Screamworks Reactions

[LonelyRoad]

the only song i dont care for is TFSOIH...

the rest is defiantly the shit!

disarm me is the future of HIM songs...i see it now.

deff more radio play with this album...especially with disarm me.

i foresee a video...and not just the internet ones...but then again...who knows if we'll be getting another regular video...**shrugs.

[Robert Metal]

I will always love every HIM song, I like this album soo far.

[Vpr616]

I am hugely disappointed. I've listened just once since I'm home, but for now it seems that it's equal or worse than Dark Light. There are fantastic songs, I love Like Saint Valentine and Shatter Me With Hope. Katherine Wheel and Love The Hardest Way are kinda good. In The Arms of Rain maybe too. But the rest of the album is just pop sh*t. Scared to Death and Disarm Me are the worst HIM songs alongside Beautiful and Heaven Tonight. Oh, and i don't the Sense of Happiness as a song. That's just a bad joke.

Maybe it will grow on me, but I'm dead sure I won't buy it. I would love if they released Like St. Valentine single, with Love The Hardest Way as a B-side. That would be enough for me. Or maybe the acoustic CD will make me change my mind, and I'll get special edition just for it? That would be sick :d

Track by track:
In Venere Veritas - poor. Dark Light part 2. Shitty, poppy chorus - common thing on this album. The part when Ville screams like mad is the best moment definitely.

Scared to Death - where is some sort of a point in this song? After verse raped out of guitars you'd expect some kind of rocking chorus. No way. There are guitar but it has nothing to do with rock. Poppy shit, welcome to the American radio stations. Solo is good.

Heartkiller - enough was said about this song already. Radio friendly, but far more rocking than some others.

Dying Song - I'm not sure about this one yet. It's not boring, it's kinda fast, but chorus lacks the edge.

Disarm Me - like I said after hearing snippets - Scared to Death Part 2. Boring. HIM played many great ballads before and this isn't one of them. I just feel like I'm listening random American pop-rock band...

Love, The Hardest Way - that's better. Rocking chorus, dynamic, you can hear it's HIM in every single note. It's like Right Here In My Arms A.D. 2010.

Katherine Wheel - cool guitar in the beginning. Then the verse comes and the rock thing is gone. It comes back with chorus. Would call the song mediocre, but lyrics are fantastic. I love whole concept, comparing love to torture device.

In The Arms of Rain - there's something cool about this song. Don't know how to name it. It's pretty Dark Light-ish but... good.

Ode To Solitude - that one would be fantastic, but the song is killed just as chorus kicks in. If every chorus was like the last one, OTS would be sooo much better. Verses are great though.

Shatter Me With Hope - I've said enough about it. Cool riffs, awesome solo, it rocks.

Acoustic Funeral - if not Scared to Death and Disarm Me, I'd say it's good stuff. Coming to this point of album I have enough of mediocre ballads though. I have to admit it's better than STD and it's clone anyway.

Like St. Valentine - enough said. That song rocks and it's better than whole rest of album. Fast, direct, powerful. This is how Screamworks should be.

The... - I hate that electro stuff. Song without real instruments is not a song. Is this HIM or a f*cking Depeche Mode album?

[Daedalus]

I'm going to hold off a bit until I give full track by track reactions but I will say that Screamworks is definitely a great album, both from HIM standards, and in general. It feels like they finally captured that radio friendly feel they were going for with Dark Light. Screamworks feels like HIM through and through, even TFSOIH. I'm very much digging all of the 80's style synths. Ville has always said that HIM was influenced by 80's bands, but aside from a few moments here and there I never felt it. On Screamworks I do.

I started to list the songs that I loved, liked, and disliked, but I ended up with everything under loved except:
Heartkiller
Disarm Me
In The Arms Of Rain
TFSOIH

Which is not to say I dislike these...they just haven't grown on me yet.  Heartkiller I think I'm just sick of. MY favorite song on the album at the moment is Katherine Wheel, but I'm sure that will change over time. As it stands my favorite moment of the album is during Katherine Wheel...
"Holding hands won't be enough in a world giving head to a god, love in theory and practice: chapter one." Mmmm mmmm goooooood.

[SolitaryHeartache]

Sounds like you were expecting an album that was never being made to be honest.  Has been mentioned many times that this was going to be a poppy, radio friendly more mainstream album.  An album to introduce to the masses is what I think Ville said at some point.

Hopefully it will grow on you more soon 

[koohai]

I've listened to Screamworks just once...what can I say, for now I'm pretty disappointed. I hardly like any of the songs beside St.Valentine and maybe Dying Song. And I wish Valo would stop using that fucking pseudo-falsetto, I can't stand it.
I'll wait for the acoustic cd to leak and hope it'll be worth the 25 euros I'll have to squander for the special edition.

