Razorblade Romance Demo

[Daedalus]

Right Here In My Arms is my favorite. I love the alternate lyrics and the slower speed of the song. As with everyone else, Gone With The Sin is just amazing...really overshadows the album version.

[Jay]

Gone With the Sin is amazing.  It's been tied with Poison Girl as my favorite.  I think I'm more into the bridge of Poison Girl, but I agree Gone With the Sin is much better than the album version.

[Ziggy18]

I really like the whole vibe of the album.   It sounds like a mix between deep shadows and this is only the beginning.   The guitar is not as loud as it should be in some parts but it is a demo.   All though the guitar solos are really cool with having two different solos happening at once which doesn't happen on a lot of HIM songs.   Ville's voice is very different in some songs... it almost sounds like he is trying to sound like someone like chris issak mixed with Robert plant or something lol I can't put my finger on it  The drums sound really great and it's cool hearing Gas's first works with the band.  I can see why people would say this is the holy grail... (I think it's the witches and other night fears material) but I still think I'm going to favor the LM demos and Hollola tapes once we get to hear more from the re-mastered bonus tracks.   I'm just glad that HIM fans can enjoy these finally and I hope this sparks sales for the pre orders and LM Archives Tour.

Gone With The Sin is definitely better than the album version.   

Poison Girl is so cool with that bridge I agree. The Join Me lyrics put in the song makes me think of a mix between two songs almost like Doolin Dalton/Desperado by the eagles or the jay-z/linkin park album just to name a few.  I like the part right before ville starts singing the first verse... should have kept that in the song.

Resurrection might be better than the album version but it's almost a tie.   I do like how it seems much darker and the guitar during the chorus almost sounds like a guitar solo in the background. 

Right Here In My Arms is really bad ass.   I don't like the alternate chorus but I do like how the verse's are slowed down.   Ville's voice and the whole song sound like it came from the 93' and 95' demos.

Join Me In Death again almost like this version better with the long outro.   You can piece in the third verse from the live ilosaarirock version.

Razorblade Romance again this is really cool but I do think they got it right on RR.  I like the keyboard in this song and the long guitar solo.

Bury Me Deep Inside Your Heart almost sounds just like the album version but I do think it's cool to hear Ville singing in a different way on this demo tape.

Too Happy To Be Alive - we've had this for a while now.   I like this song but it doesn't seem to fit on the demo.

[616]

The drums sound really great and it's cool hearing Gas's first works with the band.

its not Gas but Pätkä

[Ziggy18]

Damn that's cool.   But Gas was on Razorblade Romance the album right?

[Daedalus]

Yes.

[DarkSecret666]

Is it Juska or Antto on keyboards? Antto left in 1998 and Juska joined the band after that. I think it's Antto.

[MiLToS_666]

It's not Juska for sure, confirmed.
It's not Antto as well, he already had left the band by the time those were recorded.
I can't be 100% sure but I believe it's written in "the book" that Ville himself plays the keys.

[DarkSecret666]

Cool. Ville handles the keys pretty well

[616]

Damn that's cool.   But Gas was on Razorblade Romance the album right?

yes Gas is on Razorblade Romance but this was recorded in 1998 before Patka has left the band and Gas joined HIM in 1999
this was supposed to be an EP  but then Juska joined the band and Patka left the bulding, then Gas joined the group and they re-recorded it with Gas and Juska and made Razorblade Romance in spring 1999
i believe the keyboards are all by Ville as he can play the piano too , so he can do the keyboards as well

what bothers my mind the most for almost year and a half (or more? not sure) is why there isnt "I Love You" as they performed this song in its early version in 1998 but its not on this ! The early version they performed live in 1998 sounds very much like (White House version) that is on Uneasy listening vol. 2! but its not on Slippery When Dead

i am probably the only one here who doesnt like Gone with the sin that much? I prefer Right Here In My Arms as its pretty heavy and dark, very good and i prefer my most favorite song Resurrection as its pretty dark and heavy too, pretty much like "greatest lovesongs vol 666" vibe.
Razorblade Romance (Kiss) and Join Me are the same as they were performed in 1998 and 1999 live. Pretty good. Poison Girl is definitely the weirderst - it has Join Me lyrics , weird bridge or pre-chorus.
I also think that Too Happy To Be Alive just doesnt fit this entire thing but its old song as it was leaked back in 2004 so TEN years ago.
Bury Me Deep Inside is pretty much darker but the same as its on the album, well almost, but the vibe and the sound is much better on SWD than its on the RR album (but maybe its because Ville´s voice is better on SWD than on RR), more deeper and darker

