Sentenced

Sentenced
Sentenced live at Wacken Open Air Festival 2005
Oreegin:	Muhos/Oulu, Finland
Genre(s):	Daith metal Melodic daith metal Doom metal Gothic metal
Years active:	1989-2005
Labels:	Century Media Records
Associatit acts:	KYPCK, Poisonblack, The Black League
Wabsteid:	www.sentenced.org Archived 2020-08-25 at the Wayback Machine
Past members:	(final line-up) Ville Laihiala Miika Tenkula Sami Lopakka Sami Kukkohovi Vesa Ranta

Sentenced wis a hivy metal baund frae Muhos an Oulu, Finland that wis active atween 1989 an 2005.

Thair first releases wur in a daith metal, but in the third album the baund began tae shift tae a lichter an melodic soond. The baund's leerics wur the core topics o depression, suicide an daith, an it wis aften tinged wi black humour.

Biography

Early years (1989-1995)

Formation an Shadows of the Past

Sentenced startit in 1988 as Deformity an chynged thair name tae Sentenced in 1989, efter a few line-up chynges. The oreeginal line-up consistit o Mika Tenkula (lead guitar an vocals), Sami Lopakka (guitar), Vesa Ranta (drums), an Lari Kylmänen (bass). Thay recordit twa demo tapes: When Death Joins Us... in 1990 an Rotting Ways to Misery in 1991. The baund actually got thair vera first record deal (Wi the French label Thrash Records) efter thair first demo.

In 1991, bassist Taneli Jarva joined the baund, replacin Kylmänen juist as the baund wis aboot tae record thair debut album, Shadows of the Past. At that time, thair muisical style wis fast, teepical European melodic daith metal. In Spring 1992, thay recordit a three-sang promotional tape, Journey to Pohjola, an as a result got a deal wi the Finnish Spinefarm Records.

North from Here an Amok

The seicont album, North from Here, wis released in the ware o 1993, an later that year The Trooper EP. Jarva haed assumed lead vocal duties uisin a different style than Tenkula's. It wis North From Here that earned the baund the attention o German record label Century Media Records, an in 1994 Sentenced left Spinefarm in order tae heid toward a wider mercat wi a new multi-album contract unner Century Media

In 1995, Sentenced released thair 'break throu' album, Amok, which is considered bi mony tae be thair best work. Compared tae earlier releases, the muisic haed slowed doun somewhat, acquirin a mair melodic structur. The track "Nepenthe" wis complementit wi a muisic video an the baund teuk tae tour Europe in twa full-lenth tours supportin Samael an Tiamat.

Transition tae gothic metal (1995-2005)

Down an Frozen

In hairst, the baund released the Love & Death CD. Music-wise, it kept a fairly seemilar concept as Amok, as the sangs haed been written aroond the same time. Sentenced haed achieved success in Doom/death markets, but Jarva left the baund acause o muisical differences. Efter his departure, Ville Laihiala (o Breed fame) joined the baund in 1996, juist weeks afore the baund wis due tae heid tae Germany tae record thair fowert album Down wi producer, Waldemar Sorychta. Ance again, the miusic became mair melodic wi a significant NWOBHM influence. It wis an aa the album whaur thay switcht thair genre tae gothic metal. Durin this time, bassist, Sami Kukkohovi an aa joined the baund, but ae as a session member on gigs. Later, in spring 1997 he wis grantit a permanent slot in the line-up.

Sentenced's fift full-lenth album, Frozen, wis an aa recordit at the Woodhouse Studios, an releast in 1998, its style is seemilar tae Down. Laihiala an Kukkohovi haed acome initiatit intae the baund, sae thay participatit in the composition process, resultin in the next album: Frozen. In 1999, a special edition o Frozen wis released, containing a re-colored (gowd) cover an rearranged track runnin order, wi fower cover sangs includit.

Crimson an The Cold White Light

The next Sentenced album tae be released wis Crimson in 2000. The single "Killing Me, Killing You" demonstrated the baund's turn towards melodic daith metal. Twa years efter the release o The Cold White Light, the baund wis seen in a slichtly different licht, the leerics displaying some self-irony an even a rare positive edge.

Efter The Cold White Light, thay released a CD-single. Released in 2003 alang wi sangs bi ither bands on a fower track compilation single that wis dedicated tae Oulun Kärpät, the ice hockey team o the baund's hometoun, Routasydän remains the anerlie sang Sentenced sung in Finnish, an canna be foond elsewhere. The sang caused something o a stir in Finland, as several politeecians reviewed the leerics an purported them tae contain Nazi overtones, which the baund haes steadfastly refutit.

The Funeral Album an break-up

In early 2005, the baund annoonced that thair followin release, The Funeral Album, wad be thair last. Thay performed farewell gigs durin the spring an simmer an endit wi a final shaw on 1 October 2005 in thair hametoun Oulu, Finland. The concert film Buried Alive, directit bi Mika Ronkainen, filmed at the funeral gig, wis premiered at Oulu Music Video Festival on 9 September 2006.

Members

Final line-up

Ville Laihiala – vocals (1996–2005)
Miika Tenkula – guitar (1989–2005) (deceased)
Sami Lopakka – guitar (1989–2005)
Sami Kukkohovi – bass (1996–2005)
Vesa Ranta – drums (1989–2005)

Umwhile members

Taneli Jarva – bass an vocals (1991–1996)
Lari Kylmänen – bass (1989–1991)
Tuure Heikkilä – drums (1989)

Session members

Mika Luttinen – vocals (1992)
Marco Sneck – keybuirds
Niko Karppinen – bass (live) (1995–1996)
Tarmo Kanerva – drums (simmer 1999)
Vorphalack – Backup vocals (1996)

Discography

Studio albums

Shadows of the Past (1991)
North from Here (1993)
Amok (1995)
Down (1996)
Frozen (1998)
Crimson (2000)
The Cold White Light (2002)
The Funeral Album (2005)

EPs

The Trooper (1993)
Love & Death (1995)

Live album

Buried Alive (2 discs, 2006)

DVD

Buried Alive (2 discs, 2006)

Singles

"Killing Me Killing You" (1999)
"No One There" (2002)
"Routasydän" (2003)
"Ever-Frost" (2005)
"The Glow of 1000 Suns/Amok Run" (2008)

Compilation

Story: A Recollection (1997)
Manifesto of Sentenced (2009)
Death Metal Orchestra from Finland (2012)

Demos

When Death Joins Us... (1990)
Rotting Ways to Misery (1991)
Journey to Pohjola (1992)
Amok Runs (1994)

Split albums

Cronology of Death (1991)
promo split MCD (2005)

Box Set

"The Coffin" (2009)

Reissues

Crimson (2007)
Down (2007)
Frozen (2007)
North From Here (2008)
Shadows Of The Past (2008)

Videography

"Nepenthe" (1994)
"Noose" (1997), directit bi Sökö Kaukoranta
"The Suicider" (1998)
"Killing Me Killing You" (1999), directit bi Pasi Pauni
"No One There" (2002), directit bi Pete Veijalainen
"Ever-Frost" (2005), directit bi Mika Ronkainen
"Despair-Ridden Hearts" (2006), directit bi Mika Ronkainen

Freemit airtins

Sentenced - offeecial wabsteid Archived 2020-08-25 at the Wayback Machine
Sentenced on Myspace
Century Media - offeecial wabsteid
Encyclopaedia Metallum - The Metal Archives