Razorblade Romance is the second studio album by HIM, released on 19 December 1999 in Finland

Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

 and 24 January 2000 in the rest of Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 - except for the UK, where it was released 15 May 2000. It was produced by John Fryer

John Fryer (music)

John Fryer is an English record producer. Best known for his production work, he also branched out as a musician as one of only two constant members of This Mortal Coil , providing keyboards, strings and synthesizer sequencing for the band, and its offshoot, The Hope Blister.- Career :Starting out...

 and recorded at Rockfield recording studios in Wales by John Fryer and Paul Read. All songs and lyrics on the album, with the exception of Chris Isaak

Chris Isaak

Christopher Joseph "Chris" Isaak is an American rock musician and occasional actor.-Early life:Isaak was born in Stockton, California, the son of Dorothy , a potato chip factory worker, and Joe Isaak, a forklift driver. Isaak's mother is Italian American, originating from Genoa...

's "Wicked Game

Wicked Game

"Wicked Game" is a 1989 song by Chris Isaak from his third studio album Heart Shaped World. Despite being released as a single in 1989, it did not become a hit until it was later featured in the David Lynch film Wild at Heart...

", are composed by Ville Valo

Ville Valo

Ville Hermanni Valo is a Finnish singer, songwriter and frontman of the Finnish rock band HIM. He has received the "Golden God" award in 2004 by the heavy metal magazine Metal Hammer. Valo has a baritone vocal range. Valo was ranked number 80 in Hit Paraders Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time...

.

The album made HIM huge in Europe when their single Join Me In Death

Join Me in Death

"Join Me in Death" is the first single by the Finnish band HIM taken from their second studio album Razorblade Romance. It was also released as "Join Me", since they weren't allowed to include "Death" in the title for the US version. The song is the band's best-known song in Europe...

 was featured in the sci-fi movie The Thirteenth Floor

The Thirteenth Floor

The Thirteenth Floor is a 1999 science fiction film directed by Josef Rusnak and loosely based upon Simulacron-3 , a novel by Daniel F. Galouye...

. It reached #1 on German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 sales charts, going platinum, and is the biggest-selling single in Finnish music history.Album sold more than 2,500,000 copies worldwide.

Razorblade Romance was released shortly after in the U.S.

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 under the moniker "HER". There was a jazz

Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

 band in Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

 named HiM who did not want to give up the rights to their name, but eventually HIM bought the rights to use their name in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and now can release their albums under it. The American albums were released under Jimmy Franks Recording Company

Jimmy Franks Recording Company

The Jimmy Franks Recording Company is a vanity record label owned by Bloodhound Gang lead-singer Jimmy Pop. The label's name derives from Jimmy Pop's real name, James Franks....

, run by Jimmy Pop

Jimmy Pop

Jimmy Pop is an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, main songwriter, and founding member of the band Bloodhound Gang.-Biography:After graduating from Perkiomen Valley High School in 1990, he studied mass communication and history at Temple...

, singer of the Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

 band Bloodhound Gang. They released the HER Razorblade Romance around the Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

 area, and once HIM regained the rights to their name, they re-released Razorblade Romance nationwide under Universal Records

Universal Records

Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...

.

Multiple versions of this album exist, including the Finnish and German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 version with two bonus tracks ("Sigillum Diaboli" and "The 9th Circle (OLT)"). The British version includes a new version of "Your Sweet Six Six Six" entitled "Your Sweet 666" and a new version of "Wicked Game". A new version of "It's All Tears (Drown in This Love)" was also recorded for the album, but it didn't make it to the final track list (it was later made available on the U.K. version of the compilation And Love Said No

And Love Said No: The Greatest Hits 1997-2004

And Love Said No The Greatest Hits 1997–2004 is HIM's first greatest hits album. It contains two unreleased songs: "And Love Said No" and "Solitary Man", the latter of which is a Neil Diamond cover. The British version also has a re-recorded version of "It's All Tears "...

). In addition to this, the title of "I Love You (Prelude to Tragedy)" was truncated to "I Love You".

There are two different U.S.

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 versions with the British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 track listing, plus "Sigillum Diaboli" and "One Last Time" (one had a Parental Advisory

Parental Advisory

Parental Advisory is a message affixed by the Recording Industry Association of America to audio and recordings in the United States containing excessive use of profane language and/or sexual references. Albums began to be labeled for "explicit lyrics" in 1985, after pressure from the Parents...

 label and one did not); another U.S. edition released under the name "HER" with "The 9th Circle" added; a special U.S.

