Razorblade Romance is the second studio album by Finnish gothic rock band HIM, recorded with producer John Fryer. HIM initially began recording the album with producer Hiili Hiilesmaa, who had helmed the group's 1997 debut album, however these sessions proved unsuccessful, and HIM parted ways with Hiilesmaa, and recruited Fryer. The band, along with Fryer, relocated to Rockfield Studios in Wales to begin recording, and released the album on 24 January 2000. Musically, the album featured a sleeker production and a more melodic sound compared to their debut. The album's lead single "Join Me in Death" would prove to be HIM's breakthrough single, reaching number one in Finland and Germany. The song also found its way on to the soundtrack of the 1999 science fiction film The Thirteenth Floor.
Razorblade Romance received mostly positive reviews from critics, with particular praise being given to the songwriting, while the more polished production received some criticism. The album also charted in six countries, peaking at number one in Finland, Germany and Austria, later going double platinum, triple gold, and gold respectively. Razorblade Romance would also go on to chart in the United States in January 2004, making it the band's first album to chart in the US. HIM also won "Album of the Year" at the 2000 Emma Awards, as well as were awarded at the 2004 IFPI Platinum Europe Awards. Three further singles were released from the album, two of which reached number one in Finland. Razorblade Romance was followed by an intensive supporting tour, which nearly resulted in the band breaking up. The album was also HIM's first to feature drummer Mika "Gas Lipstick" Karppinen, and the only to feature keyboardist Jussi-Mikko "Juska" Salminen.
Production
HIM began work on their second album at MD-Studios in Munkkiniemi, with producer Hiili Hiilesmaa, who had produced their debut album. These sessions proved to be unsuccessful however, with Hiilesmaa suffering from exhaustion and relationships within the band going sour. Bassist Mikko "Mige" Paananen later remarked: "Ville [Valo] would be raving in the studio, and we'd just play so we could quickly go home. You just didn't bother saying 'this sucks' anymore." HIM eventually parted ways with Hiilesmaa in January 1999, by which point they had demoed four songs. The band's record label BMG soon decided that HIM's next album should be recorded abroad with a name producer. The band eventually decided on John Fryer, who had previously worked with Nine Inch Nails and Cradle of Filth among others, and flew to Rockfield Studios in Wales to commence recording their album.
The first two songs to be recorded were "I Love You (Prelude to Tragedy)" and "Poison Girl", which Fryer began mixing early on while the band left to go on tour. When they returned, the band found the initial mixes to be horrible, which they later discovered to be the doing of Per Kviman, who had been instructing Fryer on how to mix the songs. After letting go of Kviman, HIM continued recording, with Valo later remarking that the studio sessions were "all in all incredibly fun" . He stated: "It was damn fun getting out of those familiar circles and just focus on the album, and not worry about anything else. It also felt great that the band was together all the time".
After recording finished, Fryer and Valo began mixing the album in London, and were once again horrified to find that "everything sounded like shit". After spending 15 000 euros trying to properly mix the album in London, Fryer and Valo flew to Finland where, with the help of Risto Hemmi from Finnvox, they were finally able to mix the record. The initial mixes were later released on the Uneasy Listening albums as well as the 2014 remastered edition of Razorblade Romance as the "Rockfield Madness" versions and "Strongroom Sessions" respectively. After finishing the mixing, the tapes were flown to Sterling Sound in New York, where they were mastered by George Marino. Valo initially wanted the album to be called Goth 'n' Roll, but BMG refused, preferring the previously suggested title Razorblade Romance. The cover art was designed by Janne Uotila with photographs by Jouko Lehtola, and was influenced by the style of 1980s glam rock and pop acts. The budget of the album eventually grew to nearly 150 000 euros.