When the passion and excitement that have once fueled your creative endeavors begin to fade, it can be difficult to find the motivation and inspiration to keep going. It can feel like a loss of identity, a feeling of unfulfillment, and a sense of being stuck. That was the case for HIM. In a recent interview with Loaded Radio, Ville Valo candidly admitted that the band parted ways after ‘losing the spark’ to continue.
“I think it was just that we were a bit worn out,” Valo said, implying that the spark that had once propelled the band forward had simply died out. “We lost the spark, we all loved touring, but the spark wasn’t there when we started working on new material. We didn’t think it sounded great.”
The frontman continued, “It took a while for us to actually make that call, to be able to say that ‘let’s be done with it.’ Because it had been such a big part of everybody’s life. Since we were kids — I knew the guitar player and the bass player, Migé [Mikko Paananen] and Linde [Mikko Lindström]; I knew them since I was maybe ten years old or so. So we literally grew up together, with having HIM as sort of the soundtrack and the backbone for our lives.”
The decision to end HIM was not easy for the band members, who had known each other since childhood and had been making music together for over 25 years. The singer added, “It was sad, but then yet at the same time, I’m quite proud of the fact that we ended on good terms because that’s quite rare in the world of music.”
HIM’s unique blend of hard rock and gothic metal, paired with the ethereal voice of Ville Valo, crafted a sound that was both dark and alluring. The band released eight symphonies of sound, each one a reflection of their evolution as artists. Their albums, compilations, and live recordings became the anthem of a dedicated fanbase.
However, all good things must come to an end, and HIM announced their disbandment in 2017 after a career spanning over two decades. The band’s final opus, ‘Tears on Tape,’ was released in 2013, and their last performance together was a farewell concert held on December 15, 2017, at the Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland. The band members have since parted ways, but the music of HIM will forever echo in the hearts of those blessed by their art.
