Ville Hermanni Valo is the vocalist and songwriter for the Finnish rock band HIM, which has a very devoted following in Europe and the
UK. This devotion is merited due to the sheer quality of the melodies, lyrics and arrangements that go to make up their own brand of 'love
metal'although their detractors are inclined to ascribe their popularilty to Valo's good looks and personal charm.
Fairly recently in their careers they have come to the attention of a wider
fan base since being taken up and publicised by Bam Margera. The level of adulation directed at them is now rather silly but luckily the quality of their
music is as good as ever and the individual members of the band seem to have retained their common sense and good manners.
Another good to have come from their success is that other Finnish bands are finding it easier to get international recognition, especially in the US. For a country with a comparatively
small population Finland has vast reserves of
talent and it is great to see so many bands 'making it'. This isn'
t to suggest that they wouldn't have done so anyway but perhaps the higher profile of such bands as HIM, The
Rasmus and Children of Bodom make the
music listening public more inclined to give them a hearing.
