GEHENNA – Steelfest Friday 19/5 2023
I love the first “Spells”. Some of the later albums are ok but not on my best list. I think the last album I´ve heard in full was “Adimiron Black”.
Anyways, the gig was pretty good in which case. Maybe one or a couple of songs from “Spells” bu quite a many from the “Ww” album. I saw GEHENNA some years back at Blekkmetal in Bergen and they only played The early stuff. But that was the whole point there so I never heard the newer material live. Better than expected:)
“Gehenna was formed in January 1993 as a nameless project by Sanrabb, Dolgar, and Sir Vereda. They didn’t give the band a name until they had enough material, which would represent their voice.” – The Metal Archives
“Though Gehenna’s “Murder” is in the death metal field, most of this Norwegian band’s time has been spent in the black metal camp. Debuting in 1994 with the EP First Spell, Gehenna’s relaxed, somber melodic black metal was rather unique, highlighted by some interesting eerie synth work from then-keyboardist Sarcana. Though the band has had a pretty steady recording career quality-wise, many will still point to this first effort as the band’s best.
The next two albums showed a move toward a more aggressive, but still melodic, black metal style, somewhat like Emperor at that time. With the move to a new record label (Moonfog) came the transition album Adimiron Black. Still black metal, but decidedly harsher, with keyboards far less prominent, this pointed toward a bigger change to come. And come it did, in the form of 2000’s Murder. With only scant traces of their black roots, Gehenna has really gone full-tilt toward death metal, with even the vocal style abruptly shifting from the typical black metal snarls of the early days toward a low-pitched death growl. Indeed, if Murder and First Spell were played back-to-back, one would be hard pressed to believe they both came from the same band. The group has continued to straddle the death/black in recent years, with 2005’s WW veering back toward the black territory” – bnrmetal.com
[Live clip by Tales From The Frontline & Gronn Onland]
Collected notes & links:
– Latest release: Unravel Full-length 2013
– Label: Indie Recordingswww.facebook.com/PerfectHate
www.ludewigs.net/gehenna
https://gehennaofnorway.bandcamp.com/
open.spotify.com
www.metal-archives.com/bands/Gehenna
Steelfest.fi
“Formed from the ashes of Cleveland hardcore outfit Diehard (who released at least one demo tape, entitled “Off the Bat”). In the earliest days of the band Integrity was a Straight Edge band. By 1990 this period was over” – 
