HIM is OVER

[Paratisii]

I had a feeling something was coming. This really fucking sucks.

[Ziggy18]

Im in shock right now.   I feel empty and like I want to cry.  I hope there is atleast another US Tour.  Wow.   2 tats, 9x ive seen them and got numerous interactions with them.  I dont beleive this means Forever. 

[666WTLOnVinylFTW]

Well......

It's going to be really strange if they play any brand new songs from the album they were supposedly working on and those will be the versions we'll have to listen to from here on out. It'll just be weird to hear a brand new HIM song and know that there won't be an album with the studio version of it to look forward to later on. I've speculated for awhile now that they were going to call it quits. Not like the writing wasn't already on the wall, but I hope someday we get some details on what actually happened. I guess they just didn't wanna go through the whole album routine once again, especially without Gas, because that would have them on the road supporting it for longer than they would've liked. I hate to see them go out like this, though. Isn't it supposed to be better to burn out than to fade away? Guess they kinda did something in the middle of that. Hasn't quite hit me fully yet that they're going to be gone probably for forever since it's felt that way as of late anyhow, but I'm sure it will once the tour starts.

[vampireheart616]

We can only hope they end up being like KISS and claim to be done but still keep playing just without making their music worse in the process, and I'm wondering if any of this is due to ville having a new girlfriend I'm happy for but I'm wondering if things ended up not working out would HIM return? There are a lot of questions and possibilities to this I still find the cancelation of the Daniel lioneye tour strange too and we've never really gotten anymore info on that or anything

[Jay]

What a knife to the fucking gut, man. No American stops scheduled, either means I'll never get to see them live. This is so hard to wrap my head around. I never expected this, not this year when they've been teasing at a new album for so long. Ughhhhhh fuck this

Us dates are coming soon it says on the very bottom

Ahhhhh thank you I clearly didn't see that! Still gutted, but hopefully I'll get to see them for the first and last time. Pleeeeease let there be a TX stop.

I assume a Houston and Dallas show will be set.

[616]

maybe the middle life crisis, they dont see to have internal problems within the band, or at least we dont know anything, so maybe they are just currently feeling like they dont have any joy of doing the same shit another years, maybe they dont have anything to challenge in HIM. But hopefully they will re-consider this after few years, when they will miss each other on stage, when they will miss their lifes actually, because HIM is them, their lives, they have put a LOT into this band so maybe they will return after a while, Blink returned and other bands returned as well.
Hopefully i can get Prague tickets on wednesday,.... my camera is ready, batteries ready, sd card ready  and now i dont see any reason not to ask a FOH guys to copy me a gig on the usb stick as a souvenir of my last show, maybe it will work

[SIRJARVIS01]

I hope they shoot at least one more DVD and a box set....

[Squeezit Wafflenose]

Hate to say I saw this coming six months ago... Sad as I am (they are my favourite modern band), I think this may actually be for the best. Tears on Tape was not a great effort, album 9 has been in the works forever and had it been published, it could have been really poor. If they don't feel like doing it any more, it's definitely honest to call it quits.

[616]

"At the end of 2017, we will be released into the wild," says Mige. "Before this event of great transformation, we would love to offer you one last chance to experience our live performances in His Majesty's service. It shall not be a weepfest but a celebration of love metal in all its lovecraftian glory! See you there!"

".......HIM has run its unnatural course and adieus must be said in order to make way for sights, scents and sounds yet unexplored,"  - Ville Valo


THat probably means that Burton, Linde and Mige will continue with Daniel Lioneye. And Ville probably solo artist? Rambo?
OR something COMPLETELY NEW on the horizon? Nech chapter in their musician lives??? together?

[SolitaryHeartache]

This absolutely hurts my soul. This band was my life and I'll miss them dearly.  The final tour is a must see.

[Alex]

As I said new projects to follow for sure...i hope.... Gas left the band because he wanted to do different kind of music.... maybe thats happening with Linde and the guys. Honestly I do not see too much perspective in Daniel Lioneye. Vol3 was the best of all three and they barely touring...

I hope also for a LP or just a single with 2-3 new songs for a goodbye or something like that....Setlist for the tour this time can include some forgotten songs.