[Danny]

I have not had the chance to listen to the album from start to end, but im gonna do it now

But so far my favourite songs are:
Shatter Me With Hope
Love, The Hardest Way

Both songs are just so fast rocking and typical "old" school HIM. I also like Foreboding Sense Of Impending Happiness. I wouldent listen to a whole HIM electronica album, but that song is pretty awesome. Not what i expected at all.

But what the hell is up with the chourse on Ode To Solitude. The guitar riff and verse are just awesome and then "the american rejects" chourse kicks in

[PhiLiz]

Ok, here we go in detail. By detail I don't mean an amateurish track-by-track review because I find that method quite simplistic for the "review" of an album.

First and quite obvious thing: the production. Many (and by this I mean MANY) details in Squire's work kill and ruin some of the best ideas in the album. The very beginning of "In Venere Veritas" is the perfect example. The radio-friendly effect is completely useless and affects the whole appreciation of one of the best tracks in 'Screamworks...'.

Second (also indirectly concerning the production) and we'll probably be a complaint of almost anybody who doesn't like the album: the abuse in electronic sounds and synth effects. This is mostly prejudicial when the guitars are put down comparing to the synths... Like in the past with 'Deep Shadows And Brilliant Highlights' keyboards over guitars produces... well, here it produces "Scared To Death"...

Actually, I need to say it straightforward: there's too much keyboards. Of course that being mostly filled with happy melodies and random effects that go nowhere instead of being gloom and melancholic, doesn't help at all. Everybody that follows the band remembers how memorable HIM keyboards were in the past... but it was when they sounded like a piano and not like some plastic incursions in modern Pop.
The more audible and clear synth-influences were the band's point and well, it failed... Maybe if they would listen "Too Happy To Be Alive" a few times it could actually work. And the problem isn't strictly the Pop influences. For example, "In The Arms Of Rain" is quite Alternative and the electronic effects are just too much...
This abuse not only blurs the band's identity but it becomes just a bad idea when some of the songs have its best parts underline by these annoying and random effects. A pretty decent song most of the time (with some of the best riffs in the album) is almost thrown apart by some "beatbox" moments near its end.

Furthermore, the predictability of the tracks is really frustrating. It's perhaps the band's album where the feeling of knowledge of the album is bigger... Well, this is not so good since everything is explored so fast and easy. Of course a monster like 'Venus Doom' is not HIM's standard but the deepness in the past was far bigger... and when that lacks something just overwhelms that "problem": great songs.

Which brings me to my next point: there is a huge lack of memorable moments. What "saves" (not totally, though) 'Deep Shadows And Brilliant Highlights' is the tremendous "Love You Like I Do", the catchy "Lose You Tonight" or one of the best Pop songs by HIM, "Heartache Every Moment". Here, those moments are almost absent.
Like I said, it's easy to predict what's coming (and worse: how it's coming) but also because everything is standardised (same type of riffs, vocal variations similar in each part of the songs and the keyboard effects in the beginning, chorus and then in the closing parts) there is no great break, no moment of genius.
A song which is somewhat out of this is "Acoustic Funeral (For Love In Limbo)" that being far from the great ballads of the band stands out precisely because overcomes the structure that every single songs has... and it doesn't work.
It's true that 'Venus Doom' aside, HIM was never outside the typical Rock structures (few exceptions here) but they never made an album all under 4m either. "Disarm Me (With Your Loneliness)" is the only one above it (and barely). I think this is factor to keep in mind...

I've talked about this before, but I must repeat: there's always some detail that ruins the song and doesn't allow the songs to fulfil their full potential. "Like St. Valentine" has almost everything to be one of the best songs of HIM in years and then that somewhat bogus chorus draws the music a bit down. And I mentioned this one, as I could mention several that have good ideas, great riffs, Valo's voice at its very 'Love Metal'-style best and all of a sudden is a mellow chorus, random electronic effects or a will just to oversimplify that blows the greatness of the song away...

Valo's voice has a inconstant performance. If some of the more screamed moments are a direct hint to 'Love Metal' and give the music a new perspective and a fresh sound which is very good; some of the high notes are totally inappropriate and mixed with some annoying synths... well, it just ain't pretty to listen. Also, no low vocals (the vest work by Ville is in this type of vocalizations) but the melodic warm voice still saves some songs from (and I'm very sad to say this) mediocrity.
Unfortunately even the lyrics are a bit too simplistic and even when they are not the metaphors and images used are not as great as in the recent past. It's a big drawback since this aspect of HIM's music was one of those which I never thought would get worse... There are great lines like in 'Venus Doom', but also some things that don't really go nowhere and are to common. Oversimplification once again is the keyword.

