Six HIM songs to help you cope...

    We've all been drenching tissues for the past year over HIM's disbanding. It's been a year already since the news broke out and a couple months since we bawled our eyes out as the last note lingered in the air before it died. On this bitter anniversary, I bring to you six songs by HIM that maybe you never heard of before, maybe you forgot about, or they received a makeover (see alternative version), or they are just that awesome. Here to recreate the feeling you got when you first listened to HIM, I present you with live versions, alternative versions, and some more...

   1. Beautiful (Third Seal version)
   Originally a song from their third album, Deep Shadows and Brillian Highlights (2001), the insanely heartful and appropriately titled song received a hard makeover to be featured as a B-side in the In Joy and Sorrow enhanced limited edition digipack single. You never knew a song could go from soft to hard and still sound so lovely did you?

   2. The 9th Circle (HER Razorblade Romance extra track)
   A surprising amount of HIM fans have never even heard of that song! Understandable, if you think that when it came out the internet wasn't big, so unless you are a serious HIM junkie, particularly in love with that album, or a dedicated collector you might have missed it. One of the best HIM songs in all honesty, it's not just a perfect example of their best time, beautiful poetry, or love badassery we haven't seen in a long time, it also includes one of the best guitar solos (if not THE best) that Linde ever played for HIM.

   3. It's All Tears (Drown In This Love)
   An amazingly heavy song off their debut album, Greatest Lovesongs vol 666. So much more different that their following work, and yet great in its own, heavy might. Young Ville is doing some serious things all over his vocal range, and sounds heavier than ever. Added bonus: filthy sex things never ever sounded more alluring before...

   4. The Path (P.S. Version)
   Another alternative version included in the Uneasy Listesning vol. 1 CD, this haunting and soft rendition of the Love Metal song can bring tears to your eyes. The lyrics have also been altered in this version and they are even more heart-wrenching and tear-inducining than before, making this peculiar version even more beautiful than you thought it could be.

   5. Poison Girl (Rock am Ring 2001)
   This live performance of Poison Girl from the german Rock am Ring festival in 2001 could compete against the studio version without even breaking a sweat. Perhaps the best HIM live performance ever, and it was almost 17 years ago... fancy that... how many of you were listening to HIM 17 years ago? Damn it's been a while...

   6. In Joy and Sorrow (accoustic)
   This needs no further introduction. If you know the song, and know what acoustic means, you know you're in for a real treat. You probably heard this one before, but can you ever get enough of it? Pro tip: listen to this with the best headphones you've got and bring out some tissues.