Yearning

The band known as Yearning was formed by Finnish youths Juhani Palomäki (vocals/guitar/keyboards), Tero Kalliomäki (guitars), and Toni Kostiainen (drums) in late 1994, and originally went by the name Flegeton, which was derived from Dante's Divine Comedy. Like the ruthless Scandinavian winters, the music heard on their demo, "Through the Desolate Lands," was cold, somber, and depressing, and after securing the services of curiously named bass player Mr. Woodland (real name: Petri Salo), Yearning further developed their atmospheric brand of gothic dark metal with their second demo, "The Temple of Sagal."

The latter greatly impressed the folks at France's Holy Records, which subsequently release the band's 1997 debut album, With Tragedies Adorned, and its 1999 follow-up, Plaintive Scenes. Both of these efforts bordered on progressive rock, so wide was their stylistic range and so high their ambitions, but Yearning still managed to infuse them with plenty of melody, melancholy, and metal. The same was true of grandiloquent ensuing efforts, 2001's Frore Meadow and 2003's Evershade, during which Yearning endured a number of lineup changes, but carried on anyway.