Sentenced was a Finnish

gothic metal Gothic metal (or goth metal) is a fusion genre combining the aggression of heavy metal with the dark atmospheres of gothic rock. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different styles of heavy met ...

band that played

melodic death metal Melodic death metal (also referred to as melodeath) is a subgenre of death metal that employs highly melodic guitar riffs, often borrowing from traditional heavy metal (including New Wave of British Heavy Metal). The genre features the heavines ...

in their early years. The band formed in 1989 in the town of

Muhos Muhos is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Oulu half an hour's drive (35 km) on route 22 from the city of Oulu, the capital of Northern Finland, and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a ...

and broke up in 2005.

History

Early years (1988–1991)

Sentenced started in 1988 as Deformity and changed their name to Sentenced in 1989, after a few line-up changes. The original line-up consisted of

Miika Tenkula Miika Tenkula (6 March 1974 – 18 February 2009)Sami Lopakka Sami Lopakka is a Finnish guitarist and author. He was one of two guitarists for the metal band Sentenced until it disbanded (1989–2005). He was the band's main lyricist and was also considered to be the spokesman for the band. Since 2007, L ...

(guitar),

Vesa Ranta Vesa Ranta (born 20 July 1973) is a Finnish drummer. He was one of the original members of the metal bands Sentenced and The Man-Eating Tree. He is also a fine art photographer and was owner of the Nuclear Nightclub live music club and bar in do ...

(drums), and Lari Kylmänen (bass). They recorded two demo tapes: ''When Death Joins Us...'' in 1990 and ''Rotting Ways to Misery'' in 1991. The band actually got their very first record deal (with the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

label Thrash Records) after their first demo.

''Shadows of the Past'' (1991–1993)

In 1991, bassist Taneli Jarva joined the band, replacing Kylmänen just as the band was about to record their debut album, '' Shadows of the Past''. At that time, their musical style was fast, typical European

death metal Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, feat ...

. In Spring 1992, they recorded a three-song promotional tape, ''Journey to Pohjola'', and as a result got a deal with the Finnish

Spinefarm Records Spinefarm Records is a Finnish independent record label focusing mainly on heavy metal artists. It is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. History Spinefarm Records was originally founded in 1990 by Riku Pääkkönen as a mail-order distrib ...

. By the year of 1992 had done over 50 live shows and sold all 1500 copies of their debut album ''Shadows of the Past'', their earlier 2 demos and a lot of merchandise.

''North from Here'' (1993–1994)

The second album, ''

North from Here ''North from Here'' is the second album by the Finnish metal band Sentenced. Lyrics of the album deal with Sentenced's typical melancholy, but some also deal with the mythology and history of Finnish warfare and the national romantic epic of ''K ...

'', was released in the spring of 1993, and later that year '' The Trooper EP''. Jarva had assumed lead vocal duties using a different style than Tenkula's. It was ''North From Here'' that earned the band the attention of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

record label

Century Media Records Century Media Records is a heavy metal record label with offices in the United States, Germany and London. In August 2015, Century Media was acquired by Sony Music for US$17 million. Background Century Media was founded by Robert Kampf and Oli ...

, and in 1994 Sentenced left Spinefarm in order to head toward a wider market with a new multi-album contract under Century Media.

''Amok'' (1994–1996)

In 1995, Sentenced released their 'break through' album, '' Amok'', which is considered by many to be their best work. Compared to earlier releases, the music had slowed down somewhat, acquiring a more melodic structure. The track "Nepenthe" was complemented with a music video and the band took to tour Europe in two full-length tours supporting

Samael Samael ( he, סַמָּאֵל, ''Sammāʾēl'', "Venom/Poison of God"; ar, سمسمائيل, ''Samsama'il'' or ar, سمائل, label=none, ''Samail''; alternatively Smal, Smil, Samil, or Samiel) is an archangel in Talmudic and post-Talmudic ...

and

Tiamat In Mesopotamian religion, Tiamat ( akk, or , grc, Θαλάττη, Thaláttē) is a primordial goddess of the sea, mating with Abzû, the god of the groundwater, to produce younger gods. She is the symbol of the chaos of primordial creati ...

. In autumn, the band released the '' Love & Death'' CD. Music-wise, it kept a fairly similar concept as ''Amok'', as the songs had been written around the same time. Sentenced had achieved success in

doom Doom is another name for damnation. Doom may also refer to: People * Doom (professional wrestling), the tag team of Ron Simmons and Butch Reed * Daniel Doom (born 1934), Belgian cyclist * Debbie Doom (born 1963), American softball pitcher * L ...

death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

markets, but Jarva left the band because of musical differences.

''Down'' (1996–1998)

After Jarva's departure,

Ville Laihiala Ville Laihiala (born 13 June 1973) is a Finnish musician. He was the vocalist and guitarist of the gothic metal band Poisonblack. He was also the frontman for Sentenced from 1996 (when he replaced their former bassist and vocalist Taneli Jarva) ...

(of Breed fame) joined the band in 1996, just weeks before the band was due to head to Germany to record their fourth album '' Down'' with producer

Waldemar Sorychta Waldemar Sorychta (born 1967) is a Polish heavy metal record producer and musician who has lived in Germany since 1982. Career He initially worked with German thrash metal band Despair, founded in 1986. In 1994 he took part in the recording ...

