It seems that a band can't ever do anything new without being labeled a sell-out. And those spouting such epithets are often those who have no experience whatsoever in playing or writing music.

I've noticed that after many years of working in retail establishments that sell CDs, a lot of people are like sheep. They find one band they like, cling to it, and then search out other bands that sound just like it. I have never understood this. I don't want all of my music to sound alike; what would be the fun in that? Honestly, I can't think of a particular band that really reminds me of HIM. They are, in my opinion, an entity unto themselves. I love the variety of HIM's music over the course of their career, and COMMERCIAL SUCCESS DOES NOT MAKE YOU A SELL-OUT. It makes you a hard worker. Sheesh. And honestly, do you people think that Ville Valo would ever conform to what a record label wanted just for the sake of selling albums? Come on! That guy has never conformed a day in his life, and he isn't about to start now.

I loved this album. I've loved all of HIM's albums since I discovered them a mere two years ago - I'm surprised I didn't know of them sooner, as my husband is half Finnish. Anyway, the album is very guitar heavy, owing to the fact that when they started to record the album, Burton (keyboards) was home with a new baby. And you know what? The heavy guitar works. The riffs are great - Linde (lead guitar) really gets to show off on this album. Ville's vocals are brilliant - really, when are they not? - and the overall sound is tight and speaks to the band's many years together.

This album is dark and a bit gritty (in a good way), and different from what I expected. There are no tender love songs here, no sweet words, mostly just desolation, grief, and anger. Mmmm. My inner goth girl loves it. I enjoy the more sophisticated structure of the songs, especially changing time signatures in the course of a single song (example: "Bleed Well"). And having a song completely in 3/4 time ("Cyanide Sun") is daring - I've been told by people in the music industry that you can't have a hit in 3/4 time. Riiiight.

Writing songs is hard. Making a living in music is harder. (I know both of these things from personal experience.) I respect anyone who can do it, and HIM does it well. People can cry "sell-out" all they want - it's a free country - but my opinion is that the band is excellent at what they do, and the rest of the world is finally starting to notice.

End of story.

After coming to the realization that no other album would ever top the masterpiece "Razorblade Romance", I've been able to thoroughly enjoy each album HIM has put out since. The band's last several albums seem to stick with a similar style, and "Venus Doom" does that for the most part but also brings in a few fresh things. Prior to the album's release, vocalist Ville Valo described this latest effort as a combination between Metallica and My Bloody Valentine. I've never listened to much MBV, so I can't compare the 2. But you won't hear much Metallica sounding stuff on this, with the exception of a few cool guitar solos from Linde that remind me of something Kirk Hammet would play in the "Master Of Puppets" days. The whole album is full of great guitar work actually. Ville also uses a lot more of his deep vocals this time around, and they sound really good on songs like "Kiss Of Dawn", but they felt a little forced on the title track. "Passions Killing Floor" and "Bleed Well" are your typical fast-paced HIM tunes, but "Sleepwalking Past Hope" is a unique epic that clocks in around 10 minutes, and is one of my favorites on the album. "Song Or Suicide" is only about a minute and a half long, with a nice acoustic guitar melody which is usually uncommon on HIM's albums. Overall, this album is what you'd come to expect from HIM, but they did manage to throw in several surprises that you could appriciate. Aside from a few guitar solos, I wouldn't compare this album much with Metallica, but I definitely hear some influence of Type O Negative in several areas.

[...]not this one pictured but the one only available through the webite Heartagram.com...it comes in a book that looks faded on the corners...it was said to be a "leatherback journal"...not. All it is is a nice dark-looking book with dark, artful photos, full lyrics in Ville's handwriting (not having the song titles listed either, just the lyrics??? That's quite odd, but maybe it's an artistic approach??? I had to take a regular version and write the song titles down??!!??)...and an envelope in the back with 2 discs inside and 3 "photos"...CD1 is "Venus Doom" and CD2 is a 3-tracker, the 2 remixes and a 3rd bonus track, an acoustic version of "Bleed Well"...besides the 3rd track, the difference between the bonus discs is on this one on Amazon, it's a DVD, while the one in the book version, it's a CD, so you can more easily get those tracks on your computer and iPod.

Now, the internet version of HIM's prior album "Dark Light", you got more stuff and each set was numbered, out of 20,000...not this one...with "Dark Light", you got 2 bonus tracks, "The Cage" (also on the other limited book) and "Venus (In Our Blood)"...the only way to get that song on CD was in this set, which made it cooler...it also came with a better booklet (with photos of fans with their tattoos, so it was more personal), a flashlight of sorts with the heartagram in it, and all of it packaged in a nice, sturdy TIN box with full artwork actually printed on the tin metal!!! The new set for "Venus Doom", in light of the limited "Dark Light", is a bit disappointing, and not worth the price...$62??? Shoulda been no more than $25, INCLUDING shipping and taxes, etc.

Now, the music...I agree with people here...it's heavier and not as atmospheric as recent works...more like "Greatest Lovesongs Vol 666"...it's not HEAVY heavy, but it has more crunch than "Dark Light", and the songs are as melodic and tuneful as ever, with Ville Valo in fine vocal form. His lovesick poetry is as potent as ever...nothing personal, but for art's sake, let's hope he never cures his broken heart. The songs are more intricate and longer, culminating with "Sleepwalking Past Hope" reaching the 10 minute mark!!!! More than half of the 9 songs are over 5 minutes long, but they never drag or lose focus...I love the title track, the first single "The Kiss Of Dawn", "Dead Lovers' Lane" (that's got bullseye hooks all over the song), all 9 really, even the minute & a half "Song Or Suicide" has its place.

Overall, the music is tops, as always, and the internet version's packaging is OK but not worth the price...get the regular version or the cloth booklike version pictured here instead.

I'll be honest, I've got all the albums and am a huge fan if Ville and the boys but the new offering Venus Doom.....well for me it just dosen't deliver. Let me explain, Every album before Venus Doom has got those songs that hit you square in the face and infect your soul.

But like I said Venus Doom just falls flat for me, it's as if they're trying too hard to reach something and losing focus on the way. It sounds messy and complicated with some thrashy moments thrown in and at one point I thought that they were going to turn Death metal then they came back from the edge to where they belong.

Basically if you want to enjoy H.I.M. at their best buy any other cd but Venus Doom.

Speaking from my Heartagram I love VD. I had problems with Dark Light and didn't like it right away though I grew to love it or it grew on me but with Venus Doom I liked it right away esp the title song and Cyanide Sun. I admit I was worried that with talk about it being a heavier album that it would sound like everyone else but Ville and Company have such a gift with song composure that sets them apart from everyone else and that is why HIM fanz like moi love them. Even though it is considered heavy that HIM signature of hooky melodic structure is still intact so even old sweethearts of HIM shouldn't be disappointed. The fact that most of HIM actually went to school to learn and read music sets them apart from so many other bands that out out the same dreck. I'm seeing them in cocnert this tour a whopping 5 times! My hope is that it would be cool to do the whole CD from start to end intact. Bands used to do that with new CD's. My brother remembers seeing Pink Floyd doing the whole Dark Side of the Moon CD so it is possible. So my wish would be to hear Venus Doom in concert from beginning to end.Ville Valo went literally thru hell and back in doing this CD with a lot of personal problems and a stint in rehab and his heart and soul are imprinted on this superb CD.