I truly believe that the band will join again in the next 10 years, but somehow its scares me this farewell tour! There is something big or bad we dont know... hopefully not....

[SilverLiningBE]

There is something big or bad we dont know...

Valo's new girlfriend's pregnant?

Only he could put an end to the band's existence and take a decision that big...

[Daedalus]

I was listening to a random playlist of HIM this morning on my way to work when WLSTD came on. I started to shiver and tear up. It was rough, especially when Ville screamed "So I die..." I nearly lost it. I had to turn my stereo off for the rest of the drive.

[666WTLOnVinylFTW]

Anyone else wonder if Gas might sit in for a song or two during the band's final show? You gotta figure the last one will be in Helsinki at Tavastia, so if it happens on New Year's they can invite his band to open up for them and Gas can occupy his throne one last time. Just a random thought. I know he lives in the US now, or did the last I knew, but I'd like to see him incorporated in some way with the farewell tour. It just wouldn't be right without it, plus he never got a proper send off. If he would be up to it or not is anyone's guess, though. I'm sure he'll come visit them but I'd love to see him back playing. Hell, have a dual drum setup for the final encore and have Gas and Kosmo both play, then they can all take their final bows together and Gas can toss one last stick into the crowd.

[DarkSecret666]

Yeah, I was also thinking about Gas playing during the shows. And yes he lives in US, but at least he seems to be in Finland with his projects a lot lately so it's possible that he has moved back to Finland but who knows.

[616]

i was hoping for more than Gas at the Tavastia, Juska, Antto, PATKA! it would be really nice and HIS INFERNAL MAJESTY deserves it
the last tour is gonna be like a funeral

[vampireheart616]

They should also play very album from to back, I know that would cost hundreds if they actually did something like that but if this is really end it would be worth every penny, I'm still trying to deny this is actually happening, can't it just be some type of plan to get sold out shows and everyone back into them? I wish 

[Ziggy18]

Okay im ready to make an attempt to say how i feel about this.

HIM is and will be my favorite band since 13/14 when i first heard right here in my arms.  I have been as die hard as i can be through the years and HIM has had a huge impact on my life. I am very extreamly sad to hear this news so suddenly.  I have been always using TheSacrament.net since i was in my teens and now 27.  I would like to thank all thevactive members and of course Jay who started all of this.

Even though i regret to hear this it did seem obvious with no helldone and such bad pablicity/no news. We were induldged with daniel lioneye 3 but now we hear the words "farewell tour"    I wonder what happened inside the band like people said or The End being the down fall. 
(Starting to tear)
I wonder if Daniel lioneye will roll out and THE Ville Valo will start new band/go solo.  I will enjoy whatever sprouts from the greatest only love metal band ever but damn this does straight up suck

Im hoping i will get to see them one last time in states like it says.  If not i shook villes hand in 04 and sat with them at a big table at hooters, talked to ville on phone due to gf getting knocked out and being put back stage, drank with DL in 2010 for hours at pernantis in Pgh, saw them in 4 completly diff states 9x total, etc.

I was thinking my first tattoo with Love Metal HIM and heartagram is perfect and sums up all the memories.  I had two friends in middle school that made cky type videos that all sparked the fire.  And now sadly my last tattoo is the snake/skull on elbow from Tears On Tape.  The last of 8 wonderful albums and numerous other untouchable songs.
It was the last with Gas and its a shame he left because he might have been the one to keep things going.

Ill end with i hope they play somewhere in east coast US with maybe meet and greets.  My Razorblade Romance shirt is signed by all 4 but Linde but Linde's is sepperate on a Dark Light paper from deluxe tin set.  I would have Linde sifn the pink shirt so i can frame it. 

I admit the whole old members thing would be cool for them to join on this tour. 

Lets hope for the best and think of words like LOVE METAL REUINION 2018 WITH GAS LIPSTICK lol

[Inferno]

Well, a huge part of my childhood just came to a close. I'm not sad or emotional, but maybe it just hasn't set in yet... Words just cannot express it. I've already had to go through many breakups of bands that I discovered through HIM so I can't say that the signs weren't there... I just didn't expect it to happen so soon.