and finally - Gone With The Sin - i definitely love this song, but i prefer the  album version or to be most honest i prefer O.D. version. This SWD is pretty much different but i dont like the melody on guitar that is in the intro with the weird keyboard sound that is very high LOL, and i really hate the tempo of the drums, its too fast and its not correct, the correct is on album version. But i love the "you´re losing your life" part in the middle of the song. its cool!!! and its definitely better than the solo in the album version ... that part is literally "sending shivers right down my spine" !! :-)

but Resurrection is for me the number one. I just cant help it but this song is my most favorite in the world as i mentioned like billion times LOL, no other song is better , even John Frusciante or Dee Dee Ramone, Paul McCartney or Jim Peterik or whoever you name never made more beautiful song than Resurrection. It has everything! Its not short, its not too long, its not boring, it has amazing lyrics! The melody is simply killer and its the most splendid piece of art that Ville has ever written. The Slippery When Dead version is absolutely stunning - very heavy guitars in the version and creepy high keyboards in the backround - totally fits it! The pre chorus after "fallen from grace" is very "Greatest lovesongs vol 666"-like (if you know what i mean). And what i love the most on it, is that while in the album version Linde plays just Em-C-G-D on guitar like lettingthe chord goes on one hit , the chorus progression is not the main in the chorus but the keyboards are with the melody the main thing in the chorus on album version. BUT in this version there is Linde playing the same melody on Guitar as its on keyboards and with that palm muted sound its just absolutely heavy and Ville´s younger deeper voice is absolutely fitting all of it and thats why i think this Resurrection SWD version is the best HIM piece of art. Absolutely perfect - when compared to the album version they changed it a lot and in the details and not to the better. This is far darker and heavier, very good vibe + the interplay in the middle with the drums tempo and without the chorus melody , but with verse keyboard melody with that  high creepy sound of the keyboard effect and the heavy guitars in it without repetitive singing "this resurrection" as its in the album version - you cant just fight it, its the best what they could do in this part of the song! i dont know why they changed Resurrection to the album version and didnt use this pefrect flawless version of it.

The same things i have to say on Right Here In My Arms - the solo is like hundred times better than on the album, very nice two guitars soloing together simultaneously but sounds amazing, as in Razorblade Kiss (or Romance if you want) ... :-)

[Alex]

 two things:

my fav. is Poison Girl... in RR its not at all.... but this bridge in the song..... man they must used in the RR.

best song in my opinion is Ressurection. darker and epic beginning... actually the song until the first chorus is best thing they ever done! I wish the guitars before the chorus were longer and repeated and then the chorus...

i love Join Me and Razorblade as well..

cant wait to see what Ville will say about the leak...

[AcousticFuneral]

Too happy to be alive-I've never been a huge fan of the song but it's okay and nice to see where it fits in with HIM rather than just a random song.

Gone with the sin- I really like the album version but this one does have a more cinematic feel, and sounds deepshadowsish like a cross between IJAS and love you like I do. A stand out for me.

Bury me deep- I love the RR version and this is equally as good I do like the bit starting "And still you look like you don't believe" another great song.

Razorblade Romance- This one i've wanted to hear for so long and it's not a let down, I actually think it's better than the final version.

Poison Girl-Well it's amazing the verses are great and I love the bits at the end of them "cos you're all I want and you're all that I have" and "and soon we'll turn blue" and so on. Bit of a shock first time I heard it I thought someone had misnamed the tracks and it was join me.

Join Me- I think this is one of the songs better than the RR versions along with poison girl and Razorblade Romance

Ressurection-I think the RR version is one of their best songs but oh my god why change it from this?

She'll Be/RHIMA-Just a quick point ive seen an info sheet from very early in this songs life with this listed as "She'll be" rather than RHIMA. I quite like it another that the album version is so strong that this seems it couldn't compete.


Overall I couldnt believe I was finally hearing it after all this time it's reminded me of how much I love Razorblade Romance. If I could hear the full pick up lines from hell demo I think my life would me complete 

[vampireheart616]

Wow ive been looking forever for this and just happened to see someones complaint on facebook saying it was leaked and disrespectful sknce it was villes birthday and had tp come on here to see if it was true guess it was

[playdead616]

The drums sound really great and it's cool hearing Gas's first works with the band.

This is all drum machine. Before Gas joined, but recorded after Patka left. He most likely wrote the parts, with ville orogramming the drum tracks later. Ville is a drummer as well so it is no surprise to me that he could fill in the writting of the albums drums, and Gas would later perform the material once joining.

