Tears on Tape

Tears on Tape
Studio album by HIM
Released April 26, 2013 (Finland)
April 29, 2013 (Europe)
April 30, 2013 (US/Canada)
Recorded September–November, 2012 at Finnvox Studios
Genre Rock
Length 40:56
Label DoubleCross (UK), Razor & Tie (US), Universal (EU)
Producer Hiili Hiilesmaa
HIM chronology

XX – Two Decades of Love Metal
(2012)		 Tears on Tape
(2013)
Singles from Tears on Tape
  1. "Into the Night"
    Released: March 8, 2013
  2. "Tears on Tape"
    Released: April 4, 2013
  3. "All Lips Go Blue"
    Released: May 6, 2013
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Artistdirect [1]
Classic Rock Magazine [2]
Maximum Rock Magazine [3]
The Guardian [4]
About.com [5]
AllMusic [6]
Revolver [7]
Sputnikmusic [8]
stereoboard.com [9]
Metal Hammer (9/10)[10]
Alternative Press [11]

Tears on Tape is the eighth studio album by Finnish band HIM, released April 26, 2013 in Finland, April 29, 2013 in Europe, and on April 30, 2013 in the US and Canada. It is the last HIM album to feature Mika Karppinen on drums.

Background

At the beginning of 2011 HIM parted ways with Sire Records. In May the band began rehearsing songs for the full-length follow-up to 2010's Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice. After a few months of rehearsals the band's drummer, Mika Karppinen, began complaining of pain in his wrists. Medical examinations concluded that he had nerve damage in his hands and arms caused by repetitive stress. Karppinen was told by his doctors to stop drumming so that he would have time to heal. During this time the band's singer, Ville Valo, was said to have filled in on drums while working on new material. Subsequent treatments were successful and after about eight months the band was able to start rehearsing with Karppinen again.[12]

Rehearsals began in summer of 2012 and in September the band entered Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, Finland to begin tracking for the new album with producer Hiili Hiilesmaa. This would be their fourth album recorded at the famed studio as well as their fourth with Hiilesmaa at the helm. During this time, live in-studio performances were recorded in both audio and video to be used as bonus tracks. This was the same session that produced the music video for their cover of the Ké song "Strange World", released on the compilation XX – Two Decades of Love Metal. In November, 2012 Tim Palmer began mixing tracks in London and completed in early December.

Because the band had lacked a label the new album was paid for out of pocket, putting them in a unique position of owning all publishing rights to their music which allowed them to shop the album to various labels for distribution. In February of 2013 it was announced that the new album would be licensed to three separate record companies, one for each market. Agreements were reached with Universal Records in Europe, Razor & Tie in the United States, and Cooking Vinyl's new rock imprint DoubleCross in the United Kingdom and Ireland.[13][14][15] With this new strategy came the decision to release separate singles simultaneously to each market. The track "Into the Night" was chosen for the Finnish market, "All Lips Go Blue" for the UK and US, and "Tears on Tape" for the rest of Europe. Music videos were filmed for each single in late February to early March 2013.

Tears on Tape is the first HIM release to include instrumental interludes.

Artwork and packaging

The album's artwork, created by Daniel P. Carter, consists of a snake, circling the heartagram which is encased in a heptagram, or more specifically the Seal of Babalon. There are markings on the snake's back, a code in Malachim which when decoded says, "Tears on tape, I will follow into your heart sketching rain from afar. Tears on tape, she surrenders needle in arm while we dance into the storm." These are the chorus lyrics from the album's title track.

The album has been offered in several special editions and bundles. On February 15 Metal Hammer Magazine announced that they would be offering a preorder fanpack that includes the full UK release album, two bonus tracks, a double-sided door poster, and a 132 page magazine edited by Ville Valo. The demand for this preorder was so high that the ordering website's server was overloaded and briefly orders could only be made by telephone.[16] In the United States, MerchNow has offered several preorder bundles including various pieces of apparel, posters, CD/DVD combo, digital downloads, and four limited edition vinyl versions of the album in transparent green, transparent blue, clear, and cream.[17]

Track listing

Music by HIM and lyrics by Valo.