[616]

i still cant believe it......

this was few weeks ago https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoyL9Dx-G8g&feature=youtu.be 
do you think that he already knew that HIM is about to split up? He said "working on the new music AND THEN the stuff with HIM", ....so that does not mean working on the new music with HIM....... and after that he said that they are going to tour a little and after summer they dont know yet
i understand it that he already knew and they did not have dates for the farewell tour yet, so he was "mysterious" as always. But he is going to do a new music so hopefully some follow up HIM band with the same personel would be fine huh?

Helldone dates should be announced in July
i think they should make a DVD like Hanoi Rocks did from the last gig, seriously. If they wont, it will be very odd

i wonder what really happened.... because excuse like "him has run unnatural course" is obviously just a bullshit, they could change the course and not disband......

[DarkSecret666]

Ville also did another interview to a Finnish tabloid magazine "Seiska" during Emma Gaala. He was asked: "How long HIM will still go on?" Ville replied: "It's very hard to say. There are at least 3 days on a week when I think it is over. The same thing has been going on for 25 years now, so I cannot promise either one." The short interview was published on February 19th, and I hadn't seen it.

From a think to another... 20th November 2017 marks 20 years from the release of Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666. I bet they're going to play some goodies from the album this year. The Beginning Of The End is going to be played for sure. A rare picture of Ville holding a GLS gold record was posted on a Finnish news site:



And BTW did anyone notice that when typing "HIM" to Google, heartagram.com shows up with the title "Dark Light"? It's been there for at least 2 months, but I didn't think about it.

[Daedalus]

Inspired by Ziggy's comments, I feel compelled to put into words how I'm feeling about all of this.

I've been a fan of HIM since 2003, way back when I was a mere 19 years old. I was stumbling my way through college, working full time, and attempting relationships. One day, a buddy and I were on Napster downloading various MP3's (as was the thing to do back then) when he suggested we download something from "that band Bam likes". Throughout high school, we had been fans of the CKY videos and been exposed to HIM through that. We ended up downloading a few songs, including "Funeral of Hearts". I thought it was cool, but only listened to a handful of songs once through and then went home. That night, I began downloading as much HIM music and videos as I could find, and I fell in love.

A short time later I went to the Virgin Megastore (Remember those?) and sought out a HIM album. Any album didn't even matter! All they had was 1 copy of the Universal release of Razorblade Romance (with the parental advisory). I was looking to buy a second copy as a Christmas gift for a friend but the clerk told me they only had the one copy. I decided to take that copy and set it aside for the gift, and I would buy another one online for myself. I soon discovered what import CDs were, and by January of 2004, I had copies all of 4 albums. As fate would have it, I never ended up giving that copy of RR as a gift, and to this day I still have the very first HIM album that I purchased still sealed in the plastic.

HIM became the soundtrack to my twenties. Not a day went by that I didn't listen to them. These songs became my secret treasures that, at the time, relatively few people knew about and I was the gatekeeper(coincidence intended  ) to share this with friends and family. 2005 rolls around and we finally get word of a new album and a US tour. I joined the street team and was instrumental in the promotion around my area. Due to my participation, I was invited to a Warner Bros recording studio in Dallas to listen to Dark Light a month or so before release with about 15-20 other people. It was a magical evening that I will never forget. Just after the release of Dark Light, HIM came to my town and, once again, due to my participation in the street team I was allowed into a meet and greet after the show. Here I was, 21 years old, I've just seen my favorite band live for the first time and then I got to meet them?! This was absolutely mindblowing and to this day is one of the greatest nights of my life.

I have now seen HIM live 7 times (possibly 8 or 9, I can't quite recall everything from the last decade) and as many of you know, have spent a lot of time and money building a very large collection of HIM memorbillia.  I was blessed to be the right age at the right time during their rise to fame in the US. As we know here on the forums, as a new album approached activity grew, and then afterwards declined. We've all been through these cycles together many many times now. It's very sad to me that we will never go through this cycle again. Going back now, for me personally, it seems appropriate that Tears on Tape is the final album.

One thing I should point out is that throughout the entire time that I've known HIM, I have worked the same job. It was a good job for many, many years, but in 2014 it was time for me to move on. I resigned from my position for a new opportunity in an entirely different industry. Coincidence or not, a month after I left my first job, I met the woman who would become my wife. In 2015 we were married and in 2016 our first daughter was born.

