HIM, is a musical group from Finland formed in 1991 by vocalist Ville Vallo, guitarist Mikko Lindstrom and bassist Mikko Paananen. HIM started out as a cover band of artists such as Type O Negative, KISS, Danzig, Black Sabbath and Depeche Mode. HIM's widely-debated musical style is often referred to as "love metal" by Valo and by the group's fans, while critics commonly refer to them as gothic metal or gothic rock. However, their musical style varies between albums, and songs.