bring in the new fans as well.
If you don't want to be spoiled any more than stop reading now. Otherwise, continue on for my thoughts on each song.
In Venere Veritas: A nice way to start off the album I think. Definitely get a poppy vibe off this one but the chorus is very catchy and the lyrics have some very nice imagery. There's a hopeful feeling to this song that is a nice change from the previous album.
Scared To Death: Very 80's intro on this one and kind of heavy on the synth. Nice chorus though and you just want to pat Valo on the shoulder and let him know that it's ok to fall in love. I've seen clips of this one live from Helldone and would really like to see it live myself. It's good but not outstanding.
Heartkiller: First single off the album and I can see why they picked it though I think there's a better option on the album. Upbeat, catchy, a bit of pop, but with the over the top lyrics HIM is known for.
Dying Song: This one reminds me of something off Love Metal. Very pretty song and Linde has some fantastic guitars in it.
Disarm Me (With Your Loneliness): This is simply a beautiful song. One of the few on the album I'd consider close to a ballad this one has lovely lyrics, strong imagery, and makes you want to raise your lighters and sway to the chorus. By far one of my favorites on the album.
Love The Hardest Way: And back to a good rock song again. Linde does some nice guitar work on this one and the chorus will have you singing along. And of course Valo gets his scream on. I can see why they did this one live at Helldone as well.
Katherine Wheel: This one took me a few listens. The first time my reaction was - eh. It didn't stand out to me and probably would have been one I skipped over. It's growing on me though and that could be that any song with the lyric "Holding hands won't be enough in a world giving head to God" deserves at least a few more chances.
In the Arms of Rain: Intro to this one made me giggle and have an 80's flashback. Lots of Catholic imagery here with Ave Maria, Hail Mary, and references to Eve and the forbidden fruit. Heavy on the synth and I find myself liking this one but not entirely sure why.
Ode to Solitude: Interesting intro that suddenly kicks your ass when Linde comes in with his guitar. You'll be singing along to this chorus for sure. Then there's the bit where the music gets soft and Valo drops his voice a bit and then suddenly down into that growl that sends the girls melting into the floor. Yeah - this is a good one.
Shatter Me With Hope: Go Linde! That man can play the guitar let me tell ya. Probably the song that most HIM fans will think sounds like the HIM they know and love. Definitely one to crank up the volume on.
Acoustic Funeral (For Love In Limbo): Another ballad type this one has some lyrics that make me smile. I can see the crowd swaying to this one if it's ever done live. Once again Linde has a great solo but it's sadly a bit short. Wish it had been longer.
Like Saint Valentine: So far I think this might be my favorite on the album. Maybe. It just plain kicks ass and is the one I think should have been the first single. The screams, the guitars, the drums, it all works and really seems like HIM from albums past.
The Forboding Sense of Impending Happiness: Completely different from anything on the rest of the album this song is seriously trippy, very 80's with lots of synth, and trance like. I feel like I should be laying in a field staring up at the stars while this plays. I'll be interested to hear this one as an acoustic.
All in all I think this album might be the one that gets HIM more noticed here in the US. At least it has the potential if promoted correctly. As much as I enjoy the melancholy music HIM usually gives us (and there's still plenty of that in Screamworks) it's refreshing to see Valo having a slightly more upbeat look on life. But don't worry, he's still the 'miserable poet' and if anything the band is tighter than ever.
You can pre-order the special Heartagram edition bundle on Heartagram.com. Other editions are available on Amazon.com and BestBuy.com among other and the album will be in stores on February 9th. HIM starts their North American tour on March 26th so check Ticketmaster and Livenation for dates near you.
And if you're coming to the Dallas, TX show keep an eye out here for information on how to meet up with us!
"The best way to ruin good music is not to care about the visual side"
On February HIM releases their seventh album. After that, the heavy but romantic band will stay on the road for at least a year. Should we be worried when the band leader Ville Valo tells us that what he enjoys the most is time spent alone at home with his guitar?