All the while, HIM became less of my life. Please don't misunderstand me, I still listen to them all the time, but as anyone who's gotten married and had a child knows, money gets tight and there was no longer and frivolous spending on HIM stuff. My collection, more or less, is as complete as it will ever be. Even if they released a new album, I could not afford to continue my collecting as I had been. It's perhaps fitting, at least for me anyways, that every HIM album release, every tour (except this farewell tour), occured while I was at my first job, in what I now recognize as a different phase of my life. It's a phase that I look back upon fondly, but one that will never be again.

This does not mean that I'm leaving the forums, hell I've still been here since all the changes in my life, and I will continue to be here until Jay pulls the plug. (Or if my Presidential campaign really takes off in a few years). Our community is special, just as our band is special. They may be ending a chapter in the story of HIM, but hopefully, there will be more to go. Thank you for anyone who read through this long spew of a post...I just needed to get these things out myself to help heal my broken heart while I come to grips with the end of HIM.

[666WTLOnVinylFTW]

Ahhh, Virgin Megastores. I paid $40 for an import copy of Love Metal there. Not even the digipak. I'd gladly do it again.

I'm pretty sure someone else on here already brought this up not too long ago, but considering the circumstances it just makes me think about all of the old members of this forum and others throughout the years that have disappeared. Just makes me wonder what they're up to these days, if they're alright, and if they're still fans. I could go on and on listing different usernames. Most I knew nothing about personally, but you do feel some sort of sense of bonding visiting a forum like this and seeing the same people all the time, even if you don't have any personal interactions. People come and go all the time, but those that used to be so passionate and were around for awhile, I still wonder about sometimes, as weird as that my sound. A nice little moment of reflection I just had lol.

Still hasn't quite hit me yet that it's over, but it'll do so eventually. I got so used to all of this downtime between albums, especially as of late, that it was like it was already over, but always in the back of mind I knew that they were still around despite the silence, so it doesn't really feel all that different yet.

[616]

i enjoy reading those stories guys, please everyone keep on going. Its great really to share the experience, the feelings and everything.

There are my 5 cents to this..... before you go, take a glass of water, its gonna be a long post and no potato in the end.

I started in 2001. At this point i was heavily into various stuff that dont fit, i listened to Ramones, Slayer, Korn and mostly Blink 182 was my top band at that point. We had a HiFi system and my father connected it with the TV somehow so when i was watching TV i could record the audio on MC cassettes. I was into music since i was like 3... So i was watching Vh1, MTV, VIVA and slovak and czech music channel, hitparades and more on german channels from satelite. I was recording music on my cassettes, songs i liked, maybe i would find some of them in the basement i remember that one time i saw Gone with the sin video and it was odd , the music video was odd for me at the time, i liked it. Then i saw Pretending and i didnt realise that its the same group at first, i had those 2 songs recorded on the tapes, listened. I did not have internet or anything, was 11 only (born June 1990 LOL) and i was into skateboarding so i obviously loved THPS and i remember when i got a copy of THPS i dont remember if it was THPS 2 or THPS 3 there was a folder of videos of every skateboarder in the game and there was Bam Margera who had this amazing song in the video - i disdcovered Sigillum Diaboli, i only watched the video for the song, even though my favourite was Rodney Mullen and i didnt like Bam that much, but the song in his video was superb. As the time went i remember being pretty much into what i have recorded on the TV on my cassette - later Sacrament, Wicked Game , RHIMA, at this point i got CDs of Razorblade Romance and Love Metal as a gifts. A friends sister was goth and she was much older and i managed to get from her copies of DSBH and Greatest Lovesongs vol 666. I loved every single song. The real thing was for me when i was skating with old WALKMAN , with duct tape to my jeans somehow and i was listening to a cassette with the mix of Sepultura, HIM, Slayer, Blink, Box Car Racer , just few songs of each. Since i got RR album on Christmas, Resurrection became my most favorite song. Every friend who i borrowed the HIM CDs also loved Resurrection. In 2004 i finally got an internet! baby then it began, not telling that i was so in love with Solitary Man, it was on TV ALL THE TIME, my father brought me Digipak with Semifinal DVD from Brno, Czech rep. I watched the DVD of 6 songs like MILLION of times. But back to the internet thing, this is when i started collecting bootlegs. I used limeware or how it was named, bearshare ! Yeah i downloaded first live videos, live gigs, live songs, live videos from some US 2004 tour, it was amazing. In 2005 i was blessed at the age of 15, puberty full blown, to see them in my country, in Bratislava. It was the first HIM gig, its something like the first sex. Never forget, magical, so anticipated, so awesome. I still wanna get a video copy, but no results
And it continued, my collecting of live bootlegs, trading, on various forums, trading sites and stuff. Javi buddy, i love you if you are reading this , i really appriciate everything. And yeah i was visiting this under more nicknames but never got 100 posts and wasnt active much as my english was so poor and so i stopped even logging in. But then later i created this account i am using now. And i was trying to be active and i am active to this day and will be until Jay will close this chapter. I found a lot of buddies, friends , really Great buddies - all of you, you know, i love you all. I wish i never wrote this novel ,but it helps , it definitely helps.

