Remember HIM? Love Metal, the heartagram, “Wings of a Butterfly?” The band had a brief moment of being the most important metal act in the world with their syrupy romance riffs. Now, frontman Ville Valo has announced his new solo effort, with a new album in the works, a new single on the way soon, and a massive European and U.S. tour to kick off in 2023.
Valo’s new album, under the name VV, will be called Neon Noir, and arrives sometime in early 2023. A new single, “Loveletting,” drops tomorrow.
Here’s how Valo describes his new project:
“As fun as the funeral rites for HIM were, it took me more than a few moons to lick my wounds in the shadow of the Heartagram and come up with an excuse to strum and hum again. Eventually, I decided to put a leash on my beloved black dog and we started howling together instead of barking at each other. That’s how ‘Loveletting’ was born.”
The dude really is a gritty loft apartment made flesh, isn’t he? Mattress on the floor, half-finished wine glass on the floor, canvas slashed with paint against one wall.
ANYway, we’ll toss “Loveletting” up on the site when it’s live. In the meantime, check out Neon Noir‘s cover art and Ville’s extensive 2023 tour dates below:
1/13 – Tavastia, Helsinki (FI)
2/14 – Proxima, Warsaw (PL)
2/15 – Kwadrat, Krakow (PL)
2/16 – Lucerna Music Bar, Prague (CZ)
2/17 – Huxley’s, Berlin (DE)
2/18 – Fabrik, Hamburg (DE)
2/20 – Paradiso, Amsterdam (NL)
2/21 – Batschkapp, Frankfurt (DE)
2/22 – Komplex, Zurich (CH)
2/24 – Razzmatazz, Barcelona (ES)
2/25 – La Riviera, Madrid (ES)
2/26 – Cineteatro Capitolio, Lisbon (PT)
2/27 – Hard Club, Porto (PT)
3/2 – Alcatraz, Milan (IT)
3/3 – Backstage Werk, Munich (DE)
3/4 – Barba Negra, Budapest (HU)
3/5 – Arena, Vienna (AT)
3/7 – Rockhal, Esch-sur-Alzette (LU)
3/8 – LMH, Cologne (DE)
3/9 – Le Trabendo, Paris (FR)
3/10 – O2 Academy, Bristol (GB)
3/11 – Rock City, Nottingham (GB)
3/13 – Garage, Glasgow (GB)
3/14 – O2 Ritz, Manchester (GB)
3/15 – O2 Forum Kentish Town, London (GB)
4/1 – Theatre of the Living Arts, Philadelphia PA (USA)
4/2 – Big Night Live, Boston MA (USA)
4/4 – Roxian Theater, Pittsburgh PA (USA)
4/5 – House of Blues, Cleveland OH (USA)
4/6 – St. Andrews Hall, Detroit MI (USA)
4/7 – Bogarts, Cincinnati OH (USA)
4/9 -House of Blues, Chicago IL (USA)
4/11 – Varsity Theater, Minneapolis MN (USA)
4/13 – Summit Music Hall, Denver CO (USA)
4/14 – The Depot, Salt Lake City UT (USA)
4/16 – Ace of Spades, Sacramento CA (USA)
4/17 – The Fillmore, San Francisco CA (USA)
4/18 – Belasco, Los Angeles CA (USA)
4/21 – House of Blues, Las Vegas NV (USA)
4/22 – House of Blues, San Diego CA (USA)
4/23 – Van Buren, Phoenix AZ (USA)
4/25 – House of Blues, Dallas TX (USA)
4/26 – Aztec Theater, San Antonio TX (USA)
4/27 – House of Blues, Houston TX (USA)
4/28 – House of Blues, New Orleans LA (USA)
4/30 – House of Blues, Orlando FL (USA)
5/1 – Revolution, Ft. Lauderdale FL (USA)
5/3 – Buckhead Theatre, At