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 vinyl released in 2005 featuring the same track listing of the U.S.

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 CD; and a few others. Since 2008 there has been a range of fake copies of the HER version getting around on eBay. The most notable difference is that the fake is missing "One Last Time" on the back sleeve. All versions of the HER release had that particular song on the back cover.

Original/Finnish/German track listing

All songs are composed by Ville Valo.

1. "I Love You (Prelude to Tragedy)" - 3:09
2. "Poison Girl
   Poison Girl
   "Poison Girl" is a song by Finnish band HIM, released in 2000 as the second track from their album Razorblade Romance. In Finland, it reached #3 on the singles charts and in Germany it reached #34.-Tracklisting:International release...
   
   " - 3:51
3. "Join Me in Death
   Join Me in Death
   "Join Me in Death" is the first single by the Finnish band HIM taken from their second studio album Razorblade Romance. It was also released as "Join Me", since they weren't allowed to include "Death" in the title for the US version. The song is the band's best-known song in Europe...
   
   " - 3:36
4. "Right Here in My Arms
   Right Here in My Arms
   "Right Here in My Arms" is a song by Finnish band HIM, released in 2000 as the fourth track from their album Razorblade Romance.-Track listing:German release EP#"Right Here in My Arms" #"Join Me in Death"...
   
   " - 4:03
5. "Gone With the Sin
   Gone With the Sin
   "Gone with the Sin" is a power ballad by Finnish alternative rock band HIM, released in 2000 as the fifth track from their album Razorblade Romance.-Track listing:Finnish release#"Gone with the Sin" – 3:51#"Gone with the Sin" "Gone with the Sin" is a power ballad by Finnish alternative rock band...
   
   " - 4:22
6. "Razorblade Kiss" - 4:18
7. "Bury Me Deep Inside Your Heart" - 4:16
8. "Heaven Tonight" - 3:18
9. "Death Is in Love With Us" - 2:58
10. "Resurrection" - 3:39
11. "One Last Time" - 5:10
12. "Sigillum Diaboli"(German Digipak/Canadian iTunes Bonus Track) – 3:53
13. "The 9th Circle (OLT)"(German Digipak/Canadian iTunes Bonus Track) - 5:11

Japanese track listing

1. "I Love You (Prelude To Tragedy)" (3:09)
2. "Poison Girl" (3:51)
3. "Join Me In Death" (3:36)
4. "Right Here In My Arms" (4:03)
5. "Gone With The Sin" (4:22)
6. "Razorblade Kiss" (4:18)
7. "Bury Me Deep Inside Your Heart" (4:16)
8. "Heaven Tonight" (3:18)
9. "Death Is In Love With Us" (2:58)
10. "Resurrection" (3:39)
11. "One Last Time" (5:10)

U.S. track listing

1. "Your Sweet 666" – 3:56
2. "Poison Girl" – 3:51
3. "Join Me in Death" (Razorblade Mix) – 3:36
4. "Right Here in My Arms" – 4:00
5. "Bury Me Deep Inside Your Heart" – 4:15
6. "Wicked Game
   Wicked Game
   "Wicked Game" is a 1989 song by Chris Isaak from his third studio album Heart Shaped World. Despite being released as a single in 1989, it did not become a hit until it was later featured in the David Lynch film Wild at Heart...
   
   " – 4:04
7. "I Love You" – 3:09
8. "Gone with the Sin" – 4:21
9. "Razorblade Kiss" – 4:18
10. "Resurrection" – 3:39
11. "Death Is in Love with Us" – 2:57
12. "Heaven Tonight" – 3:18
13. "Sigillum Diaboli" – 3:53
14. "One Last Time" – 5:08

Limited Edition 2 CDs track listing

1. "Your Sweet 666" - 3:57
2. "Poison Girl" - 3:51
3. "Join Me in Death" - 3:36
4. "Right Here in My Arms" - 4:02
5. "Bury Me Deep Inside Your Heart" - 4:16
6. "Wicked Game
   Wicked Game
   "Wicked Game" is a 1989 song by Chris Isaak from his third studio album Heart Shaped World. Despite being released as a single in 1989, it did not become a hit until it was later featured in the David Lynch film Wild at Heart...
   
