HIM - Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 (1997)

Album front and back image covers

**HIM – Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 (1997): Album Review, Tracklist, Credits, Reception & Trivia**

Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 is the debut studio album by Finnish rock band HIM (stylized as HIS INFERNAL MAJESTY on early releases), released on 3 November 1997 through BMG. Featuring a darker blend of gothic rock, heavy metal, and ’80s rock with lyrical themes of love, death, and melancholy, the album established the band’s signature “love metal” aesthetic and helped propel them from cult status in Finland to international recognition.

Recorded in just fifteen days during the summer of 1997, the record’s raw intensity and atmospheric hooks captured both critics’ and fans’ attention, and set the stage for HIM’s future commercial breakthrough.

📀 Album Overview

Artist: HIM
Album: Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666
Release Date: 3 November 1997 (Finland; later in 1998 in other territories)
Genre: Gothic Rock / Heavy Rock / Love Metal
Label: BMG
Producer: Hiili Hiilesmaa
Recorded: 1997 at MD‑Studios (Munkkiniemi) and Peacemakers Studio (Jokela), Finland
Length: Approx. 66:06 (with hidden tracks on CD releases)

The album’s title plays on the contrasting themes of passionate love and darker imagery, while the music itself ranges from heavy riffs to melancholic balladry — a foundation for the “love metal” term the band later embraced.

📜 Tracklist

The standard international CD edition contains 9 songs (some versions include hidden and bonus tracks):

Your Sweet Six Six Six
Wicked Game (Chris Isaak cover)
The Heartless
Our Diabolikal Rapture
It’s All Tears (Drown in This Love)
When Love and Death Embrace
The Beginning of the End
(Don’t Fear) The Reaper (Blue Öyster Cult cover)
For You (Intro)
(Tracks 10–65 may be silent, with a hidden instrumental on track 66 in some CD pressings)

➡ Some regional pressings placed For You as track 9 and may include “Stigmata Diaboli” as a bonus.

🎙️ Album Credits

Band Lineup (on this album)

Ville Valo – Lead vocals
Mikko “Linde” Lindström – Guitar
Mikko “Mige” Paananen – Bass
Antto Melasniemi – Keyboards (only album with him)
Juhana “Pätkä” Rantala – Drums (only album with him)

Guest Musicians

June Hyde – Guest vocals on (Don’t Fear) The Reaper
Asta Hannula – Guest vocals on For You

Production

Producer / Engineer: Hiili Hiilesmaa — credited by Ville Valo as the “honorary sixth member” for shaping the band’s sound.
Mastering: Pauli Saastamoinen

Artwork and photography contributed to the album’s aesthetic with gothic and romantic visual themes.

📈 Release & Reception

Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 was released first in Finland in late 1997 and later internationally in 1998, becoming a major milestone for HIM.

Chart Performance

🇫🇮 Finland Albums Chart: Peaked at #4 and later certified Platinum.
🇩🇪 Germany: Reached #50 on the official albums chart.
🇺🇸 US: Later peaked on the Billboard Heatseekers chart.

Critical Reception

Critics praised the album’s dynamic sound palette, emotional depth, and eclectic blend of goth aesthetics with rock and metal. Many highlighted its diversity and ambition as a debut, and it continues to be regarded as one of the defining love metal records of the late ’90s.

At the 1997 Emma Awards (Finland’s music awards), HIM won both “Debut Album of the Year” and “Newcomer of the Year” — a strong statement for a debut release.

🎵 Style & Themes

Musically, Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 blends gothic rock atmosphere, heavy metal riffing, and melodic hooks with lyrics centering on love, loss, pain, and death — the emotional core of HIM’s identity.

The inclusion of Wicked Game (a tender cover of Chris Isaak’s classic) and (Don’t Fear) The Reaper (Blue Öyster Cult) showcased the band’s ability to reinterpret familiar songs within their own darker, romantic framework.

💡 Fun Facts & Trivia

🎸 The album was recorded in a compressed 15‑day session, emphasizing raw energy and minimal production fuss.
🖤 The hidden CD tracks (numbers 10–65 silent, with an extra recording on 66) played into the 666 motif as a tongue‑in‑cheek nod to occult imagery.
💿 Wicked Game became one of HIM’s earliest breakout songs internationally, helping the band build an audience beyond Scandinavia.
🌑 Ville Valo later reflected that the album was a raw and exploratory beginning, with the band refining their style further on subsequent releases.
📺 Multiple singles (When Love and Death Embrace, Your Sweet Six Six Six, Wicked Game, It’s All Tears) had accompanying music videos that contributed to the band’s early visibility.