The white Christmas is coming. HIM's former keyboardist Antto Melasniemi has called V's cell phone. Antto is said to like cross-country skiing and V starts wondering whether the call was an invitation to join skiing on the Paloheinä skiing tracks in Helsinki. The determined leader of HIM is said to be a man of contradictions. Maybe it's so because anywhere feels like home for this polite and open-minded man. I haven't heard anyone speak bad about him. There are a lot of other things about V than just an arm tattooed with a long johns-like patterning and a band HIM. It seems like VV can talk eagerly about any subject whatsoever. Even during this interview he talks about optical illusions, psychology of perception, post punk, Jamaican rhythm music, the most popular synthesizers of the 80s and poets who have died young. A few years ago V ended up in rehab. Nowadays he drinks coke and coffee. He hasn't quit smoking though. During the interview he smokes in chain lighting cigarettes after another with a big yellow gas lighter. The interview takes place at the sauna department in the record label office since it's the only place where it is allowed to smoke. HIM's biggest hit in Europe is still Join Me. During the last years the band has concentrated more on the American market. The album Dark Light sold gold in the US and also the new album Screamworks: Love In Theory And Practise was recorded in LA. The new songs are dense pop songs played rough. The 80s influence in the songs isn't as big as V -dressed in a grey suit jacket and a vest- implys. HIM has sold around 6 million albums. V isn't ashamed the commercialism of his band in any way. In fact, he could have quit the whole thing if it had made enough money this far.
The cover of the new album is downright disturbing. It makes me physically sick. Was it meant to be like that?
- Oh it makes you feel sick. The meaning was primarily... - I've had a fixation with optical illusions ever since I was a kid. There's this guy, Al Seckel, a doctor at the University of California, who has started to publish cheap books that kids can watch. There are classical illusions and visual tricks in those books. Then there are a few Japs who make very disturbing pictures. There are certain shapes and colours that make you think the pic is spinning, even though it's not really doing that. Those are the kind of things I'm interested in. - Two pairs of eyes are neurologically interesting, because all the time you see basically similar things and that's why your RAM-memory doesn't constantly count faces. You think that everybody has two eyes, one mouth and one nose. Then when it's not like that it is very annoying. - For example, when there are two pairs of eyes somewhere, your brain can't deal with it normally and instead it tries to find the picture in the middle. That makes your brain go into overdrive and isn't that good for a rock album or what? The brain goes into overdrive just by looking at our album.
Where is the cover picture from?
- It's a picture of this wooden statue that I have found in Germany and that I have at home. It's an old 120 cm long wood sculpture of a nun (Remember how Ville said he wanted to start wood carving as a hobby in an interview at the Ruisrock festival in 2008.). I took a picture of it and photoshopped it a little. My idea was the kind of post punk, Siouxsie & The Banshees -type of poster art. A very rough, several times photoprinted stuff. - After we had ended up with this cover we went to screen-print it in order to make the colours look more messy. Then we fought with the record label about whether it's good or not. We thought it was really good. - These things are really pondered upon. There were probably three different covers for this album and this is what we ended up with. The feedback has been very good. The digitalpack will have fluorescent colours. I hope it works out well. It's going to look really impressive.
Even though looking at the cover makes me feel dizzy, it definitely will be noticed and remembered.
- Exactly. I think it's cool to make a cover that gives you a headache. It's like what they say in America: "It's like a car crash. You are not supposed to be looking at it, but you can't turn away." I think this is the same thing. - With Razorblade Romance I thought let's make the cover pink so that people will notice it. The most heavy rock album covers are black or greyish. I wanted Razorblade Romance to be of a different colour and I think it worked very well.
Is the album cover important or is it just about your own peace of mind?
