regrouped and began rehearsing

Following a two month break in early 2002, HIM regrouped and began rehearsing for its next album, which saw the band working with Hiili Hiilesmaa again. The band viewed the record as a reaction to the difficulties they faced during Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights . According to Valo: “After what we considered a disappointment with Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights , because there were so many chefs in the kitchen, we wanted to be a band […] that we control what we do, and everybody else can fuck off.” This new determination was underlined by the decision to include the band’s logo, the heartagram, prominently on the front cover. Valo called this “a statement of intent […] musically, visually and ideologically”. HIM’s fourth studio album Love Metal was released on 11 April 2003, and it reached the top five in four countries, peaking at number one in Finland and Germany. It also became the group’s first album to chart in the UK at number 55. Love Metal would be certified platinum in Finland and gold in Germany. Three singles were released, with ” The Funeral of Hearts ” peaking at number one in Finland. The music video was later named Best Video at the 2004 Kerrang! Awards . Love Metal was well received by critics, with Soundi giving it three out of five stars, while AllMusic noted how “the songwriting is as strong as it has been in quite some time and a newly found sense of urgency keeps the record going at a well-tempered pace”.