HIM

Band Biography

HIM (sometimes stylized as His Infernal Majesty) was a Finnish rock band formed in 1991 in Helsinki, Finland. They are widely credited as pioneers of the “love metal” genre—a blend of gothic rock, heavy metal, and romantic themes.

The band was founded by Ville Valo, who became the lead vocalist and principal songwriter. HIM’s sound combined dark, melodic riffs, melancholic lyrics, and Valo’s deep baritone, creating a signature style that balanced heaviness with romanticism. They often explored themes of love, death, and despair, giving them a cult following in Europe and the United States.

HIM rose to international fame with their 2000 album Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights and achieved massive commercial success with Razorblade Romance (1999), featuring hits like “Join Me in Death” and “Right Here in My Arms.” Subsequent albums such as Love Metal (2003) and Dark Light (2005) solidified their reputation, with Dark Light achieving platinum status in the U.S.—a rare feat for a Finnish band.

The band continued to tour and release albums until their farewell in 2017, after a final world tour. HIM is remembered for blending gothic melancholy with mainstream rock accessibility, leaving a lasting legacy in alternative and metal circles.

Band Members – Individual Biographies

Ville Valo (Vocals, 1991–2017)

Born: November 22, 1976 – Helsinki, Finland

Ville Valo was the founding member, lead vocalist, and songwriter of HIM. His signature deep, emotive baritone and poetic lyrics defined the band’s sound. Valo is also known for his charismatic stage presence and gothic aesthetic. Post-HIM, he has pursued solo projects, including the VV EP and collaborations with other Finnish artists.

Mikko “Linde” Lindström (Lead Guitar, 1995–2017)

Born: February 12, 1977 – Helsinki, Finland

Lindström is the band’s lead guitarist, contributing melodic riffs and solos that helped define HIM’s “love metal” style. He co-wrote much of the band’s material alongside Valo and was integral to the band’s artistic identity.

Mikko “Mige” Paananen (Bass, 1991–2017)

Born: August 8, 1975 – Helsinki, Finland

Paananen, known as Mige, was HIM’s bassist and a founding member. His melodic yet heavy bass lines provided a foundation for the band’s gothic sound, anchoring both the heavy and atmospheric elements of their music.

Janne “Emerson Burton” Puurtinen (Keyboards, 2001–2017)

Born: April 19, 1974 – Helsinki, Finland

Puurtinen joined HIM in 2001, adding keyboards and orchestral textures to their evolving sound. His work contributed to the atmospheric and melodic elements that defined later albums such as Venus Doom (2007).

Gas Lipstick (Drums, 1999–2015)

Born: March 15, 1971 – Helsinki, Finland

Gas Lipstick was HIM’s drummer during the band’s most commercially successful era. His precise and dynamic drumming supported the band’s blend of heavy metal and gothic rock. He left the band in 2015 to pursue other musical projects.

Fun Facts & Trivia

💀 HIM’s logo, the Heartagram, was designed by Ville Valo at age 19 and symbolizes the juxtaposition of love and death.
🎸 HIM has been called the “Finnish answer to the goth and metal world” due to their romantic yet heavy sound.
🌍 They were one of the few Finnish bands to achieve platinum status in the U.S., with Dark Light in 2005.
🎤 Their lyrics often explore the tension between love and mortality, earning them a devoted fanbase in gothic and metal circles.
🏆 HIM has sold over 10 million albums worldwide.
🎶 They coined the term “love metal” to describe their unique style, blending metal riffs with romantic, melancholic themes.

Did You Know?

📀 Ville Valo initially formed HIM with a different lineup in 1991 and the band name originally stood for His Infernal Majesty.
🖤 The Heartagram symbol is tattooed by many fans and was popularized in pop culture, including by celebrity fan Kelly Osbourne.
🎸 HIM supported major acts like Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, and Kiss on tour during their career.
🎵 The single “Join Me in Death” became the band’s biggest hit in Europe, reaching number one in several countries.
🏙️ HIM officially disbanded in 2017 after a farewell tour titled Bang & Whimper 2017.