Finnish rockers HIM return to the U.S. this week to kick off a headlining tour with support band Anathema. The trek launches Friday (March 7) in Hollywood, Calif. and traverses the country before wrapping up March 25 in Houston.

In a recent Australian interview, frontman Ville Valo talked about the band's 'love metal' moniker. “It was to test the sense of humor of metalheads, and rock fans,” Valo says. “Some people take it all too seriously. They should sit down for a while and have a cup of tea and unwind.”

Valo says the description is a bit ridiculous, but that's by design. “Take your work seriously, but don’t take yourself seriously," he says. "There was this whole thing when we started out where people couldn’t figure out what box to put us in, where we fit in the scene… But I grew up with Venom, who more or less invented black metal, and Motörhead and the early stages of speed metal."

Valo continues, "These are all kind of ridiculous terms for music really, so we wanted our own little ridiculous term. Something that meant we could say we were something else as opposed to saying we were a goth band or a metal band or whatever."

HIM's latest album 'Tears on Tape' was released last year. Early albums from the band's catalog have recently been digitally reissued, with deluxe versions in multiple configurations to come this summer.

The albums that have been reissued are their 1997 debut 'Greatest Love Songs Vol. 666,' 1999's 'Razorblade Romance,' 2001's 'Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights' and 2003's 'Love Metal.' Also available on iTunes is 'XX - Two Decades of Love Metal.'

HIM 2014 Tour Dates

3/7/14 -- Hollywood, Calif. -- House Of Blues Sunset Strip
3/8/14 -- Anaheim, Calif. -- House Of Blues
3/9/14 -- San Francisco, Calif. -- The Fillmore
3/12/14 -- Chicago, Ill. -- House Of Blues
3/13/14 -- Cleveland, Ohio -- House Of Blues
3/14/14 -- New York, N.Y. -- Irving Plaza
3/15/14 -- Philadelphia, Pa. -- T.L.A.
3/16/14 -- New York, N.Y. -- Irving Plaza
3/18/14 -- Atlanta, Ga. -- Center Stage
3/19/14 -- Orlando, Fla. -- House Of Blues
3/20/14 -- Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. -- Revolution
3/24/14 -- New Orleans, La. -- House Of Blues
3/25/14 -- Houston, Texas -- House Of Blues

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