HIM: And Love Said No 1997–2004 (Limited Edition 5LP Vinyl Box Set)

This is the original 2004 BMG limited-edition box set, and it’s a completely different beast from the standard And Love Said No compilation. Rather than simply putting the greatest-hits collection across multiple records, the box brings together HIM’s first four studio albums on heavyweight vinyl plus an exclusive bonus 12-inch EP.

Inside are Greatest Love Songs Vol. 666, Razorblade Romance, Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights and Love Metal. That means you’re effectively getting the first major chapter of HIM’s career in one substantial vinyl collection, covering the band’s evolution from their darker early gothic sound through the increasingly polished and melodic style that made Razorblade Romance and Love Metal international successes.

The fifth record is where the box becomes particularly interesting for collectors. The Wicked Game 12-inch EP is pressed on red vinyl, while the four studio albums are heavyweight black vinyl. All five records come in their own picture sleeves and are housed together inside a large 12-inch slide-open presentation box.

There’s a massive amount of classic HIM here. “Your Sweet Six Six Six,” “When Love and Death Embrace,” “Join Me in Death,” “Poison Girl,” “Right Here in My Arms,” “Pretending,” “Heartache Every Moment,” “Buried Alive by Love,” “The Sacrament” and “The Funeral of Hearts” chart the band’s rise from Finnish cult favourites to one of the defining gothic rock bands of the early 2000s.

For HIM collectors, this is a serious piece. The set has been deleted for years, and complete examples have become highly sought after on the secondary market. It’s particularly attractive because it isn’t simply another retrospective: you’re getting four complete albums plus the bonus EP in their own sleeves.