There are multiple artists that use the name Yearning: (1) a Finnish atmospheric doom metal band, and (2) a Canadian emoviolence band.
(1) The story of Yearning began at the turn of 1994/1995 when during some gloomy winterday of Finland two individuals, guitarist/vocalist J. Palomäki (R.I.P) and drummer T. Kristian decided to satisfy their burning desire for dark and emotional Metal music.
They started under the name Flegeton, which was taken from Dante Alighieri's (1265-1321) most famous work Divina Commedia, representing a river of blood in the Seventh Circle of Hell. 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 bass player Mr. Woodland. The result, The Temple of Sagal demo was a huge step forward with clean and harmonic vocals, acoustic guitars, keyboards and most of all a touching sorrowful atmosphere.
The 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 deal offer from French-based label Holy Records. The band agreed and contracted to Holy for a two full-length albums.
In February '96 band went to Tico-Tico studio, Kemi with their new material. At this point a name was changed to Yearning, because they felt their old name didn't represent the overwhelming amount of feeling, which has become their trademark. Yearning recorded "Autumn Funeral" during these sessions. This song is known from the Hold Records compilation The Holy Bible.
With 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-length 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 basic rock metal instruments, flutes, acoustic guitars and keyboards enrich the sound and atmosphere on this album. With Tragedies Adorned was released on the 28th of February, 1997 and during the spring the band promoted their debut and performed live.
The song titles 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
The band visited Tico-Tico Studios on 18-19 October 1997 to record it's own interpretation of Paradise Lost's "Eternal" for a Paradise Lost tribute album released by Holy Records. After this, the band started to prepare for the first European tour which took place 26 December 1997 to 12 January 1998. The tour consisted of 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 August to 9 September 1998 at Tico-Tico Studios. This second album by Yearning, Plaintive Scenes was released in February 1999. It contains the following hymns:
1. Naivete
2. Unwritten
3. Grey
4. Soliloquy
5. Plaintive Scenes
6. Soliloquy II
7. Eyes of the Black Flame
8. Nameless
The year 1999 brought the departure of former guitarist Tero Kalliomäki, bass player Mr. Woodland, and flutist/vocalist Lady Tiina Ahonen due to personal and musical disagreements. The 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 on 2 through 29 May 2000. This atmospheric album was more clearly inspired by progressive, gothic and classical music, the with familiar characteristics of Yearning: a sorrowful, melancholic mood. It was released 15 January 2001 on Holy Records, and 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.
Yearning recruited new musicians for live appearances: Matti S. (guitar), Loikas (bass), Jouni J.N. (keyboards). In 2001 Yearning toured France with a label mates 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. It has 8 tracks:
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
After a quiet period while J. Palomäki began working on the funeral doom project Colosseum Yearning recorded their fifth and final album. On this record, T. Kristian was replaced by the drummer Aki Kuusinen. The final album, titled Merging Into Landscapes, was released on Holy Records in July 2007, and featured 11 tracks:
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
Following this album, J. Palomäki continued to compose three Colosseum albums. His death in 2010 marked the end of both groups.
(2) Yearning is an emoviolence band from Montréal, Quebec, Canada. Their album MMXXII was released on 30 January 2022 by the Canadian label No Funeral Records.
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