The chronicle of the hellish gardens: ..
Gardens of Gehenna/the gardens of hell: . Synonym for misanthropy; inspired from a remark of Dante, who called the gloomy valleys of his home "the front gardens of hell"; also stands, comparable with ying and yang, for the melting of two seeming opposites into a whole (gardens as a symbol of order and control on one and gehenna/hell, synonymous with chaos, on the other side).
1995 Birgit Lages (bass), Andreas Opel (vocals/guitars), Holger Fiedler (guitars), Thomas Drechsel (drums) and Michaela Marek (keyboards) founded the band GARDENS OF GEHENNA. Using dark,death and doom metal, they make it to their objective to create music which abducts the hearer into a world which is reigned by nightmares and where the depths of the human soul are shown.
1996 First results in form of two demos, sold out meanwhile. Some tracks got their place on several european underground samplers.
Through increased live presence and the good to very good reviews and interviews in and out of germany, as well as Airplay in different radio shows - for example "Krawalla", the metal show of the "With Full Force" organizers (at this time still ) on radio "Energie Sachsen" and "Hörsturz" on Hot-FM, where one-hour interviews were given, Gardens of Gehenna got a widespread base in the underground.
In autumn this year GARDENS OF GEHENNA present themselves for the first time and with success to a bigger audience on the "heaven shall burn"- tour of Marduk, Gehenna and Mysticum.
1997 The debut CD "Mortem Saluta" is recorded at "Danse Macabre" studios. The producer is "Das Ich" member Bruno Kramm, also producer of Atrocity.The album contains 7 songs that show that GARDENS OF GEHENNA meanwhile have made their style perfect. One track ("Nebelmond") has two versions; the second is a Das Ich-Remix. Everybody who says that a mixture of Death Metal and Electro is not possible and cannot sound good, is wrong.
1998 "Mortem Saluta" is released on the Belgian Independant Label "Shiver Records" with a first-edition of 2ooo pieces which is sold out until the end of this year. The album is re-released 1999.
The song "Beyond the gates of dusk" is also released on the "Sometimes death is better" Sampler, which starts with a first edition of 3ooo Cds.
This year Thomas Drechsel, Holger Fiedler and Michaela Marek leave the band. Birgit Lages and Andreas Opel, the creative part of the band decide to go on. Drums are replaced by a drum machine and the keyboard part is taken by Michael Schöner. Second guitar is played live by friendly musicians (i.e. Martin Jungkunz/Despairation).
1999 Christian Wachter joins the band as a permanent member.
GARDENS OF GEHENNA record their second album "Dead Body Music". Bruno Kramm is again producer and "Danse Macabre" the studio. The album contains 8 songs which follow the band«s style consequently, but the traditional Dark 'n' Doom metal is now combined with modern electric sounds and song structures.
GARDENS OF GEHENNA leave "Shiver Records" and after finishing the recording sessions of "Dead Body Music" they sign their new label "Last Episode".
Dead Body Music (DBM):... inspired by "Electronic Body Music (EBM)"; describes the melting of Doom/Death metal with electronic music. Metal elements, like heavy guitar riffs and deep growls are mixed with Electronic coldness, industrial loops and samples.
2ooo GARDENS OF GEHENNA support Eisregen at some gigs of their "Fleischfestival 2ooo" tour and later Agathodaimon on the "Higher Art of Rebellion" tour. Release of "Dead Body Music". Good reviews and the more professional work of Last Episode gives the band the opportunity to give interviews in magazines like "Ablaze", "Legacy", Hammer" and "Orkus". The track "Tod und Teufel" is released on different samplers.
Whitsun 2ooo. "Wave Gotik Treffen" in Leipzig. GARDENS OF GEHENNA present themselves for the first time on a big festival.
2oo1 Vocalist Andreas Opel founds the band´s own studio "AnthRaziT".
Demos of the new songs "Dark angel" and "Reich der Schatten" and a rare demo version of "Tod und Teufel" from the year 1996 are re-mastered at "AnthRaziT" for an exclusive 12" Maxi for the Last Episode fanclub but is not released until now
The "Orkus" magazine invites GARDENS OF GEHENNA to record a song for the Tribute to Type o Negative Sampler "Blood, Sweat & Tears". "A prelude to agony" is completely recorded at "AnthRaziT" and mixed and mastered at "Danse Macabre" with Bruno Kramm.
