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Dark Light

EMAILPRINTby H.I.M.

H.I.M. reviews
52
7.7 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 10 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 83 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >

Album Info

Label: Sire

Release Date: 27 September 2005

Discs: 1 disc

Genre(s): Alternative, Rock

Summary

This is the first U.S. release for the popular Finnish goth-rock band (the initials stand for His Infernal Majesty) fronted by Ville Hermani Vallo.

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

80

musicOMH.com

Easily HIM's most accessible album to date.

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80

The New York Times

The songs are sturdier than ever, and they possess a sneaky sort of power. [10 Oct 2005]

80

Q Magazine

A collection of irresistible pop-rock anthems. [Nov 2005, p.125]

60

Amazon.com

A solid, if not wholly overwhelming album.

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60

Blender

It's refreshing to hear a band approach the form's familiar imagery from a place of romance, not cynicism. [Oct 2005, p.138]

50

Drowned In Sound

An unremarkable, yet solid record.

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40

New Musical Express

The truth is that metal fans used to have a word for music like this, and that word is wimpy. [1 Oct 2005, p.45]

40

Uncut

Sisters Of Mercy fans will remain defiantly nonplussed. [Nov 2005, p.103]

25

Stylus Magazine

While the drop in adrenaline has left room for some good ideas, they’re not fleshed out well enough, and with the lack of a single flat-out rocker, there’s nothing to get excited or exhilarated over.

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25

Spin

Listening to this disc sorta gives new meaning to the phrase virgin sacrifice. [Oct 2005, p.142]

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 7.7 (out of 10) based on 83 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Venus Doom gave it a10:
This album blew me away!

joey B gave it an8:
this is a really great album....and the best thing about it is that it doesn't sound like all the other stuff thats out there....oh and for kicker tom...this music isn't emo....its goth rock!

ola b. gave it a10:
perfect! popish' yeah... but for what it is.. it's perfect

MY GUITAR gave it an8:
This is overall a good, solid album with no “dead zones” on it, which has really become pretty common in the music scene today. The music kind of just flows from one song into another and it makes the album very enjoyable. At the first listen it becomes obvious that this was meant to be an album that needs to be listened as a whole and not a frantic mix of wannabe radio hits that leaves the listener confused and skipping to the good tracks. I am pleasantly surprised by the lyrics, these guys are much better writers than most of the bands their age out there, especially when you consider that they are Finnish and speak English as their second language while many English speaking bands like… say Nickelback, can’t write two good lines on an album . I can’t really pinpoint HIM’s genre, they sound “euro” which sets them apart right away, even though they slightly remind me of some newer AFI and Lacuna Coil. It is definitely not EMO, like suggested by one of the reviews. I’d consider these guys far more original than most bands affiliated with that genre. Their sound has lightened up since their debut but its overall still the same. In my mind that’s a good thing because many other bands spell out their own demise by changing their sound. HIM know what they’re good at and they’re sticking to it, much to the delight of their fans. Just as they say it themselves, this is love metal. It really is, and at it’s finest at that.

Tony B gave it a9:
This album is amazing!! Great vocals, heavy music, its romantic and violent all in one...HIM are the greatest rock band ever@!!!

Kicker Tom gave it a1:
I gave them a 1 b/c I feel sorry for them. Emo crap.

namesare overrated gave it a9:
The only thing keeping me from giving Dark Light a ten is because people glorify "Wings of a Butterfly" to high heavens and beyond. Seriously, I can't see how anybody can say it's the best song on the CD, because I'd go so far as to say "Under the Rose" is the greatest song ever writtern. Anyone want to challenge me? You're welcome to it, but don't expect a response. On the other hand, the only thing keeping me from dropping it lower to an eight is the fact that it doesn't feature Villie Valo on the cover. Those covers kind of disturb me... Still, my favorite album from a favorite band. Long live His Infernal Majesty.

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