You can forget about bass and drums too... It's a shame to see a member like Mige underused this way. I remember the surprising highly versatile work in 'Venus Doom' or the simple but beautiful lines under the guitar which drove 'Razorblade Romance' to its absolute peak and then I listen to this... Maybe "Like St. Valentine" aside and some other moments (very very few) the bass never stands out and is even hard to hear outside the "wall of sound" which creates with the guitar. The drums do its part when it's requested but Gas is much more than a usual Pop/Rock drummer...
The guitar is not that neglected but some of the good riffs are ruined by the disaster options already mentioned and besides, many of the guitar work tends to repeat itself... I still think (even after three albums... or even four if you count 'Love Metal') the distortion that defined HIM's "early" sound is hugely missed, specially to make the songs a less poppy. If not that, at least the dirty and almost Stoner distortion of the last work...
Not being totally aside, Linde's work is far more modest than in the past... too much for the band's own identity.

It's disappointing, I must say. The second album from the band where the first reaction is not that good after 'DS&BH'. This time I think it's worse since there are no memorable moments. In an appreciation more detached from what the band has done, it's just a decent album... If I get completely out of the bands universe it's a bit better but this doesn't matter since it's an impossible abstraction. HIM's greatness suffered a downgrade for the reasons mentioned and the irritating moments hurt 'Screamworks...' even more.

Just to give this initial appreciation a final and perhaps different tone I want to talk about "The Foreboding Sense Of Impending Happiness". Obviously I don't want this kind of sound for HIM... but it's a really surprising track! It's a difference, a ray of "light". Never thought HIM would do a track like this and although it's not what I except from the band (I would be hugely disappointed If they went this path exclusively) it's a nice experimental moment. Here, the electronic experimentation is direct and works... mainly because it's nor ruining what HIM traditionally does very well.
Maybe few people will understand and like this last track but in my opinion they achieve more with this track than with electronic stuff all over the place and that hurts the final product of lot of songs. The problem is not the change but what this change represented when was mixed with what HIM's all about.

[Rasta666]

I like your review PhilLiz, you bring up a lot of points I didn't notice.

The problem I have with it though, is that if you didn't state song titles, album titles and other things of that nature, it just seems like an album review made for Dark Light, 5 years ago. "Over production, too much keyboards, predictable, Ville's vocals being sub-par, lack of Linde's shredding" etc. These were things ALL OF US were saying about Dark Light when it came out. However, I disagree with a lot of those statements regarding Screamworks. I think it's what they meant for Dark Light to sound like, which is why you can find so many similarities between the two albums, but it's much more of a success, artistically speaking.

I feel like this album is a step forward from Dark Light, and a step horizontally from Venus Doom. It's just a different sound they experimented with. And judging by the reviews, I'd say around 80% of the people on this forum have a favorable view of the album, which is saying something considering the fans on this site (myself included) can be extremely critical of Ville and the gang when it comes to making new material. More so than any other fan site I've been a part of.

However, I did like your review a lot. Nice to hear another detailed opinion of the album other than my own. +1 for you.

[Weemo]

The opening of Katherine Wheel is akin to Sigillum Diaboli

EDIT - And a lot of people are blaming Matt Squire for a lot, but you can't hold him 100% accountable - Ville has always said that he likes to have his hands on everything involved with the album. So you have to blame Mr. Valo as well 

[Robert Metal]

From hearing the album last night, I must say I really like this record and can't wait for the special edition cd to come to my house and listen to the acoustic disc

[PhiLiz]

If it was 'Dark Light' my problem with electronic would not make sense... and most of all, I really liked 'Dark Light'. Sure it was not heavy, but that's not the only thing I want to hear in HIM's music (I would be more displeased than pleased throughout their career it it was the case) and despite the lack of heaviness I find 'Dark Light' a very mature and good album. It's not my favourite and it's not near 'Venus Doom' but it's good.

So, this is as linear as saying less heavy equals bad in every case. it really depends and in this case lack of some hard tunes is just one of the problems and maybe it ain't even the biggest I have with the album...

[Rasta666]

I misread your post I guess. I'm looking back, and you actually said that earlier. My bad.