The third album "the mechanism masochism" is again completely recorded at "AnthRaziT" and mixed and mastered at "Danse Macabre" with Bruno Kramm. The album contains a short intro and 9 tracks who present GARDENS OF GEHENNA more many-sided than ever before. Some tracks are in the "Dead Body Music" style with electronic samples and heavy guitars but more developed. Other tracks are more traditional and remind of the first album "Mortem Saluta" which shows that GARDENS OF GEHENNA do not forget their roots.
Darkness, arrogance and cruelty is the theme of this album.
Additional to this you can find a multimedia section on this album with an animated film of "rabenNutte" which is produced by "Orpheus Film". This album is still not released.
Christian Wachter leaves the gardens of hell and is live replaced by session guitarist Martin Buchmann (ex-Human Bloodfeast, ex-Atargatis). In autumn GARDENS OF GEHENNA start thei first tour. The "Gloom over Golgatha" leads the band through germany, tschechien and slowakia supported by "Depressive Reality" and "Absurd Conflict" from Czech Republic.
2oo2 Bastian "Horg" Rosner joins the garden as a permanent member.
Whitsun 2oo2. GARDENS OF GEHENNA play on the 12th Wave Gotik Treffen in Leipzig.
"Mortem Saluta" is distibuted by "System Shock" and the first tome available in normal stores.
The release date of „mechanism masochism“ is still not in sight.
GARDENS OF GEHENNA use the inevitable period of waiting for preparing new material and to build up the "AnthRaziT" studio.
2oo3 Due to the delay of Last Episode, who are at their finacial end, GARDENS OF GEHENNA quit with this label in Januray and are looking for a new partner.
IAlso in January the band first time play in Antwerp/Belgium at the Eurorock-Winterfest
Bastian Rosner leaves. GARDENS OF GEHENNA become a three-pece again. The second guitar Martin Buchmann overtakes again as a sessionguitarist Because the already completed "mechanism masochism" is blocked due to the action between Bruno Kramm´s Danse Macabre and Last Episode (of course it is about money) and there is no other possiblity to get the master, the "AnthRaziT"-studio is upgraded and the new album is recorded, mixed and mastered again, this time under the control of singer Andreas Opel. In summer GARDENS OF GEHENNA play the first time with the new/old line-up at the "Skeleton Bash"-festival in Innsbruck/Austria. Other bands playing are for example My Dying Bride, Pungent Stench, Ancient,...
With "grau", a sublabel of the German prophecy-productions, a new label is found, which finally has enough engagement. Only a few weeks after the signing the promotion startes, the cd is pressed and really out o1.12.o3. The Odyssey seems to have an end....not the problems. Unfortunately Martin has to leave again for finacial reasons - as a professional musician he has to live from shows. The next 6- string- candidat is named Alexander Kaul and joins in the winter 2003.
The reactions of the press are good. There are interviews in Metal Heart, Orkus, Legacy and Zillo, whereby the three named last add the track „rabenNutte“ to their samplers
Live companions were : Agathodaimon, Die Apokalyptischen Reiter, Atanatos, Ashes You Leave, Asterius, Autumn Leaves, Clan of Xymox, Corvus Corax, Cryptic Wintermoon, Despairation, Eisregen, Erben der Schöpfung, Ewigheim, Eminenz, Final Breath, Gehenna, Ghosting, Graveworm, Haggard, Korova, Impending Doom, Marduk, Menhir, Mysticum, Mystic Circle, Ragnarök, Siebenbürgen, Untoten, Violation...
Former gardeners:
Thomas Drechsel - drums (1995-1998) Holger Fiedler - guitar (1995-1998) Michaela Marek - keyboards (1995-1998) Martin Jungkunz (Despairation) - Sessionguitarist (1998/1999) Martin Buchmann (Ex-Atargatis/ Ex-Human Bloodfeast) - Sessionguitarist (2oo1) Bastian Rosner - guitar (2oo2-2oo3)
Source: http://home.arcor.de
