Latest releases reviewed

HIM
Love Metal Archives Vol 1 Sony/BMG
***

As far as being acolytes of Black Sabbath are concerned, Finland's HIM seem to have the market sewn up. And, judging by the amount of skimpy underwear that is thrown at him on stage, sexy metal frontmen Ville Valo has the band's female fanbase in a right old lather. This remarkably compehrensive and visually impressive two-DVD set goes a fair way to explaining precisely where HIM's appeal lies: the songs are pleasant metal (a sub-genre in the making?), ever so slightly morbid (Join Me in Death, When Love and Death Embrace, Funeral of Hearts), and about as threatening as a housebound Ozzy Osbourne. Valo is the linchpin - a lithe, smoldering presence, dressed in black, as serious about his sepulchral role as his songs are about faux doomed romance. The many extras include several making-of featurettes, trailers, interviews, photo galleries and biogs. www.heartagram.com

Tony Clayton-Lea

JAMES BROWN
Live In Berlin Universal
***

In 1988, the Godfather of Soul went to Berlin to see if Mister Please Please Please could knock down that there wall which was splitting the city in two. History will record that Brown's attempts were in vain, but there were musical reasons to be cheerful. Back then, Brown was enjoying a revival thanks to Living in America, and there's a certain panache to the proceedings, especially when Soul Brother No 1 fires up such tried-and-tested standards as I Feel Good. There's nothing here to suggest that a few short months later, Brown's life would go off the rails when his then wife accused him of assault, leading to an eventual two-year jail stretch. In Berlin, Brown was in his pomp - and there aren't many others who can match him when he's in that kind of showboating mood. www.godfatherofsoul.com

Jim Carroll