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H.I.M.
| March 27th, 2010 @ Sonar |
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by Courtney Campbell & Michelle Lee
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Having recently completed a European tour with Dommin as direct support, the Finnish rock band H.I.M. are now promoting their new album Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice in North America. Earplugsrequired.com was happy to catch their Baltimore show at Sonar on March 27th, 2010. The chilly and dreary Baltimore weather did nothing to dampen the H.I.M. fans as they were lining up hours before the doors were to open. By 4pm, the line was already around the corner of the building. The crowd was definitely very eclectic as H.I.M. is featured quite a bit at Hot Topic, and for some reason, a majority of the crowd looks like they are going to a goth show. Blame it on MTV, Bam Margera, Hot Topic, whatever the reason might be, it really doesn't matter. It just leads to packed shows each night.
The feeling just prior to H.I.M. taking the stage was electric. The lights went down with the crowd cheering as they saw the members of the band take to the stage. Kicking off with "Like St. Valentine" off their new album, it wasn't until the third song into the set, which was "Wings of a Butterfly", that you can hear the crowd singing loudly along with the band. The set itself was a blend of old and new with four songs coming from their 1999 release Razorblade Romance, four from their 2003 release Love Metal, one song from their 2005 release Dark Light and five coming from their new album. Of course included in the set was the cover of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" which H.I.M.'s Ville Valo sings so well. Missing from the set though was "Killing Loneliness", which along with "Wings of a Butterfly", is probably are the most recognizable H.I.M. songs.
Now direct support on this tour is from We are the Fallen. I’m sure you’re thinking “Who are We Are the Fallen?” Considering that they played their first live show just three days prior to the kick off of this tour, that question is very appropriate. Remember there are politics in the music business just like in any business and We are the Fallen are basically a band that is a sum of their parts. And what are their parts? It's a music cocktail. Take three parts Evanescence, one part seasoned bass player and toss in an American Idol finalist and what do you get? We are the Fallen. And yes due to the fact that there is three part Evanescence, they do remind you of Evanescence. Kind of ironic how their album is coming out the same day as Evanescence too.
I liked Carly Smithson on American Idol and thought that Simon at times really gave her a hard time, but after watching her on stage live, I really think she needs to stop watching music videos and develop her own style as a front woman. There didn't really seem like there was any originality there. Maybe I'm being too harsh because I honestly believe that Dommin should have been direct support on this tour, but I heard many of the same comments as I walked through the venue. Third song into the set was a cover of Madonna's "Like a Prayer". Have to give them credit here, the cover was well done, but it didn't go over well as the mean age of the crowd was very young and a bit young for that song to have made an impact on them.
The job of the supporting bands is warm up the crowd for the headliners. Drive A and Dommin did that with their sets, but We are the Fallen fell a bit short. With time and more exposure, that will come for We are the Fallen, but I'm afraid that they will never shake loose the Evanescence reflection.
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