His Infernal Majesty
Thursday, July 31st, 2008
His Infernal Majesty - more popularly shortened to HIM - is the name of the band, formed by Ville Valo, that made the Finnish rocker famous in the first place.
Though the band was formed in 1991 (by Valo, guitarist Mikko Lindstrom and bassist Mikko Paananen), their initial demo was created and recorded in 1992. For whatever reason the band decided not to release the demo, Witches and Other Night Fears, and the only copy of it known to exist sits with Valo to this day. Their name was changed to HIM to avoid links with satanic rituals.
The band has since gone on to enjoy great success with Valo still at the head. They are the only Finnish band with a certified gold record in the United States. They’ve released six studio albums to date, with four compilations and one live album.