- I think it's always a bonus if the album has cool covers. On the other hand, there are lots of classic albums that have terrible covers. It's not the name of the band or the covers that make good music. Quite many band names are stupid but when the band makes good music you don't think about the name the same way anymore. - The album covers that have become icons, -like the Velvet Underground's banana-cover- are quite often made by real artists. In that sense there has been effort behind the covers.
On the other hand, not all artists have even heard the album before making the cover artwork. For example, Peter Saville chose Joy Diviosion's Closer-album's cover without having heard the actual album. Still the cover and the music are related to each other.
- That's right. If Joy Division had had some kind of Echo& The Bunnymen- type of covers, the music might have also felt a bit lighter. - We're going to have enough Slavic melancholy in our music but I didn't want the album cover to be so dark this time around. Now that the music is a bit more up-tempo and poppy it's n'sync with a a lighter cover. - Some might think the icongraphy is gothic, because there is a nun in the cover. I don't see it that way though. With the cover artist Matt Taylor we named the picture Saint Scream. It's like Saint Of Confusion. The world, love and life are a bit confusing. It often makes you feel that way. I think it's an endearing way of thinking about it. You don't have to think about it too philosophically, over- psychologically or through religion. - There are many artists that aren't interested in the cover of their album. I want to be involved in every step. I won't let anything through that I am not satisfied with. - It's exciting that it's not all about just the music but that there is a visual aspect too. There are covers, videos, filming sessions and other things. You learn new all the time. You get to see how professionals work. I guess my nature is to be pretty curios.
You said that the new album is more up-tempo and more poppy. In what other ways could you describe it?
- It's cathartic. It's also more approachable than our previous albums, but still kind of david-lynch-like. - I think the cover gives a good picture of the album. It's fresh. It's white. It's kind of "clean design" and the nun's kind of artsy-fartsy. - I love the cover of Violator (Depeche Mode's album). It's really great, simple and works out well. I wanted this to be of the same genre. This is easily approachable but hopefully hard to let go of.
Where does the process of making a new album start?
- It starts when I come home from touring and I realize there is nothing to do. I start playing the guitar. Music takes my thoughts away from everyday life. When you are concentrating on music there are no other things. At some point you just realize that you need it (music).
-I left out a couple of lines where V talks about weird "music trips"-
- Suddenly you just have songs. When there are enough of those and I am content with them enough to show them to the guys, that's when it all starts again. - The sound of the band is what it is due to the other band members own ways of playing the instruments. And I can't change my voice too much either. - I think it's positive that a band has a recognisible sound.
-V talks about working with Matt Squire, mostly what we already know-
- There was a thing about Matt being two years younger than Mige. I asked Mige if it was ok. He thought it was very refreshing.
How much has Matt producing the album influenced the songs?
- I can't tell. At least we were really like-minded. - Many times the producer is like a father figure. They're little older and more experienced. They've got lots of stories to tell. First I thought can one even be a producer at the age of 33? On the other hand, then you still have eagerness and crave for success. - Matt was really good with tempos. It was still hard to find the right tempos sometimes. When you're drunk they sound faster and when you're sober, slower.
-Talk about the 80s pop music and it's influence on the albu-
What drives you more: a will to make something new or a will to be more popular?
- Fucking weird question. Succeeding careerwise makes people think it's all about money. - I think those two aren't in contradiction with each other. You can make new -at least new to yourself- music and still go for a bigger audience. - For a special edition of the album I recorded the whole album alone at my house. It's the kind of creative side that I have just liked to do very much. - The main album I want to sound American, big, slick and expensive. I want it to sound well-mixed and well-recorded. I don't want to think "now this sounds too poppy, I got to do something freaky". That's a finnish way of working. There are a lot of people here who are afraid to be...something. I don't get it, what is there to be afraid of? I'm gladly poppy.
How much does the record label affect decisions concerning HIM?
- They don't affect the album but almost everything else. It's their job.
-V talks about their new A&R-man Craig Aaronson and song downloading and how it has affected their way of working-
You've said you quit at the age of 40. Are you still going to hold on to that decision?
