H.I.M. - This Is Only the Beginning (Demo A) 1995

[@ghoulishtoad]

my god why didn’t they do anything with serpent ride on any other album????!? it’s so good

[@smokethelegendary1916]

One of their absolute best. This is the direction I wish they would have continued in.

[@Arcanua]

Record companies...it's why some of their other stuff sounds so different too.

[@marcoparrott6461]

i would do anything to have them make a refined fully produced version of this and more music in this early HIM style.. the early love metal is my fav and it pains me how soft and commercial it got especially after/ from the 'Love metal' album.. i always craved more this dark earlier HIM which comes out in some later songs but not so many.. any way change is life and i am thankful to enjoy these songs here often..

[@joshuanickles4010]

Agreed. I think this was why Venus Doom was one of my favorite albums post-Love Metal. It had something a lot closer to the 1995 demos and Greatest Lovesongs. Everything after that didn't appeal to me nearly as much. That being said, every HIM album invokes a certain sense of nostalgia for me in whatever time of my life they happened to be released, so they'll all kind of hold a special place in my heart.

[@marcoparrott6461]

@@joshuanickles4010 I should give Venus Doom more of a listen!

[@mix1806]

@@marcoparrott6461 you might not notice at first, but Venus Doom is close pretty close to demos and first two albums, and i wish the same they have made more heavier/darker songs like their early era

[@craigharrison1274]

When I tell people I’m a HIM fan I always include the clause “well their first four albums”. Sure, there’s stuff I enjoy after that period but for me it’s not the same band.

[@ThePhilosorpheus]

Been a HUGE fan for about 16 years but only got to see them live twice. That was pretty high on my bucket list, but my absolute dream was to see their classic Tavastia concert every end of the year, in Finland. Then Him ended. Oh well, some things arent meant to be

[@liv.7660]

What a voice!

[@dianarodriguez-licona8361]

its gorgeous !! i would cross the world to have these demos!!

[@marcoparrott6461]

Would you cross oceans of wine?

[@talitintti7012]

16.7.2020 and still here

[@diabolikalm]

If these epic recordings are on cassette/CD I want em! and in return you will be rewarded greatly in Valhalla \m/

[@Erikofdarkness]

Is it just me, or does Serpent Ride have a beautiful sort of medieval minstrel type sound? Like, if you stripped it down to just acoustic instruments.

[@bryannebanff448]

Puck Harper yes I always feel like I'm being pulled into a different time when I listen to Serpent Ride.

[@bmuDLuck]

My favorite song

[@Baard5Szomoru]

Indeed it sounds beautiful especially if well arranged, someone has to make a cover :D

[@craigharrison1274]

They’re getting into black metal territory, naturally.

[@DarkturtleX]

Borellus is so damn epic

[@Ancelala]

This certainly was only the beginning

[@stillontheproperty0667]

Full of darkness and gloom ...

[@mix1806]

Beginning of the End....

[@itscoachmegan]

A beginning with a bang

[@adatoniewypada2754]

I love every song of HIM!

[@Nxyphoenix]

Friggin magnificent 😱🔥🔥💖🙏 Ville’s vocal melodies and the riffsssssss mannnn 🔥🔥🔥🔥♥️♥️♥️🌹🌹🌹

[@johnjolly3058]

Thanks you so much for uploading this!!! It's almost impossible to find!!

[@rafaelpetterson2192]

i just sit here on my ass and cant believe how cool this band is ...or was...

[@smokethelegendary1916]

Such a shame that it "was" maybe one day there will be more, they left us way too soon but isn't that how love goes?

[@craigharrison1274]

There used to be lots of cool bands.

[@craigharrison1274]

It was normal then.

[@ozzyosbourne9055]

Back to the ancient rase from heaven,from the biggining of nathing,just only "God "(Genesis)!!! Vanitatea păcatelor strămoșești învăluite în umbrele adânci și pătrunse, reci și crude, lente,progresive și sigure!!! Just miriphic! Grettings from Tartaria( Traco-Dacia,Transilvanya,România)!!!

[@akell125]

i so wish they kept this sound longer

[@Sir_LambZelot]

Had these track ages ago.. hate myself fore deleting them..

[@joshryan9688]

I had these tracks downloaded from Kazaa. That’s how old I am 😂

[@marcoparrott6461]

Days of FTP R.I.P 🖤🖤

[@michaelagaborova106]

♥ him ♥

[@anabmeije763]

Con todo lo comercial qué nos han gustado y que al final sea su lado hardcore el que signifique resiliencia...arte o verdad y viceversa 🎨🎭🎼✊🏻🦾☮️&©️

[@TheMankipoika]

This opened so many doors!🚪

[@joyoliveira4144]

I've come the full circle, i think this is their best, just...

[@carstenbegerow6588]

Amazing. For understanding people 🤣

[@MarcelaKrajcikova-u6b]

❤❤❤

[@lohunovaoksana6202]

🖤🖤🖤

[@brigidireland]

OMGs and WTF , Ville's only like 18 when these were recorded!

