The concert began with an eerie burst of smoke, floating chandeliers, and sinister synth sounds, all in perfect keeping with HIM's gothic and self-proclaimed “love-metal” style. The effect was ruined, however, when the members of the band took their places as though they were doing a sound check, by walking to their marks, picking up their instruments, and staring at the crowd. My attention was immediately focused on lead singer Ville Valo, who's signature-sexy vocals never fail to make dreams wet. Except in this instance, where I could barely hear him. The sound mix was so off that not only were Valo's gorgeous tones completely obscured, the wicked guitar skills of Linde, which could normally satisfy even a hardcore rock and metal fan, were muddy and washed out. The solos that I longed to hear were indefinable amidst the wash of sound that was coming from the stage.

The crowd against the rails was so oppressive that my attention was taken almost completely from HIM and given to protecting myself from arguments, fights, and kicks in the head. Irritated and ready to be lifted out of the sweaty mass of angry fans, my attention was grabbed and held by Valo's radiantly blue eyes when, during their brilliant cover of Chris Isaak's “Wicked Game,” (available only on the American release of 1999's Razorblade Romance) I'm sure Valo looked directly at me, for several long, knee-weakening seconds. And during that moment, despite the crush of individuals that was threatening to pull me down and trample my very life away, I was completely caught by Valo's presence and I found myself smiling. For the duration of the show, none of the members left their places and Valo, coolly clad in a black suit evocative of Dorian Gray and chain smoking Marlboro Lights, never stopped grinning.

HIM played through a number of songs from their last several albums, including “Under the Rose,” “Buried Alive By Love,” “Funeral of Hearts,” and the beautifully constructed “Sacrament,” which is held together with a tenderly played, Bach-like keyboard solo.

Many of the flaws of the evening were due to the venue, where limited seating, sloppy security, and bad acoustics made the experience a rather unpleasant one. However, HIM has an inordinate amount of talent for writing beautiful, powerful, and melodious songs and Valo's voice has a range that makes him akin to an opera singer, though on a rock level. While this may not have been their most impressive live appearance, it was not all the fault of the band. HIM's music is the perfect blend of melody and metal with a wash of darkness and a little bit of creep.

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