HIM was a Finnish rock band formed in Helsinki in 1991 by vocalist and songwriter Ville Valo, guitarist Mikko "Linde" Lindstrom, and bassist Mikko "Mige" Paananen. Initially known as His Infernal Majesty, the group developed a dark, melodic sound that combined gothic rock, heavy metal, hard rock, and romantic pop. HIM later described its music as "love metal," a phrase that captured the band's central tension between heavy guitar work and songs concerned with love, longing, death, and emotional surrender.
The band began releasing music in the mid-1990s, following an early period of lineup changes and home-recorded demos. Its first official release, the 1996 EP 666 Ways to Love: Prologue, was issued in Finland in a limited edition and included a distinctive cover of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game." That song became an important early statement of the band's approach: familiar romantic material was reshaped into something heavier, moodier, and more theatrical.
HIM's debut album, Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666, arrived in 1997. Built around Valo's low, dramatic vocals and the contrast between metallic riffs and lush melodies, it established the band's visual and musical identity. The group gained a strong following in Finland and soon began attracting attention elsewhere in Europe.
The international breakthrough came with Razorblade Romance, released in 2000. Its most successful song, "Join Me in Death," became a major hit and helped turn HIM into one of Finland's most visible rock exports. The album also demonstrated the band's ability to make gothic themes accessible without abandoning its heaviness. A complicated naming dispute in the United States temporarily led to some copies being issued under the name HER, but the band ultimately secured the rights to use HIM there.
With Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights in 2001 and Love Metal in 2003, HIM continued to refine its balance of polished melody and dark atmosphere. Love Metal gave the group's self-defined style its clearest title while tracks such as "The Funeral of Hearts" reinforced Valo's reputation as a songwriter drawn to grand, emotionally conflicted imagery.
The 2005 album Dark Light marked HIM's most significant success in the United States. It entered the Billboard 200 in the Top 20 and became the first Finnish album to earn gold status in America. The record's success was aided by the band's striking Heartagram symbol, a combination of a heart and an inverted pentagram that became closely associated with HIM's music and image.
HIM moved into heavier and more introspective territory on Venus Doom in 2007, while Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice from 2010 returned to a more streamlined, melodic approach. The band later issued the compilation XX - Two Decades of Love Metal and released its final studio album, Tears on Tape, in 2013. Alongside regular albums, HIM built a substantial catalog of singles, compilations, live recordings, and music videos.
After a farewell tour, HIM announced in 2017 that it was disbanding. Over a career spanning more than two decades, the group created a distinctive place between gothic rock and mainstream hard rock. Its influence rested not only on Valo's songwriting and voice, but also on the band's ability to present melancholy, sensuality, and theatrical darkness in a form that reached audiences far beyond the traditional metal scene.