Yearning

In late 1994 three young Finns—Juhani Palomäki on vocals, guitar and keyboards, Tero Kalliomäki on guitars, and Toni Kostiainen on drums—launched the band that would become Yearning, first operating under the name Flegeton taken from Dante’s Divine Comedy. Their opening demo, “Through the Desolate Lands,” conveyed the same frigid, desolate mood as the unforgiving Nordic winters, and after Mr. Woodland (born Petri Salo) joined on bass the group refined its atmospheric gothic dark metal approach on the follow-up recording “The Temple of Sagal.”

France’s Holy Records responded by issuing the debut album With Tragedies Adorned in 1997 and its 1999 successor Plaintive Scenes. Although both records revealed progressive-rock leanings born of wide stylistic reach and ambitious scope, Yearning threaded them with melody, melancholy and metal. The same balance marked the expansive later releases Frore Meadow in 2001 and Evershade in 2003, periods marked by several lineup adjustments that nevertheless left the band intact.