[616]

again that drum machine rumor ...., its the same bullshit as that Sleepwalking Past Hope is on Witches and other night fears or that Its All Tears from UK edition of And Love Said No is re-recorded in 2004 .... all these are fictions bullshits based on fans rumors and ignorance, far away from the reality

when Patka said that its him on the recording(SWD), then who would you rather believe? the former member who did it or fan rumors? jesus

[playdead616]

Did Patka say this? I was unaware, however, I record live drums and I have mixed both Sample drums and Acoustic drums. To me sounds like Samples, or at least electronic drums used. It doesn't sound like a live kit. Especially the ride cymbal and snare tone.. But this could be a studio electric kit. Who knows.. but from personal experience and mixing experience, it truley sounds like a sample mix.

[playdead616]

It would be cool to know whether or not he tracked them. Take 'Too Happy' for example. The drum intro, you have an isolated drum track for a few bars, and it sounds washy and stale. The snare tone has an akmost digital wash to it, which to me, suggests a pre-set sound clip, with some tuning and EQing. The only reason I argue this is because I did an album with my first band using Edrums for our first album, and demoing. Its quicker and easier for pre production but IMO (as a percussionist) misses the feel, and natural sound. I'm not a fan of it and therefore, hearing Edrums sticks out like a sore thumb to my ears.

[Eric616]

So, why isn't this the bonus disc on Lashes to Ashes? And it's possibly Ville playing drums, if it's not a drum machine.

[playdead616]

So, why isn't this the bonus disc on Lashes to Ashes? And it's possibly Ville playing drums, if it's not a drum machine.

Agreed!

And yes that was my personal thoughts. There are no fills, all the hits are EQ'd exactly identical, and Patka plays his ride as a secondary crash, so the bell-ride parts red flag this to me as a drum machine. OR perhaps Valo on an E-drums to simply track the demos. As a drummer/musician 15+ years, to my ear, it doea not sound like Patka on the skins. Sorry but it just doesn't.

[Eric616]

So, why isn't this the bonus disc on Lashes to Ashes? And it's possibly Ville playing drums, if it's not a drum machine.

Agreed!

And yes that was my personal thoughts. There are no fills, all the hits are EQ'd exactly identical, and Patka plays his ride as a secondary crash, so the bell-ride parts red flag this to me as a drum machine. OR perhaps Valo on an E-drums to simply track the demos. As a drummer/musician 15+ years, to my ear, it doea not sound like Patka on the skins. Sorry but it just doesn't.

The drums do sound better than they did on Too Happy to Be Alive, though. Maybe it's a mixture of drum machine, Ville, Patka and another drummer or drummers?

This demo is fucking awesome though! 

[AcousticFuneral]

So, why isn't this the bonus disc on Lashes to Ashes? And it's possibly Ville playing drums, if it's not a drum machine.

Agreed!

And yes that was my personal thoughts. There are no fills, all the hits are EQ'd exactly identical, and Patka plays his ride as a secondary crash, so the bell-ride parts red flag this to me as a drum machine. OR perhaps Valo on an E-drums to simply track the demos. As a drummer/musician 15+ years, to my ear, it doea not sound like Patka on the skins. Sorry but it just doesn't.

The drums do sound better than they did on Too Happy to Be Alive, though. Maybe it's a mixture of drum machine, Ville, Patka and another drummer or drummers?

This demo is fucking awesome though! 

616 do you want to deal with this.....again?

[Eric616]

So, why isn't this the bonus disc on Lashes to Ashes? And it's possibly Ville playing drums, if it's not a drum machine.

Agreed!

And yes that was my personal thoughts. There are no fills, all the hits are EQ'd exactly identical, and Patka plays his ride as a secondary crash, so the bell-ride parts red flag this to me as a drum machine. OR perhaps Valo on an E-drums to simply track the demos. As a drummer/musician 15+ years, to my ear, it doea not sound like Patka on the skins. Sorry but it just doesn't.

The drums do sound better than they did on Too Happy to Be Alive, though. Maybe it's a mixture of drum machine, Ville, Patka and another drummer or drummers?

This demo is fucking awesome though! 

616 do you want to deal with this.....again?

Huh? Never mind, so it was Patka.

[playdead616]

I would like to know if it was infact rather Patka than Electric Sample Drums. It just sounds like electronic drums to me, and it could simply be in the mix, but to me it sounds machine-esque. Did Patka record electric or acoustic? I surely know it wasn't Gas, and i doubt Ville would track drums himself. The feel of the drums (imo) is close, but not quite that of GLS666 songs. I realize that there are tons of variables to consider during the tracking phases.

[Weemo]

Did anybody ever determine the origin/reason why Too Happy To Be Alive leaked ages ago if it was part of this collection?

[Len777]

I'm not entirely sure but, from what I remember the mods on BMMB had it. Where they got it from I have no idea.