I saw them just 4 times, hopefully to see them last time in Prague, i cant find tickets and i am afraid that it will be sold out quickly. Throughout this entire time, HIM was something like a family member or a wife or something i really took HIM as a part of my everyday life. And yeah i collected LOADS of live stuff, rare stuff, less rare, common stuff, different sources and i still am obsessed with this. It became my hobby and passion. HIM is my life actually and i will miss everything badly.
I wanna thank you everyone for being here, for being active, for sharing your opinions, ideas, your passions, your stuff. I like you, we are on the same boat, we are connected with this unique band and we are going to share the same loss in the end of this year.

I never had a chance to meet the band or never had a chance to hear live my most favorite song ever - Resurrection , i am certain that i wont hear it live in my entire life, its sad yeah but there are more important things.

Hey everyone, no matter what happens, if whatever you wish, here is when you will always catch me, laza616@yahoo.com 

This forum is awesome, people here created one great community and i will really miss the "cycles" as buddy Daedalus mentioned. Hunting for leaks before the album is released, it was magical :-D sharing thoughts and opinions on everything , oh boy, i will fucking miss it. I still refuse to believe that this is happening

Guys, one idea - lets share this on every social network you have - for the first rowers mainly - bring some posters , papers with "PLEASE DONT SPLIT UP" and cheer those up in the gig, the band is probably decided and nothing will change it, but here we are, no one wants this to be happening. Lets give the guys proper cheers and support on their gigs, let them feel and see that they have the GREATEST fans in the world, maybe it will soften their hearts and His Infernal Majesty will resurrect in the future.

Linde, Gas, Jukka, Ville, my favourite Mige, Juska, PATKA, Oki, Juha, Antto, Juippi, Burton - i love you, i thank you, you will be forever in my heart. HIM might be over, but His Infernal Majesty, its legacy, music is forever. Thanks for reading and sorry for terribly bad English and terribly long post.

[AcousticFuneral]

It still hasn't sunk in for me because I've still got quite a few chances to see them live hopefully. I think it'll set in after the NYE show that I'll never get to see them again and that will be a sad thought. Also it's a shame I was too young really to join this community when HIM were 'big' but I have enjoyed being here the last few years and I will share my recordings of the final tour with you once again. Tickets are booked for Manchester UK but I hope to make it to all of the Finnish shows and maybe a few other countries.
I like so many of you I'm sure have wonderful memories of this band. They have been a constant part of my life for the last 12 years, shit that's actually half of my life. I can't say for sure but I honestly believe HIM will be my favourite band for the rest of my life. I feel so pleased that I discovered this band. I have been so lucky to be able to see them live and I hope all of you have had this pleasure too.
If you had told me I would be this sad about a band breaking up I would have never believed you. I mean after all they're just a band there's loads of bands, but I don't think there are any like HIM atleast not for me. I still remember the feeling of the first time I saw them live, it was so surreal looking up, being in the same room as the people you had listened to,appreciated loved for so many years. I have so many precious memories and I hope there are still a few more to be made yet.