[@anabmeije763]

❤

[@xxhardforcorexx1231]

Why didn't you upload the demo as one, does the album come in two parts? Secondly, I didn't even know a demo can be like 25 minutes long, that's only 5 minutes off of half a hour, which to my understanding is a normal full-length album. Most demos I've ever listened to were under 20 minutes, unless we're talking about a demo compilation album.

[@supernerd4245]

xxhardforcorexx the band only have two demos, demo 1, and demo 2 (fans call these demos as "This is Only the Beginning".)

[@xxhardforcorexx1231]

I think you're forgetting Witches and Other Night Fears, which was released like 3 years prior to This is Only the Beginning and the 666 Ways to Love: Prologue, which was released one year after This is Only the Beginning.

[@supernerd4245]

xxhardforcorexx Witches and Other Night Fears doesn't exist. It's a fan given name to unreleased demo that Valo has. Mige lost his copy probably at his parents place. Quality of the demo is terrible and no one knows what the tracks expect Valo and Mige. Only known song appears on the demo is Wicked Game.

[@xxhardforcorexx1231]

Huh, to think you know something. It's weird how it shows up as a part of their discography when Google'd. I've thought Witches and Other Night Fears was their debut album for years until now. The Wikipedia is even worse, listing Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 as their first release and not even mentioning the two albums before it, despite 666 Ways having a page. This is Only the Beginning doesn't even have a Wiki page. I've also heard that Don't Fear The Reaper and Sleepwalking Past Hope were supposed to be on Witches and Other Night Fears and were instead put on Lovesongs & Venus Doom.

[@DarkturtleX]

@@supernerd4245 3 demos

[@brigidireland]

Who were the other musicians? I think Mige's been with Ville from the beginning but who's the others? Doesn't sound like Linde.

[@RVNT9OE]

On the first half of the Demo, it's just Valo on Vocals and Drums while Linde is on Guitars and bass. On the other half Mige and Patka take over bass and drums.

[@brigidireland]

@@RVNT9OE Thanks for the info. I knew Linde had been with them since almost the beginning, but I didn't know he was on the first demos. And I can't get over the fact that Ville is just a teenager!

[@thecreativemillenial]

where can you buy this?

[@RVNT9OE]

You can't. These demos were leaked. You can only find zip files and rars.

[@thecreativemillenial]

Revenant Plague well that sucks :( thanks anyway

[@tokescat6394]

There's a bootleg CD named "Him: The 1995 Demos" released in 2004.

[@jeremydeane7057]

pyrostrike uk convert it!

[@spyderz_]

so pretty ;_;

[@jay270486]

Fake cover pic BUT the original is a tape with no picture at all. Anyway would kill for a rerecording of these tracks now.

[@lorenzobarichello5180]

Did you know where that cover is from?

[@johnsantos2133]

I believe it's Villes mother

[@natashas.1566]

It is Ville's mother. He confirmed that in an interview few years ago. It is incredible how much he looks like her.

[@Baard5Szomoru]

I always thought Vile's mother was on the cover of 666 ways to love: prologue.

[@o0r4g0o]

it´s ville himself, the photo of his mother looks different to this one..

[@oubliette3359]

Down the menory lane!!!!

[@t.cderyaakten6603]

👍👌❤

[@Purpledream.]

6:58 😍♥️

[@ВикпБаум]

❤❤❤❤❤💋💋💋💋💋🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@TuPuTaMaDrEPiJo]

I have these demos in MP3 XD who want them?

[@bagofrazors2934]

Me

[@DanielGarcia-qj8pr]

who has Black Candles from HIM ? ;)

[@supernerd4245]

Daniel Garcia Ville Valo does if that's an actual name of the song they perform.

[@drachenbarde]

i neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed it

[@joesantacruz5877]

Haha is "serpent ride" supposed to be a sex joke? xD

[@katarzynastefanczyk2453]

Wyjebane w chuj

[@simonenixon2572]

him i know you love easter my brithday was 27 3 74 to 27 3 20017

[@bmuDLuck]

I’m sorry just gotta point out all these beautiful women commenting on this playlist. Why can’t I find a woman like yall😫

[@NRobertAlexander]

Serpent Ride is embarrassingly bad when you compare it to their actual album material. It's nice to see evidence of musical evolution.

[@joshuanickles4010]

If Serpent Ride had been fleshed out, it might have been incredible.

[@NRobertAlexander]

Joshua Nickles I doubt that. Most early drafts are early drafts for a reason.

[@jenssenbalseiro991]

@@NRobertAlexander I rather everything about HIM before 1999

[@NRobertAlexander]

Jenssen Balseiro Why? Most of the songs are needlessly drawn out and the first record, despite being good, is a Type O Negative imitation. To me HIM found their own sound after Love Metal.

[@jenssenbalseiro991]

@@NRobertAlexander they had becoming worst after every album wanting to be more commercial i think the real him is in the greatest love songs vol 666 till venus doom these albums in between are good arranged from older to newer but i couldnt stand nothing after venus doom