When HIM disbanded in 2017, many fans were afraid that it would have been the last they had heard from Ville Valo. In 2020, he rose from the depths of the murky quietness, just before the world shut down, and gave us just a hint of his gloriously gothic and atmospheric music that HIM fans had come to love and miss.

Just under three years after releasing a sample of new music, Valo has returned with Neon Noir, a silver-lining and dark gothic record with hints of HIM and The Cure in almost equal measure. The saccharine and flowery melodies are equally matched with the dark and gothic atmosphere that Valo had cultivated and perfected over the years as frontman of HIM.

Shades of HIM echo continuously on the album. “Run Away From the Sun” could have easily been the lead single off of a new HIM record. “Neon Noir” has beautiful layered acoustic and electric guitar and sanguine-like vocals that evokes the “Wings of a Butterly” era of HIM.

Naturally, VV’s album is, by and large, an extension of HIM. Valo may have been the face and voice of HIM, but he very well may have also been the soul of the band’s sound, as well. Every step of this album is tinged with history of HIM, so it will be an inescapable comparison, but for fans, I don’t think that matters. In the end, this is the heart(agram) of HIM’s sound, and is a confident and capable album. We’re happy to see him back in music, and will certainly be excited to see and hear more!