- If we get to build our own imperium where we are millionaires. If we have money to quit, I quit tomorrow. Gladly. - I like more and more making music. I like the creative part that I do at home. The other process I don't like that much. Of course it's really interesting but also very wearing for all the band members to get the whole shit into one piece.
Would you like to make a Johnny Cash- type of solo album some day?
-No. I haven't been in a prison yet.
You quit drinking a couple of years ago. Do you trust yourself enough to have a few beers sometimes?
- I haven't tried. I'm not interested in drinking like that. To me drinking means that you get really wasted, mess around at least for four days and try to sleep as little as possible. - That kind of attitude is more important than enjoying a glass of wine with a meal. Actually, I think that sucks. And no red wine goes with vegetarian food.
Have you ever tried to quit smoking?
- I ended up in a hospital after an asthma attack when I was 16. After that I didn't smoke for three weeks. That much it got to me. - I have tried to cut down on smoking sometimes. I haven't wanted to think about quitting because then I would have nothing. Or at least nothing but a guitar, TV and taxidermy owls. - A man has a right to destroy his physical shrine. I do it with Marlboro. Allow me to do it.
December 22nd, 2009 Warner Music sauna department, Helsinki
Sex! Fire! And butchers hooks! Rammstein's stage shows are not your average rock gig. On the eve of their UK invasion, we head to their German homeland for an exclusive behind the scenes look at Europe's most controversial band and their explosive live show. Be afraid Britain, be very afraid!
Plus: Win! A Valentine's Day date with HIM!
Also in the issue: The Kerrang! Relentless Energy Tour 2010 hits Dublin and All Time Low, The Blackout, Young Guns and My Passion are understandably excited. AC/DC, Bullet For My Valentine, Them Crooked Vultures and more for Download, Atreyu drummer Brandon Saller unveils his solo project, Fall Out Boys Pete Wentz loses his cool, Lostprophets go back to school and Avenged Sevenfold frontman M Shadows remembers The Rev.
And: Sex, drugs and, um, more sex - Escape The Fate give us an insight into their bad boy lifestyle, Inside The Mind Of Linkin Park's Chester Bennington, Biffy Clyro get set for global stardom, Five Finger Death Punch take the K! Quiz and everything you ever wanted to know about My Chemical Romance and more!
Plus: new albums and DVDs from Rob Zombie, All Time Low, Kiss and more rated and reviewed.
And: A pop-punk poster special featuring Blink 182, Green Day, New Found Glory, Set Your Goals and All Time Low!
English Translated Version: (credits to shining_rose @ Valo Daily)
Scared to Death of Love
Screamworks will be published on Feb 12th ... massive sound ... is about love, death and obsessions. And Olaf Neumann talked to VV (if anybody wanted to know that lol)
What was your vision of the new album? I wanted to mix Depeche Mode with Guns N'Roses, A-Ha with The Cult. Big american rockdrumming and Foo-Fighter's-Guitars instead of Heavy-Metal-Attitude. In addition with electronik ala Kraftwerk. I think we did a loud album with melodies you can hum along to. I've never been happier about an album. One of the reasons might be that I wasn't constantly drunk this time.
How does abstinence influence your creativity? Being sober hasn't changed anything except that I spend less time in bars and more time in the studio now. I've always written my music sober. Not until the tour did hell break out of me.
Are you a perfectionist in the studio? This album is perfect without sounding perfectionist. I don't like the sound to be too polished. I'd prefer it to be a bit unpolished every now and then. That's a fine line.
You've had a big hit in 2007 with "Summerwine". Wasn't there any room for another duett? No, this time I restricted myself to the band. We wanted to keep it as simple as possible. Everybody should just play his own main instrument. Once you get started asking other people the list gets endless. We are friends with a lot of singers.
