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Razorblade Romance
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==Production== [[File:Gas Lipstick - Ilosaarirock 2007.jpg|thumb|left|240px|''Razorblade Romance'' saw the addition of drummer [[Gas Lipstick]], who would stay with the band until 2015]] HIM began work on their second album at MD-Studios in [[Munkkiniemi]], with producer [[Hiili Hiilesmaa]], who had produced their [[Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666|debut album]].<ref name="SynninViemää123">Juho K. Juntunen (2002). ''HIM â Synnin viemää'' p.123. WSOY</ref> These sessions proved to be unsuccessful however, with Hiilesmaa suffering from exhaustion and relationships within the band going sour.<ref name="SynninViemää123"/> Bassist [[Mige (musician)|Mikko "Mige" Paananen]] later remarked: "[[Ville Valo|Ville]] [Valo] would be raving in the studio, and we'd just play so we could quickly go home. You just didn't bother saying 'this sucks' anymore."<ref name="SynninViemää123"/> HIM eventually parted ways with Hiilesmaa in January 1999, by which point they had demoed four songs.<ref name="SynninViemää124">Juho K. Juntunen (2002). ''HIM â Synnin viemää'' p.124. WSOY</ref> The band's record label [[Bertelsmann Music Group|BMG]] soon decided that HIM's next album should be recorded abroad with a name producer.<ref name="SynninViemää124"/> The band eventually decided on [[John Fryer (producer)|John Fryer]], who had previously worked with [[Nine Inch Nails]] and [[Cradle of Filth]] among others, and flew to [[Rockfield Studios]] in [[Wales]] to commence recording their album.<ref name="SynninViemää124"/> The first two songs to be recorded were "I Love You (Prelude to Tragedy)" and "Poison Girl", which Fryer began mixing early on while the band left to go on tour.<ref name="SynninViemää125">Juho K. Juntunen (2002). ''HIM â Synnin viemää'' p.125. WSOY</ref> When they returned, the band found the initial mixes to be horrible, which they later discovered to be the doing of Per Kviman, who had been instructing Fryer on how to mix the songs.<ref name="SynninViemää125"/> After letting go of Kviman, HIM continued recording, with Valo later remarking that the studio sessions were "all in all incredibly fun" .<ref name="SynninViemää127">Juho K. Juntunen (2002). ''HIM â Synnin viemää'' p.127. WSOY</ref> He stated: "It was damn fun getting out of those familiar circles and just focus on the album, and not worry about anything else. It also felt great that the band was together all the time".<ref name="SynninViemää127"/> After recording finished, Fryer and Valo began mixing the album in London, and were once again horrified to find that "everything sounded like shit".<ref name="SynninViemää128">Juho K. Juntunen (2002). ''HIM â Synnin viemää'' p.128. WSOY</ref> After spending 15 000 euros trying to properly mix the album in London, Fryer and Valo flew to Finland where, with the help of [[Risto Hemmi]] from [[Finnvox]], they were finally able to mix the record.<ref name="SynninViemää128"/> The initial mixes were later released on the ''[[Uneasy Listening Vol. 1 & 2|Uneasy Listening]]'' albums as well as the 2014 remastered edition of ''Razorblade Romance'' as the "Rockfield Madness" versions and "Strongroom Sessions" respectively. After finishing the mixing, the tapes were flown to [[Sterling Sound]] in New York, where they were mastered by [[George Marino]].<ref name="SynninViemää130">Juho K. Juntunen (2002). ''HIM â Synnin viemää'' p.130. WSOY</ref> Valo initially wanted the album to be called ''Goth 'n' Roll'', but BMG refused, preferring the previously suggested title ''Razorblade Romance''.<ref name="SynninViemää130"/> The cover art was designed by Janne Uotila with photographs by Jouko Lehtola, and was influenced by the style of 1980s [[glam rock]] and [[pop music|pop]] acts.<ref name="SynninViemää73">Juho K. Juntunen (2002). ''HIM â Synnin viemää'' p.73. WSOY</ref> The budget of the album eventually grew to nearly 150 000 euros.<ref name="SynninViemää132"/>
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