The story of YEARNING began at the turn of 1994/ 1995 when during some gloomy winterday of Finland two individuals, guitarist/ vocalist J. Palomäki and drummer T. Kristian decided to satisfy their burning desire for dark and emotional Metal music.
They started under a name FLEGETON, which was taken from Dante Alighieris (1265-1321) most famous work Divina commedia, representing a part in the construction of inferno.
Few songs were already written and after awhile of searching they found another guitarist Tero Kalliomäki and made a 4-track tape called 'Trough the Desolate Lands'.
Material on this tape could be described as melodic dark/ death metal and as these songs suffered from a lack of originality it wasn't widely distributed.
In July '95 band went to MDM -studio, Tampere with their new bassplayer Mr. Woodland. Result, 'The Temple of Sagal' -demo was a huge step forward with clean and harmonic vocals, acoustic guitars, keyboards and most of all a handtouching sorrowful atmosphere.
Demo contains following songs:
1. Silent Caves
2. Obliteration
3. The Temple of Sagal
4. In the Hands of Storm
These songs were widely praised by enthusiasts of melancholic and mighty music. It also caused a record dealoffer from a French based label HOLY Records. Band agreed and contracted to HOLY c. for a two full-lenght albums.
In February '96 band went to Tico-Tico -studios, Kemi with their new material.
At this point a name was changed to YEARNING, because their old name didn't represent nor described the overwhelming amount of feeling, which has become their trademark nowadays.
YEARNING recorded 'Autumn Funeral' during these sessions and this song is known from 'The Holy Bible' -compilation of HOLY Records.
Song caused a stir in a worldwide underground scene and appealed to the feelings of many people with its tragic beauty.
With a material inspired by a mighty nature of Finland and dark inner landscapes of an artistic mind YEARNING went to Tico-Tico -studios again, to record their debut full-lenght album 'With Tragedies Adorned'.
The album was recorded between 16th and 29th of September '96. It contains 60 minutes of rich, beautiful music full of sorrow and anguish.
Besides a basic Metal instruments, flutes, acoustic guitars and keyboards enrich the sound and atmosphere on this album.
The songtitles are:
1. Remnants of the Only Delight
2. Bleeding for Sinful Crown
3. Flown Away
4. Haze of Despair
5. The Temple of Sagal
6. Release
7. In the Hands of Storm
8. Canticum
'With Tragedies Adorned' was released in 28th of February '97 and during the spring band has been busy promoting their debut and performing live.
Right now YEARNIING is looking for more gigs in summer and of course searching for an inspiration to capture a source of dark beauty.
The band visited Tico-Tico -studios 18.-19.10.97 to record it's own interpreparation of PARADISE LOST's 'Eternal' for the Paradise Lost -tribute album which will be released by HOLY Records.
After this one band started to prepare for the first European tour which took place in 26.12.97-12.1.98.
The tour contained 16 gigs in Holland, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France.
Other bands on the road were Greek NIGHTFALL and French SUP.
After the tour it was time for intensive writing and composing process.
New tunes of gloom and sadness were more majestic and symphonic and the ceremony of capturing the sound took place on 18.8- 9.9.1998 A.D. at Tico-Tico -studios.
The second opus of YEARNING 'Plaintive Scenes' is an innovative art in stylish for
Containing the following hymns:
1. Naivete
2. Unwritten
3. Grey
4. Soliloquay
5. Plaintive Scenes
6. Soliloquay II
7. Eyes of the Black Flame
8. Nameless
'Plaintive Scenes' was released in February '99.
The year '99 showed departure of former guitarist, bassplayer and female vocalist due to a personal and musical disagreements.
Founding members continued with composer/ vocalist J. Palomäki handling all necessary instruments in the studio and T. Kristian still on percussion.
The outcome, the 3rd album of YEARNING entitled 'Frore Meadow' was recorded once again at Tico-Tico-studios 2.- 29.5.2000 with more clearly inspired by progressive, gothic and classical music this album is an atmospheric art way above any standards and limits and most of all blessed with familiar characteristics of YEARNING: sorrowful, melancholic mood.
Meisterwerk contains eleven tracks:
1. Bleak
2. Solitary
3. Autumn
4. The Fall
5. Years of Pain
6. Forsaken
7. Frore Meadow
8. The Race
9. Elegy of Blood
10. In Strange Slowfooted Fever
11. Disappearance
'Frore Meadow' was be released 15.1.2001 by HOLY Rec. YEARNING has also recruited new musicians for a live appearances and the members are Matti S. (guitar), Loikas (bass), Jouni J.N. (keyboards).
In 2001 Yearning toured France with a labelmates Gloomy Grim and Misanthrope.
New material was composed and arranged very carefully during the years of silence.
The outcome, Evershade, the fourth album of Yearning was finally recorded this time at Astia studio with Anssi Kippo as a co-producer 9th-22nd of June 2003 as a two piece line-up.
This album was released at the end of September 2003,being the most mature opus of the band to date.
Massive arrangements and great melodies reign on this impressive album.
Tracklist :
1. Nocturne
2. Statues Amidst a Frozen Sand of Time
3. Conditio Humana
4. Aureole
5. Evershade
6. Deathbearer
7. Contemplation
8. A Day When the World Started to Weep
Evershade scored amazing points in countless reviews in the metal media.Yearning performed twice after the albums release in Helsinki and hometown Riihimäki with the same live line-up as before.Yearning negotiated with many labels about the next step with the upcoming releases, but many of these were unproductive.
New material was written during the years while live activies were in the minimum.With a trouble caused by bothersome addictions and frustrations with the labels a band was close to ceasing its existence.
After the years of struggle Juhani found a new drummer Aki Kuusinen also known from Sinking and Scaur and came with one-album agreement with Holy Records again.Thus with a new inspirations and concepts Yearning headed towards D-studio, Klaukkala, Finland with the engineer Olli Haaranen (also known as guitarist of Colosseum) to record its fifth album "Merging into Landscapes".Sessions took a place between 3-23.3.2007.Album was mixed by Jarno Hänninen and mastered at Elektra Mastering, France.Merging into landscapes includes following titles :
1.Prologue : Nascentes Morimur
2.Kaleidoscopic Inscape
3.Sphere of Disgust
4.Return
5.Datura Stramonium
6.October Rain
7.Lethean Waters
8.Merging into Landscapes
9.Dead
10.The Dying Morn
11.Epilogue : Nemo ante mortem beatus
The album is set to be released 1.7.2007 through Holy Records
With Merging into Landscapes Yearning reaches a perfect balance between metal elements and influences from a classical music.This albums offers immense melancholy,heaviness in an underlined manner and diverse vocal styles ranging from death metal grunts and screams to clean male/female vocals and choirs.
Tiina Sitomaniemi, who sang on "Plaintive Scenes" album returns bringing colour to multi-layered and rich soundscape.Album features also Tuborg IV Koskenkorva (of Let Me Dream and rising Doom Metal outfit Saattue) on additional Harsh vocals.
Lyrics show atheistic,surrealistic and existential views of perception and they are contemplative in style as well as the music.
Merging into landscapes is a must for every self-respecting individual.