I have to say though, in recent years, as I've evolved from the 12 year old HIM fan who's other favorite bands were CKY and Cradle of Filth, to the 20 year old HIM fan I am today, I've expanded my musical tastes a hell of a lot. I say this because I enjoy all music, including electronic. So it's very nice and comforting to me to know that my favorite band ever, is still evolving with me after being a fan for 8 years. Since Venus Doom came out 2 and a half years ago, I've developed a really alternative and different taste for music, and it's great to see HIM change with me.

So I guess I could say, yes, I am a fan of the electronic influences on the album.

[Vpr616]

PhilLiz - you just said everything I feel about this album! Can't add a word really.

The opening of Katherine Wheel is akin to Sigillum Diaboli

EDIT - And a lot of people are blaming Matt Squire for a lot, but you can't hold him 100% accountable - Ville has always said that he likes to have his hands on everything involved with the album. So you have to blame Mr. Valo as well 

I won't buy the whole "don't blame producer, Ville decides here" stuff anymore
On DSBH Sony and bunch of producers raped the sound like they liked to, on DL Palmer raped the guitars like he wanted to, and now Squire raped the whole sound just like he wanted to. I'd say it again, it's no coincidence that best HIM albums were the ones produced by Kai Hiilesmaa.

By the way, Katherine Wheel is even more similar to "Christina Bleeds" by other Finnish band, Charon. If you don't know the song, check it out.

Sounds like you were expecting an album that was never being made to be honest.  Has been mentioned many times that this was going to be a poppy, radio friendly more mainstream album.  An album to introduce to the masses is what I think Ville said at some point.

Hopefully it will grow on you more soon 

Has been mentioned that it will be punky, in-your-face stuff, and that Ville is a real asshole now

[Robert Metal]

It takes awhile to get use to an album, the more times you listen to it the more you like it or hate it.

[stigmata92]

Vpr I really think you missed the point for this album. Ville never intended it to be heavy, and wanted it to be poppy. Hence why he chose Matt Squire for the job. To me it seems like you were expecting a Venus Doom part 2 which obviously wasn't going to happen.

[dahaka]

Vpr I really think you missed the point for this album. Ville never intended it to be heavy, and wanted it to be poppy. Hence why he chose Matt Squire for the job. To me it seems like you were expecting a Venus Doom part 2 which obviously wasn't going to happen.

Maybe he was expecting GLV666 vol 2  anyway which it's a lot heavier and not in a poppy way then VD. Anyway I still love HIM nowdays and it's a verry verry good produced album i think. I just like it... if we want to listen to something heavy we have a variety of choices... anyway HIM will be our relaxing place to turn to.

[stigmata92]

lol I know but I highly doubt that HIM would make an album similar to GLSV 666. Making a Venus Doom part 2 seemed at least a little more realistic.

[PhiLiz]

Vpr I really think you missed the point for this album. Ville never intended it to be heavy, and wanted it to be poppy. Hence why he chose Matt Squire for the job. To me it seems like you were expecting a Venus Doom part 2 which obviously wasn't going to happen.

It's not the first time I've seen one but these type of commentaries really make no sense...
Whatever the band's objective was it doesn't matter when I'm listening to the album...  What matters is if I like what I'm hearing. My perspective... Why would I listen to it by the band's perspective or anyone else's?

Also, "missing the point" is quite pretentious. So, you "get" the point why? Just because you like it? Again, making no sense.

if we want to listen to something heavy we have a variety of choices... anyway HIM will be our relaxing place to turn to.

The exact same point can be made for exactly the opposite: HIM is a Rock band, if I want to listen something "light" I have a variety of choices...

[dahaka]

Vpr I really think you missed the point for this album. Ville never intended it to be heavy, and wanted it to be poppy. Hence why he chose Matt Squire for the job. To me it seems like you were expecting a Venus Doom part 2 which obviously wasn't going to happen.

It's not the first time I've seen one but these type of commentaries really make no sense...
Whatever the band's objective was it doesn't matter when I'm listening to the album...  What matters is if I like what I'm hearing. My perspective... Why would I listen to it by the band's perspective or anyone else's?

Also, "missing the point" is quite pretentious. So, you "get" the point why? Just because you like it? Again, making no sense.

if we want to listen to something heavy we have a variety of choices... anyway HIM will be our relaxing place to turn to.

The exact same point can be made for exactly the opposite: HIM is a Rock band, if I want to listen something "light" I have a variety of choices...

U are right dude. Ave Maria!

[stigmata92]

Vpr I really think you missed the point for this album. Ville never intended it to be heavy, and wanted it to be poppy. Hence why he chose Matt Squire for the job. To me it seems like you were expecting a Venus Doom part 2 which obviously wasn't going to happen.

