Ville Valo

Best known as the mercurial and charismatic frontman of Finnish goth rock giants H.I.M., Ville Valo became one of his country's most recognizable faces, being the only Finnish artist to snag a gold record in the United States. After six full-lengths with H.I.M., Valo struck out on his own and released the single "Summer Wine" with Natalia Avelon in 2007. As the decades progressed, he continued to release music and collaborations with bands like Agents, the 69 Eyes, and Apocalyptica. H.I.M. issued two more studio albums before officially disbanding in 2017, and Valo unveiled his first full-length solo effort, the brooding, electronics-leaning Neon Noir, in 2023 under the moniker VV. Born in Helsinki, Valo spent his formative years in the suburb of Oulunkylä under the tutelage of his Hungarian mother and Finnish father, the latter of whom worked as a taxi driver before opening a sex shop where Ville would later work in his teens. Inspired by Kiss' Gene Simmons, Valo played bass and eventually transitioned to drums, taking on both duties in multiple bands while attending lower and secondary school. After dropping out of school to focus on his music career, Valo and childhood friend Mikko Paananen (aka Mige) formed His Infernal Majesty in 1991. By 1995, the group comprised Valo, guitarist Mikko "Linde" Lindström, bassist Paananen, keyboardist Antto Melasniemi, and drummer Juhana Rantala and shortened their name to H.I.M. The group's dark but earworm-friendly melodic goth-metal, which the band coined "love metal," helped make H.I.M. one of the most commercially successful Finnish groups of all time. Beginning with 1997's Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666, the group would go on to sell over ten million records before going on hiatus in 2010. Valo has frequently collaborated with other artists, appearing on albums by the 69 Eyes, Anathema, Andy McCoy, Bloodhound Gang, Cradle of Filth, Jeff Walker, Lullacry, MGT, The Mission, and Tehosekoitin. He played drums with fellow H.I.M. members Linde Lindström and Mige in the alt-metal group Daniel Lioneye. In 2007, he teamed up with German actress and singer Natalia Avelon to cover Lee Hazlewood's "Summer Wine." Appearing in the film Eight Miles High, the single was certified platinum in Finland and Germany. H.I.M. re-grouped in 2013 and released Tears on Tape, which would end up being their last studio album. In 2017, the band announced they would officially cease operations after a final tour. H.I.M. played their final show on New Year's Eve in Helsinki. In 2020, Valo released the three-song EP Gothica Fennica, Vol. 1 under the name VV. All three tracks appeared on his debut full-length effort, Neon Noir, in 2023. ~ James Christopher Monger, Rovi