Though Gehenna's most recent album (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.
