Building on the momentum of 2005's well-received DARK LIGHT, which finally garnered HIM a large international following, VENUS DOOM finds perpetually brooding frontman Ville Valo once again leading his darkly clad ensemble through a set of lovelorn metal tunes. This time around, however, the revered Scandinavian agro-goth band tones down the atmospheric keyboard parts, allowing Mikko "Linde" Lindstrom's stinging guitar work, which often nods to veteran hard-rock six-stringer Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society/Ozzy Osbourne), to shine through, resulting in one of HIM's heaviest albums. Highlights of VENUS DOOM include the surging "Passion's Killing Floor" and "The Kiss of Dawn," an ominous mid-tempo track.