A welcome return to everything that is good and enjoyable about this band.

Over the years it's safe to say that Finland born and bred rockers H.I.M (His Infernal Majesty) have had their fair share of ups and downs. As a loyal follower of this band throughout the years, I can honestly say it's been quite a journey. They have released seven previous full-length albums to date, 'Razorblade Romance' being the pinnacle of the band's career.

In 2005 H.I.M were on the road to real greatness, and it's probably safe to say were at their peak. The fifth studio album, 'Dark Light', reached epic proportions breaking them through into the US market, hitting the top 20 on the Billboard charts. H.I.M also played the main stage at Download Festival alongside Black Sabbath and Velvet Revolver. However, subsequently, Ville Valo's drinking and partying habits seemed to become more famous than the bands music, which led to a series of gigs where Valo was booed offstage. For anyone previously unfamiliar with them, H.I.M aren't easy to put into a genre, but singer Valo often refers to the bands musical style as "Love Metal". In reality, they produce a wide variety of heavy, grunge and melodic metal mixed with Ville Valo's versatile vocal range. He has the ability to mix soft and harmonious vocals with deep and haunting undertones.

So to 'Tears On Tape', which appears to be a somewhat welcome return to H.I.M's roots. 'All Lips Go Blue' hits you immediately with H.I.M's signature heavy metal guitar sound, beautifully blended with Valo's soft and melodious vocals. 'Hearts At War', a personal favorite track here, has a thumping an addictive guitar riff coupled again with Valo's harmonious lyrics, producing H.I.M's distinctive version of a love song and their unique sound as a band. H.I.M seem to relish in writing about the crippling and painful effects of heartbeak, and they do so extremely well. 'No Love' further demonstrates this trend by the band.

Will you enjoy this album? As a fan of most of H.I.M's back catalogue, if you enjoyed 'Dark Light' and 'Love Metal', you're most probably going to enjoy 'Tears On Tape'. I'm not sure that it will be a significant milestone in their career but it's a welcome return to everything that is good and enjoyable about this band, so most definitely worth a listen.

Betsy Green

br /