*names song titles* Where does your preoccupation with death come from? I don't flirt with death, I just do verbal acrobatics. Sabbath called one of their songs "Electric Funeral". I refer to that. Und the melancholy "Dying Song" is a metaphor for life itself which vanishes bit by bit. We humans aren't made for eternity. So we should enjoy every day. "Scared to Death" describes situations everybody knows. You are scared to death of falling in love because you've had some bad experiences with that.
Are your songs about your own personal experiences? Of course I write about personal experiences. I wouldn't say love hurts but it definitly is complicated. Nontheless relationships have always been an important part of my life. When I started the record I had just met somebody. So I wrote songs about my fears. I was afraid of repeating the same mistakes again.
What mistakes? I don't want to go into detail. Everybody does their own mistakes and sometimes behaves like an ass in a relationship. I think that couples are too willing to compromise. Like: "We are old. We won't find anything better anymore. So let's rather stay together."
Do you think that as well? That wouldn't be my cup of tea. I'm a convinced romantic. Meeting somebody you wanna share your life changes everything. I want intensity.
Are life as a traveling musician and a steady relationship compatible? Except for me everybody in the band is married or in a steady relationship. Some even have kids. So it is manageable. But the others don't write songs. They aren't there when the record is being mixed, they don't have to do interviews. They record their parts and then they go back home. That's okay, that's how it's been for years. For me personally it's increadibly hard to start my own family.
How romantic is life with Rock'n'Roll? The image is that you are on the road every night and shag everything that moves. But reality is different. Most of the time you sit in a bus or a plane thousands of kilometers away from home. But I haven't given up on love yet.
Would you change your life for somebody? No. I think, music is what makes me who I am. If a woman were really interested in me she wouldn't care what I do professionally. I would be heartbroken without music. And anyway I'm married to the new record at the moment.
In the name of love lost I'm frozen to her and I want you to come build me a bridge soaked in gasoline and pass the torch.
Hey baby let me be your Valentine, St. Valentine... Suck the sorrow out of you and try to keep the lie alive. Like St. Valentine
Like the couple from Pompei, our drama's put on display. Along with a dove, stuffed In a coffin of glass entitled love. Lust and the Holy Ghost.
Those were the days.
Hey baby let me be your Valentine, St. Valentine, Suck the sorrow out of you and try to keep the lie alive. Hey baby let me be your Valentine, St. Valentine, Suck the sorrow out of you and try to keep a lie alive. Like Saint Valentine.
Love's the only war worth dying for. Build me up to knock me down, I'm all yours.
Hey baby let me be your Valentine, St. Valentine, Suck the sorrow out of you and try to keep the lie alive. Hey baby let me be your Valentine, St. Valentine, Suck the sorrow out of you and try to keep a lie alive. Like Saint Valentine.
Hey baby let me be your valentine, St. Valentine, Hey baby let me be your valentine, St. Valentine, Hey baby let me be your valentine, St. Valentine, Hey baby let me be your valentine, St. Valentine, Like Saint Valentine.
(Credits to heartagram_lady & Amber @ Valo Daily for the lyrics)
Finland's hard-rock heroes HIM will tour North America this spring in support of their upcoming album, "Screamworks: Love In Theory And Practice", which will be released by Sire Records on February 9. The headlining trek begins March 26 in Philadelphia and criss-crosses the continent before finishing up in New York City on May 7. WE ARE THE FALLEN will provide support.