   " - 4:05
7. "I Love You" - 3:10
8. "Gone With the Sin" - 4:21
9. "Razorblade Kiss" - 4:20
10. "Resurrection" - 3:39
11. "Death Is in Love With Us" - 2:58
12. "Heaven Tonight" - 3:19

• Bonus CD

Six Live Tracks from The Festival Werchter:

1. "Right Here in My Arms (Live) - 5:39
2. "Your Sweet 666 (Live) - 4:15
3. "Poison Girl (Live) - 3:45
4. "Death Is in Love With Us (Live) - 3:01
5. "Wicked Game (Live) - 6:24
6. "Join Me in Death (Live) - 6:25

HER version track listing

Long out of print (only 1000 copies produced)

1. "Your Sweet 666" - 3:56
2. "Poison Girl" - 3:50
3. "Join Me in Death" - 3:38
4. "Right Here in My Arms" - 4:03
5. "Bury Me Deep Inside Your Heart" - 4:16
6. "Wicked Game" - 4:05
7. "I Love You (Prelude To Tragedy)" - 3:09
8. "Gone With the Sin" - 4:21
9. "Razorblade Kiss" - 4:18
10. "Resurrection" - 3:39
11. "Death Is In Love With Us" - 2:57
12. "Heaven Tonight" - 3:21
13. "Sigillum Diaboli" - 3:54
14. "The 9th Circle (OLT)" - 5:09
15. "One Last Time" - 5:09

Razorblade Extractions Promo

1. "Join Me In Death" - 3:38
2. "Heaven Tonight" - 3:21
3. "Razorblade Kiss" - 4:18

B-Sides

1. "Join Me" (13th Floor Mix) – 3:39
2. "It's All Tears" (Unplugged) – 3:48
3. "Rebel Yell" (live) – 5:12
4. "Dark Sekret Love" Limited Edition Bonus Track On The single Join Me – 5:17
5. "Right Here in My Arms" (Radio Edit) - 3:23
6. "Join Me in Death" (Razorblade Mix) - 3:36
7. "The Heartless" (Space Jazz Dubmen Mix) - 3:58
8. "I've Crossed Oceans of Wine to Find You" - 4:39
9. "Right Here In My Arms" (Live) - 4:42
10. "It's All Tears" (Live) - 3:52
11. "Poison Girl" (Live) - 3:40
12. "Gone With the Sin" (Radio Edit) - 3:51
13. "Gone With the Sin" (O.D. Version) - 4:58
14. "For You" (Acoustic Version) - 4:08
15. "Bury Me Deep Inside Your Heart" (Live) - 4:13
16. "Gone With the Sin" (Album Version) - 4:22

HIM

• Ville Hermanni Valo
  Ville Valo
  Ville Hermanni Valo is a Finnish singer, songwriter and frontman of the Finnish rock band HIM. He has received the "Golden God" award in 2004 by the heavy metal magazine Metal Hammer. Valo has a baritone vocal range. Valo was ranked number 80 in Hit Paraders Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time...
  
   — lead vocals
• Mikko Viljami "Linde" Lindström — lead guitar
  Lead guitar
  Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
  
  
• Mikko Henrik Julius "Migé" Paananen
  Mikko Paananen
  Mikko Henrik Julius Paananen , better known as Migé or Migé Amour, is the current and founding bassist of the rock band HIM.-History:...
  
   — bass guitar
  Bass guitar
  The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
  
  
• Jussi-Mikko "Juska" Salminen — keyboards
  Keyboard instrument
  A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
  
  
• Mika Kristian "Gas Lipstick" Karppinen
  Mika Karppinen
  Mika Kristian Karppinen, better known as Gas Lipstick , is currently the drummer for the rock band HIM. He is also the drummer of Finnish deathgrind band To Separate the Flesh from the Bones, punk band Ääritila and metal band Bendover. He also was a drum tech for Stratovarius at one point and was...
  
   — drums

Charts

Chart (2001)	Peak position
Finnish Albums Chart	1	Gold & Double Platinum	101,000
German Albums Chart	1	Platinum, 3x Gold	750,000
Polish Albums Chart OLiS OLiS is the official list of the highest selling music albums in Poland. The list exists since October 23, 2000 and is provided by ZPAV....	46