HIM, the Finnish rock band active from 1991 to 2017, has a total of 10 people listed as members according to MusicBrainz. This list reflects the band’s member information as recorded on MusicBrainz, retrieved on 2026-10-09. The band’s line-up changed over the years, and this article presents a detailed overview of all members, their roles, years active, original line-up, line-up timeline, and how these line-ups correspond to the band’s studio albums.
Current Members
MusicBrainz lists HIM as ended with no current line-up, so there are no current members to display.
Former Members
- Juha Tarvonen – drums, 1991–1993
- Mikko Paananen – background vocals, bass, double bass, 1991–until the band ended
- Ville Valo – guitar, lead vocals, 1991–until the band ended
- Mikko Lindström – background vocals, guitar, 1995–until the band ended
- Antto Melasniemi – keyboards, 1996–1998
- Juhana Rantala – drums, 1996–1999
- Jussi-Mikko Salminen – keyboards, 1998–2000
- Mika Karppinen – drums, 1999–2015
- Emerson Burton – background vocals, keyboards, piano, 2000–until the band ended
- Jukka Kröger – drums, 2015–until the band ended
Original Line-up
- Juha Tarvonen – drums, 1991–1993
- Mikko Paananen – background vocals, bass, double bass, 1991–until the band ended
- Ville Valo – guitar, lead vocals, 1991–until the band ended
- Mikko Lindström – background vocals, guitar, 1995–until the band ended
Line-up Timeline
| Member | Role | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Juha Tarvonen | drums | 1991–1993 |
| Mikko Paananen | background vocals, bass, double bass | 1991–until the band ended |
| Ville Valo | guitar, lead vocals | 1991–until the band ended |
| Mikko Lindström | background vocals, guitar | 1995–until the band ended |
| Antto Melasniemi | keyboards | 1996–1998 |
| Juhana Rantala | drums | 1996–1999 |
| Jussi-Mikko Salminen | keyboards | 1998–2000 |
| Mika Karppinen | drums | 1999–2015 |
| Emerson Burton | background vocals, keyboards, piano | 2000–until the band ended |
| Jukka Kröger | drums | 2015–until the band ended |
Line-ups and Albums
HIM released eight studio albums between 1997 and 2013. The members active during each album year are as follows:
- Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 (1997): Juha Tarvonen had left in 1993, so drums were handled by Juhana Rantala (1996–1999). Mikko Paananen (bass), Ville Valo (guitar, lead vocals), Mikko Lindström (guitar, background vocals, joined 1995), and Antto Melasniemi (keyboards, 1996–1998) were also active.
- Razorblade Romance (1999): Juhana Rantala was still on drums in 1999 until Mika Karppinen joined the same year. Mikko Paananen, Ville Valo, Mikko Lindström, and Antto Melasniemi remained, with Jussi-Mikko Salminen replacing Antto Melasniemi on keyboards from 1998 to 2000.
- Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights (2001): By 2001, Mika Karppinen was the drummer (1999–2015). Mikko Paananen, Ville Valo, Mikko Lindström, and Jussi-Mikko Salminen (keyboards until 2000) had been active through 2000, but for 2001 keyboards were presumably absent or handled by other members as per available data. Emerson Burton joined in 2000 on keyboards, background vocals, and piano, thus active in 2001.
- Love Metal (2003): Members in 2003 included Mika Karppinen (drums), Mikko Paananen (bass), Ville Valo (guitar, lead vocals), Mikko Lindström (guitar), and Emerson Burton (keyboards, background vocals, piano).
- Dark Light (2005): The line-up remained the same as in 2003, with Mika Karppinen, Mikko Paananen, Ville Valo, Mikko Lindström, and Emerson Burton.
- Venus Doom (2007): All the members from 2005 continued, including Mika Karppinen, Mikko Paananen, Ville Valo, Mikko Lindström, and Emerson Burton.
- Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice, Chapters 1–13 (2009): The same line-up was consistent in 2009: Mika Karppinen, Mikko Paananen, Ville Valo, Mikko Lindström, and Emerson Burton.
- Tears on Tape (2013): For 2013, the members were Mika Karppinen (drums), Mikko Paananen (bass), Ville Valo (guitar, lead vocals), Mikko Lindström (guitar), and Emerson Burton (keyboards, background vocals, piano).
After 2013, Mika Karppinen remained until 2015, when Jukka Kröger took over drums until the band ended. Mikko Paananen, Ville Valo, Mikko Lindström, and Emerson Burton continued until the band’s end in 2017.
How This List Was Compiled
This list was compiled exclusively from the MusicBrainz database, specifically from the ‘member of band’ relations for HIM, retrieved on 2026-10-09. Only individuals with a ‘member of band’ relation in MusicBrainz are included. The list does not include touring or session players, collaborators, or other contributors not listed as official band members in MusicBrainz. All roles, years active, and original member designations are taken verbatim from MusicBrainz data. No additional sources or assumptions were used beyond what is documented there.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many members of HIM are listed in MusicBrainz?
- There are 10 people listed as members of HIM.
- Are there any members listed without an end date?
- No, all members have end dates; MusicBrainz lists the band as ended with no current members.
- Who does MusicBrainz mark as original members of HIM?
- MusicBrainz marks four members as original: Juha Tarvonen, Mikko Paananen, Ville Valo, and Mikko Lindström.
- Where does this member data come from?
- The data comes from MusicBrainz, retrieved on 2026-10-09, reflecting the database’s official member listings for HIM.
Final Thoughts
This list provides a precise, fact-based overview of HIM’s members as documented by MusicBrainz. It reflects the band’s evolution through its active years without speculation or additions beyond the official record.
For anyone researching HIM’s line-up history, MusicBrainz offers a reliable and detailed resource that captures all officially recognized members and their contributions over time.
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