Swedish alternative metal outfit, Aviana has just released Corporation on Arising Empire. It’s described quite rightly as ‘a collection of heavy bangers’ made up from a clutch of singles. Intriguingly, we’re also teased that we’ll come to hear more about the  Aviana Corporation as time goes on – “without giving away too much, the release symbolises a collective name of two big plots in the new world of the storyline that we have been creating and are building up in the new era of the band.”

But for now, we’re joined by singer Joel Holmqvist from Aviana heads to the barrier to tell us why he loves Finnish rockers HIM

I’ve loved the band HIM since the first time I heard their songs. The beautiful singing melodies over the heavy instrumentals are what keeps me listening to them after all these years. The songs are pure genius in my opinion, the way the lyrics are written down to the instrumental parts divided between the guitars, bass, drums and keyboards. 

A friend showed one of their records to me at his house when I was like 11-12. Back when we were skating and watching Vivala Bam. He’d been watching the older stuff Bam had made on YouTube and had heard the HIM songs on his videos. Grabbing one of their records a couple of days later and showing it to me knowing I’d love the music as much as he did. 

I bought a CD of my own like a week after the friend had shown me his CD. Mine was the latest release and had newer songs on it. Those songs really blew me away from track one. I got my hands the album “And Love Said No…” and I shit you not, I still get the chills running through my body when the title track, which is the first track of the album. From there, it’s all bliss listening through the whole thing. 

Ville Valo’s vocals inspired me to become a vocalist myself and to teach myself how to sing. I used to sing along to their songs in my childhood room. Having a pencil between my fingers so I looked like he did whilst smoking on the stage. And with a TV remote as a microphone. I honestly think I started smoking cigarettes thanks to that dude haha. 

I’ve always wanted the lyrics “My church is not of silver and gold, it’s glory lies beyond judgement of souls” tattooed on my body for the longest time. Never got to do it though. 

I’ve never seen them live actually, and it hurt even more when they broke up because I never got to see them haha. But I know that Ville Valo has started a side project called VV. So hopefully I’ll be able to catch him live at one point. The cool thing about his new stuff is that it sounds like HIM’s old stuff. Nostalgia all the way.

Our thanks to Joel for taking the time to share his passion.

Here’s the latest Aviana single – Illuminate – from the Corporation album:

Aviana online: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Youtube

You can read more from our extensive archive of Why I Love pieces from a wide array of artists on an even wider array of subjects, here.

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