In 1993, in the midst of the second wave`s heyday, when numerous classic albums saw the light of day and many a blaze ignited the northern sky, GEHENNA were brought forth in Stavanger, Norway`s fourth largest city. In the course of the same year their efforts resulted in their first and only demo Black Seared Heart which was released by the band on tape in very limited quantities. The demo comprises 7 songs of which 3 are instrumentals serving as intro and outros respectively. Although the demo reveals the members` at the time limited capabilites as musicians, it`s, by and large, a very enjoyable first recording with lasting qualities. The sound is leagues above the average demo production since Black Seared Heart was recorded in a studio. The moody songs – for the most part played in moderate tempo – are written in a way that reveals GEHENNA as talented songwriters even at this early stage. Notably, the keyboards, whose remarkable melodies would go on to become one of the band`s trademarks were already present on the demo. As an added bonus the rerelease of Black Seared Heart comes with an instrumental, a song recorded at the rehearsal-room and most importantly a studio recording-session that was aborted before completion that was supposed to result in the band`s first EP First Spell. The songs were completely new remastered by Patrick W. Engel at the Temple of Disharmony to ensure the best possible sound for this timeless Black Metal classic.