It's not the first time I've seen one but these type of commentaries really make no sense...
Whatever the band's objective was it doesn't matter when I'm listening to the album...  What matters is if I like what I'm hearing. My perspective... Why would I listen to it by the band's perspective or anyone else's?

Also, "missing the point" is quite pretentious. So, you "get" the point why? Just because you like it? Again, making no sense.

if we want to listen to something heavy we have a variety of choices... anyway HIM will be our relaxing place to turn to.

The exact same point can be made for exactly the opposite: HIM is a Rock band, if I want to listen something "light" I have a variety of choices...

In the end it comes down to opinion. You think that all the synth and electronic sounds detract from the songs. I think it's the opposite and adds a whole new layer of depth to them.

[Morningrise]

Since everyone seems to be indulging each other in over saturated reviews of the album, I thought I would give my two cents.

I wanted to hate this album before I even listened to it. HIM hasn't blown me away since Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights, which by popular opinion, isn't considered a great album and was the first sign of weakness for the band among fans. To me, DS&BH worked because of its modest song structure and restraint. There was sense of sincerity in the music. They weren't trying to be flashy nor were they trying to overwhelm us in the vain of Razorblade Romance, which was very synth heavy with outlandish gothic overtones. Don't get me wrong, RR had sincerity as well of course, but it was presented playfully, resulting in a unique sound separate from anything else they've done since, including DS&BH.

I consider Dark Light to be my least favorite release by the band. To me, it was stale and brought nothing new to the table. It also ventured too far from the simplicity they excelled at. The band sounded tired and the new direction pursued was underwhelming following the great success that was Love Metal, which mixed everything HIM had done at that point. Venus Doom came soon after with the promise of something grander, but while it showcased some of the heaviest material they had done so far, HIM's music has never really been heavy. With the exception of their first album, their most popular albums, Razorblade Romance and Love Metal, were quite alternative and even poppy in some respects. Venus Doom suffered from being too bloated, and both it and Dark Light had some of Ville's most contrived and downright silly lyrics to date. They had become too heavy on metaphor and weren't as direct as previous albums.

At first, Screamworks sounded like the final nail in the coffin. After listening to it though, I realized the winning formula was there. The basic, verse, chorus, verse song structure had returned from RR and DS&BH, the edgy metallic riffs from Linde were back and most importantly... the hooks! The music was catchy again. I found myself wanting to actually sing along, which I haven't done since before Love Metal. The album is infectious. Ville sounds like he means every word he sings and the lyrics feel more relevant than ever before. Instead of monotonous convoluted drivel, the band sounds refreshed and excited to play what they're playing. Instead of releasing another hopeless, melancholy filled feature, Ville is charged with energy and is sexually fueled, which hasn't been heard since Razorblade Romance and Love Metal. While the electronic influences may be new and may hit or miss with a lot a fans, they're definitely inspired. As a fan of various kinds of music, experimentation is well encouraged by me. The album is just so damn catchy, I find it nearly impossible to hate.

The sex is back.

[PhiLiz]

In the end it comes down to opinion. You think that all the synth and electronic sounds detract from the songs. I think it's the opposite and adds a whole new layer of depth to them.

I think it's a matter of subjective appreciation that's why I don't understand remarks like yours about "getting the point" of the album just because I didn't like it...

[muschy]

Dark Light gets way too much criticism... when it came out people were blown away by certain songs, even with saying this it is my least favorite album as a whole... But it still gets played way more in my zune or car than any other band....

I loved Venus Doom when it first came out, but since I'm not a huge fan of Sleepwalking Past Hope, it feels like a 7 track album (I will not include Songs or Suicide)... While on this Bleed Well, Cyanide Sun, Passion's Killing Floor, and Love in Cold Blood are completely memorable and all time classic HIM songs in my opinion....

I won't get into the other 4 albums because I grew up with them and maybe found two tracks on each that I did not like... otherwise they were unbelievable

With Screamworks, right now, I'm already finding a few songs that I just want to skip, but on the other hand, there are plenty of the memorable ones already, for me it's In Venere Veritas, Katherine Wheel, Heartkiller, Disarm Me.... On the other songs I find parts that I think are awesome, but are doomed by either ridiculous lyrics (that seem to not fit a lot of the times on the album) or lacking choruses..... I do like this album and when it's all said and done it will probably be in the top 3, the only thing that sucks is now we have to wait another 2.5 years to make this judgement again on a whole new album

Correct me if I'm wrong, but HIM has two more albums on their contract with Sire, right?

Screamworks will have to keep me satisfied until then

[Len777]

i'm hoping one of those 2 left is like a bonus demo greatest hits thingy or some unlreleased stuff from sire that would be cool.