3/26/10 Philadelphia, PA The Fillmore @ TLA 3/27/10 Baltimore, MD Sonar 3/28/10 Boston, MA House of Blues 4/1/10 Cleveland, OH House of Blues 4/2/10 Pontiac, MI Clutch Cargo 4/3/10 Cincinnati, OH Bogart's 4/7/10 St. Louis, MO The Pageant 4/9/10 Chicago, IL House of Blues 4/10/10 Milwaukee, WI The Rave 4/14/10 Edmonton, AB Edmonton Events Center 4/16/10 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom 4/17/10 Seattle, WA The Showbox 4/18/10 Portland, OR Roseland Theater 4/20/10 San Francisco, CA The Regency Ballroom 4/21/10 Anaheim, CA House of Blues 4/23/10 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern LG 4/24/10 Las Vegas, NV House of Blues 4/25/10 San Diego, CA House of Blues 4/27/10 Englewood, CO Gothic Theater 4/29/10 Dallas, TX House of Blues 4/30/10 Houston, TX House of Blues 5/2/10 Lake Buena Vista, FL House of Blues 5/4/10 North Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues 5/7/10 New York, NY Irving Plaza 5/8/10 New York, NY Irving Plaza
Five Finger Death Punch explode onto the war-torn cover of the new issue of Metal Hammer!
Kaboom! FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH explode onto their first ever Metal Hammer cover and bring every reader a set of free FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH dog tags! In the feature, inimitable frontman Ivan Moody takes us on a sentimental journey through his troubled childhood.
Now we're into 2010, we look back on 2009 and give you the rundown of the best albums of the year! See the winners and the not-so winners in full. Also, we get to the bottom of the FEAR FACTORY reunion by speaking to Dino Cazares and Burton C Bell.
We get the inside line from Germany's boys-on-fire RAMMSTEIN and their plans to lay waste to the UK, we speak to the new supergroup HAIL! (comprised of members of SEPULTURA, MEGADETH, TESTAMENT and TIM RIPPER OWENS) and FINNTROLL walk us through the forests of REAL folk metal.
We head to North Wales to get riotous at Hard Rock Hell 3 with WASP, MONSTER MAGNET, an army of nutty metalheads and a load more bands. Hammer spoke to METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich about going from potential tennis pro to metal drummer in My Life Story and MASTODON get an ultimate beatdown in the Spanish Inquisition.
MACHINE HEAD's 'Through The Ashes Of Empires' is an all-out classic and we look at its birth in Story Behind The Album; BLIND GUARDIAN are still defending the faith after more than a decade of their seminal power and we run through their best moments in Metal Detector and we pull back the curtain to reveal all about Californian metallers, NONPOINT.
Incoming! is replaced this month with the Metal Hammer Hotlist with what 197 of your favourite bands are up to in 2010.
Also: HIM, IHSAHN, ROB ZOMBIE, MARILYN MANSON, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, ORPHANED LAND and MORE.
With each mag you also three free posters: including some exclusive MASTODON artwork that you won't be able to get anywhere else, as well as posters from SAXON and DISTURBED. There's also a kick-ass Hotlist CD featuring brand new music from ROB ZOMBIE, FEAR FACTORY, IHSAHN, OVERKILL ANNOTATIONS OF AN AUTOPSY and many more!
Immersing himself in HIM's forthcoming new album, Scream Works... may have kept him busy, but Ville Valo has still had his share of "emotions, experiences and traumas" recently. In this week's Kerrang! magazine we joined Ville in Helsinki to find out more...
Also in this issue: Fans and stars pay tribute to Avenged Sevenfold drummer The Rev (there's also a special commemorative poster too), we get the inside story on the Soundgarden reunion, we join Bullet for My Valentine in the studio as they put the finishing touches to their third album, and Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz monkeys around in New York.
Plus: Enter Shikari level Hatfield with their (sort of) homecoming gig, The Prodigy tear Belfast a new one and The Wildhearts go mental in London. We introduce you to Delain and Hopeless Heroic, Itch from The King Blues gives us his Road Rules and We Are The Ocean get set to make waves. Loved, loathed, twisted and controversial, we find out what makes Holywood Undead tick, Paramore take on the K! Quiz, and, as All The Small Things celebrates it's 10th birthday, we revisit Blink 182's first ever UK tour! Warning: may contain poo and wee gags.
And: Win! The chance to be a roadie for Enter Shikari! Plus new albums from Lostprophets, Fucked Up and more rated and reviewed!