No. Title Length
1. "Unleash the Red" (Instrumental) 1:07
2. "All Lips Go Blue"   3:49
3. "Love Without Tears"   3:37
4. "I Will Be the End of You"   3:33
5. "Tears on Tape"   3:21
6. "Into the Night"   3:36
7. "Hearts at War"   3:46
8. "Trapped in Autumn" (Instrumental) 1:33
9. "No Love"   3:30
10. "Drawn & Quartered"   5:13
11. "Lucifer's Chorale" (Instrumental) 1:18
12. "W.L.S.T.D."   4:12
13. "Kiss the Void"   2:21
Total length:
 40:56

Personnel

Credits

Charts

Chart (2013) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[20] 65
Austrian Albums Chart[21] 7
Finnish Albums Chart[21] 2
German Albums Chart[21] 2
Hungarian Albums Chart[22] 32
Spanish Albums Chart 31
U.S. Top 200[21] 15
U.S. Alternative[21] 3
U.S. Hard Rock[21] 1
U.S. Physical[21] 8
U.S. Rock[21] 3
U.S. Vinyl[21] 1

On May 8, 2013 Razor & Tie announced that Tears on Tape had sold 20,200 copies in its first week in the United States alone, making it HIM's second highest charting album in the United States behind Venus Doom.[21]

References

  1. ↑ "HIM "Tears on Tape" Album Review — 5 out of 5 stars @ARTISTdirect". Artistdirect.com. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  2. ↑ "HIM: Tears on Tape". Sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  3. ↑ "Maximum Rock Magazin - HIM - Tears On Tape". Maximumrock.ro. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  4. ↑ Dom Lawson (2013-04-25). "HIM: Tears on Tape – review | Music". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  5. ↑ "HIM - Tears On Tape Review". Heavymetal.about.com. 2013-04-30. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  6. ↑ Thom Jurek (2013-04-30). "Tears on Tape - H.I.M. | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  7. ↑ "Album Review: HIM – Tears on Tape - Heavy Metal News | Music Videos |Golden Gods Awards". revolvermag.com. 2013-04-30. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  8. ↑ "HIM - Tears On Tape (album review )". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  9. ↑ "HIM - Tears On Tape (Album Review)". Stereoboard.Com. 2013-04-29. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  10. ↑ Scharf, Natasha (May 2013). "HIM-Tears On Tape". Metal Hammer (244 June 2013): 78.
  11. ↑ http://www.razorandtie.com/hims-new-studio-album-tears-on-tape-debuts-with-over-20200-units-sold-in-the-united-states-appearing-on-multiple-billboard-charts/
  12. ↑ "HIM Frontman: 'I Want To Recapture Some Sense Of Mystique'". Blabbermouth.Net. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  13. ↑ "HIM reveals new album details". Rogue Mag. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  14. ↑ "Him Joins Razor & Tie’S Label Roster : Razor & Tie Direct L.L.C". Razorandtie.com. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  15. ↑ "Uusi HIM-albumi ”Tears On Tape”... - Universal Music Finland". Facebook. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  16. ↑ "OUT TODAY! Metal Hammer Presents...HIM 'Tears On Tape' Fanpack | News". Metal Hammer. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  17. ↑ "HIM: 'Tears On Tape' Pre-Order Bundles Unveiled". Blabbermouth.Net. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 "BonusTracks". Altsounds. 27 February 2013. Retrieved February 27, 2013.
  19. ↑ "HIM : Tears On Tape". Record Shop X. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  20. ↑ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 6 May 2013" (PDF) (1210). Pandora Archive. May 6, 2013. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 21.5 21.6 21.7 21.8 21.9 "HIM’S NEW STUDIO ALBUM, TEARS ON TAPE, DEBUTS WITH OVER 20,200 UNITS SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES APPEARING ON MULTIPLE BILLBOARD CHARTS : Razor & Tie Direct L.L.C". Razorandtie.com. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  22. ↑ "MAHASZ – Magyar Hangfelvétel-kiadók Szövetsége". mahasz.hu. Retrieved 2013-05-15.

External links