HIM's latest single Vampire Heart appears to have all the ingredients to be a classic of the goth-rock genre. It starts with a "mad-organist" motif beloved of horror movies everywhere; its lyrics abound with such items as blood, vampires, wrath and shame; while the usual black with silver heartagram imagery that has made HIM such a merchandising success story is still in evidence.
What none of this can disguise, however, is that this single is pop, pure and simple. The guitars aren't heavy, the drums are positively chirpy and the voices sing ever so sweetly. When the band does start to rock near the end it seems too clean - perhaps over-produced - and some of the guitar work is such a pastiche of "rock" that you can't help smiling indulgently.
Nevertheless, this does not detract from the fact that as a pop song, Vampire Heart is very good. It is melodic, with a sweeping chorus, good harmonies and a sense of intimacy in the singing of this love song that goes some way to explaining HIM's cross-gender appeal. This is a tune that will be enjoyed by all those who don't mind their rock being rock-lite.