Plus: Kerrang! Relentless Energy Tour poster special! Featuring: All Time Low, The Blackout, Young Guns and My Passion!
Since Ville Valo quit drinking, the only interest he has left is music.
HIM frontman Ville Valo, 33, is a changed man. The nights and days spent with dozens of pints of beer seem distant. Sobriety has also shrunk his circle of friends. Only true friends have remained.
- Let's say that I've deleted 190 phone numbers out of 200 from my cell phone, Valo admits.
He regards coolly Jackass star Bam Margera's concern that Valo has become a total hermit.
It is true though that Ville is not seen in bars anymore. He's not afraid of falling off the wagon; the reason is that you're not allowed to smoke freely in bars anymore.
- I have to fool around in my own fantasy worlds, and I can do that just fine in Munkkiniemi, Ville grins.
Ville Valo hasn't always been in such a good shape as now. Playing with alcohol got out of hand a few years ago, and the rock star, who confesses to being a workaholic, didn't have time to take a vacation in ten years. The decision to go to rehab at Promises in Malibu in the spring of 2007 changed the direction of Ville's life.
- It was a kind of a breather. No cell phone, the sun was shining a bit, and I was locked up so that I couldn't do anything naughty. It was a pretty pleasant prison and a very expensive one, he laughs.
The rehab was worth it even though Valo admits that the emphasis put on religion in AA wasn't really for him.
- AA has the rule that you have to surrender your life to a higher being which I couldn't do because I don't believe in that. I had many theological crises in rehab.
- But it still went well. It really was a pretty nice experience. It wasn't any horror camp. There were nice people, good food, good music, and I got to sleep for the first time in a long while.
HIM's seventh studio album Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice will be released on February 10. Sobriety affected the making of the album in the sense that Ville Valo could put all of his energy into making and fine-tuning the new songs.
- I spent my days at home doing, analyzing, and speculating about the songs which hopefully made the album better, not overly analyzed and too speculated.
Valo describes the album as easily approachable and fast. There are glimmers of hope of something better and the sensitivity that can always be heard in the band's music.
- At first it caresses the listener's ears, but when you get a little deeper into it, it offers the marvelous things that only we, the descendants of Vikings, can do, Valo laughs.
He is satisfied with the result. The work on the album started around last Valentine's Day. The album was recorded and mixed in Los Angeles with producer Matt Squire.
- The main thing was to do a record that feels successful to me because it's totally impossible to start speculating on what will be successful on the charts while you are working on an album.
2009 was a hard year for HIM because of all the work that has gone into making the album. The whole band has had to be away from home for several months. Especially hard the traveling has been to those band members with families.
For Ville, the hectic year has meant practically no days off.
- I have had maybe five days off during this whole year. I'm not complaining because it's a hole that I've dug for myself.
The memories of burning themselves out doing an album even before starting a tour are still fresh. The band has learned from their mistakes and has decided to take a vacation before the upcoming tour.
- The mood within the band right now is tired but happy, and we are looking forward to new things. We are now recharging our batteries.
HIM has played with the current line-up since 2001, but especially when alcohol and Ville were best friends, the band's future was hanging on the balance many times. There were times when Ville wanted to break up the band almost daily.
- It was mostly about finding myself in situations where I wasn't having fun. And when you're not having fun, you shouldn't do that thing.
According to Ville, he still hasn't become more tolerant when it comes to the other band members.
- Maybe I have a bit more patience nowadays. But you have to remember that we are five individuals with their own good and bad moments. You have to give people time.
The last proper tour HIM did in Finland was in 2002 if you don't count the mini-tour they did last year. You would think a band like that with international success would interest Finns as well. Ville says it isn't so.
- We are not like Nightwish here. We are much more popular abroad than here so it's logical that we go where the bread is, Valo shoots.
- I don't want our band to go on tour in Finland losing money in -30 degree weather because there aren't enough people here that are interested in us.
British magazine Kerrang wrote in the fall that the ambassador of love metal had been in a relationship after the last tour. According to Ville this isn't true.
- I have been in a relationship only with music. I've had a glint in my eye, and I've had to keep my legs crossed a few times, Ville grins.
- Of course occasions arise for a youngish man like me, but unfortunately I haven't found a sweetheart.
Ville's choice of career dictates that there isn't time for a relationship or maintaining one. If Valo isn't on tour, he is in some other way occupied with music 24/7. He says that nothing except music interests him.
- It would be nice to hang out with ladies but only when I want to, and I don't think that's a very good starting point for a relationship. I feel I'm totally in the wrong psychologically, and before I can fix this twisted way of thinking, I don't want to promise anyone anything I can't guarantee.
The thought of a family is a beautiful but distant one for Valo. At the moment, starting a family doesn't interest him at all.
- In the end, kids are horrible. I do prefer dogs, but I'm allergic to them, Ville laughs.
- Of course things can change if I find an interesting broad and all of a sudden she's knocked up and there we are.
The HIM boss has a warm attitude towards his little brother Jesse. He is musically talented just like his older brother, and he has helped Ville a lot especially when it comes to the technical aspects of music.
- We get along well. You always think about your little brother, and he's an important person for me. Nowadays we share this hobby or lifestyle--music--that brings us closer to each other.
It says something about the close bond between the Valo brothers that they were both seen on stage at Tavastia last night when Jesse's band Vanity Beach opened for HIM. Tonight the Helldone festival closes with HIM's now traditional New Year's Eve gig.
For critics or for fans?
HIM's seventh studio album Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice includes thirteen songs of which we have had a taste with the single Heartkiller.
- The premise for this album was that it would have a sound that you can drink beer - any kind, anywhere - and shake your ass to the music but the album still has the hopefully at least a bit soulful, poetic side as well, Ville Valo analyzes.
According to Valo, the general mood of the album is easy to get into, but after that everything gets weirder.
The previous album Venus Doom did not do well for example in the American market. Critics, however, loved it.
- Every artist has to have one record that critics love because all the records that sell well are dissed. I'm satisfied that we made a record for the critics, Valo smiles.
We'll see whether the upcoming HIM album will end up in the critics' or the fans' record collections. The album will be released on February 10.
"I'm satisfied with the album"
HIM's new record was recorded and mixed in Los Angeles with producer Matt Squire. In the beginning, the whole band was there, then the band members worked on their parts separately, and in the end only Ville Valo remained.
The days at the studio started around two o'clock and ended by eleven p.m.
- At first, for about a week, we played all together in a room and went over the details with Matt there and thought about how to make the songs better.
After that, Ville, guitarist Linde, bass player Migé, drummer Gas, and keyboard player Burton started working on their own parts separately.
- When the recording had finished, the guys went home and I stayed there to hang out and make sure the mixing goes well. It did, Ville grins.
Are you happy with the finished record?
- Of course, otherwise I wouldn't be here, instead we would still be working on the album or redoing the whole thing.
Captions to the photos:
HIM frontman Ville Valo, 33, has a busy year behind him because the work on Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice, out in February, started last Valentine's Day. The album is now finished, and the artist's life seems brighter than in ages.
Ville Valo hopes he will have at least a few days to relax before the band goes on tour to play their new album. This year he has had less than a week off.
Ville Valo, who has quit drinking, says that his circle of friends has shrunk radically. Hanging out in bars has been replaced by an even more music-focused lifestyle.
Ville Valo doesn't see his future in the tin but feels it reminds him of the past. Valo thinks the tin looks like a cow's jaws which in turn remind him of a cow's skull a good friend once gave him.
Five Finger Death Punch explode onto the war-torn cover of the new issue of Metal Hammer!
HIM - inside Ville Valo's secret world!