. Once again, the music became more melodic with a significant

NWOBHM The new wave of British heavy metal (commonly abbreviated as NWOBHM) was a nationwide musical movement that started in England in the mid-1970s and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. Journalist Geoff Barton coined the term i ...

influence. During this time, bassist

Sami Kukkohovi Sami Kukkohovi (born 26 July 1974) is a Finnish musician, best known as the bassist of the metal band Sentenced. He joined the band in 1996, replacing Taneli Jarva, and stayed with ''Sentenced'' up until they disbanded in 2005. Firstly, he was ...

also joined the band, but only as a session member on gigs. Later, in spring 1997 he was granted a permanent slot in the line-up. The "Down" album gained great reviews in music-magazines all over the world, and was named Album of the month in German magazines such as Rock Hard and Metal Hammer. 1996 and the following year, saw Sentenced on a worldwide success crusade.

''Frozen'' (1998-2000)

Sentenced's fifth full-length album, '' Frozen'', was also recorded at the Woodhouse Studios, and released in 1998, its style is similar to '' Down''. Laihiala and Kukkohovi had become initiated into the band, so they participated in the composition process, resulting in the next album: '' Frozen''. In 1999, a special edition of ''Frozen'' was released, containing a re-colored (gold) cover and rearranged track running order, with four

cover songs In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or Sound recording and reproduction, recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referr ...

included.

''Crimson'' (2000–2002)

The next Sentenced album to be released was ''

Crimson Crimson is a rich, deep red color, inclining to purple. It originally meant the color of the kermes dye produced from a scale insect, ''Kermes vermilio'', but the name is now sometimes also used as a generic term for slightly bluish-red colo ...

'' in 2000. The single "Killing Me, Killing You" demonstrated the band's turn away from melodic death metal. The album was followed by an extensive tour. That was the first time the band visited USA. The album peaked in 1st place on the Finnish album chart.

''The Cold White Light'' (2002–2004)

Two years after the release of ''

The Cold White Light ''The Cold White Light'' is an album by the Finnish metal band Sentenced, released in May 2002 on Century Media. Limited copies contain the video for the song "Killing Me Killing You" from the band's previous album ''Crimson'' plus a free Sente ...

'', the band was seen in a slightly different light, the lyrics displaying some

self-irony Irony (), in its broadest sense, is the juxtaposition of what on the surface appears to be the case and what is actually the case or to be expected; it is an important rhetorical device and literary technique. Irony can be categorized into ...

and even a rare positive edge. They released the single "No One There" which peaked The Finnish Charts at Number 1 following that with an extensive USA tour alongside

Killswitch Engage Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbanding of Overcast (band), Overcast and Aftershock. Killswitch Engage's current lineup consists of vocalist Jesse Leach, guitarists Joe ...

Dark Tranquillity Dark Tranquillity is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Gothenburg. They are considered one of the pioneering acts of the Gothenburg metal scene, which also includes bands such as In Flames and At the Gates. Dark Tranquillity is regarded a ...

and

In Flames In Flames is a Swedish heavy metal band, formed by guitarist Jesper Strömblad in Gothenburg in 1990. Alongside At the Gates and Dark Tranquillity, In Flames pioneered the genres known as Swedish death metal and melodic death metal. During t ...

. The album peaked 45th place in the German album chart. The single "No One There" was on the 1st place as well in the Finnish single chart. The band went on a European Tour with

Lacuna coil Lacuna Coil is an Italian gothic metal band from Milan. Since their formation in 1994, the group has had two name changes, being previously known as Sleep of Right and Ethereal, and they have recorded nine studio albums, two extended plays, two ...

. After ''

'', they released a CD single in 2003 along with songs by other bands on a four track compilation single that was dedicated to Oulun Kärpät, the

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

team of the band's hometown, Routasydän (translates to "Heart of Permafrost") remains the only song Sentenced sang in Finnish, and cannot be found elsewhere. The song caused something of a stir in Finland, as several politicians reviewed the lyrics and purported them to contain

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

overtones, which the band has steadfastly refuted.

''The Funeral Album'' and final gigs (2005)

In early 2005 the band announced that their following release, ''

The Funeral Album ''The Funeral Album'' is the eighth and final album by the Finnish metal band Sentenced. It was released on 31 May 2005. Track listing Personnel * Ville Laihiala – vocals * Miika Tenkula – lead guitar * Sami Lopakka – rhythm guitar * ...

'', would be their last. They performed farewell gigs during the spring and summer and ended with a final show on 1 October 2005 in their hometown

Oulu Oulu ( , ; sv, Uleåborg ) is a city, municipality and a seaside resort of about 210,000 inhabitants in the region of North Ostrobothnia, Finland. It is the most populous city in northern Finland and the fifth most populous in the country after: ...

. The concert film ''Buried Alive'', directed by

Mika Ronkainen Mika Ronkainen (born 6 August 1970) is a Finnish film director and screenwriter from Oulu, Northern Finland. Ronkainen is the co-creator and director of successful crime drama '' All the Sins'' and he has also worked with documentary films and thea ...

, filmed at the funeral gig, was premiered at

Oulu Music Video Festival Oulu Music Video Festival was founded in 1994 by students of the Oulu School of Arts and Crafts. The festival's back bone is the Finnish Music Video Contest. The best Finnish music video is awarded with The Golden Pumpeli Award and the most promisi ...

on 9 September 2006. In 2005 ''The Funeral Album'' was awarded gold status in Finland for sales in excess of 15,000 copies, footage of the event is filmed in the ''Buried Alive'' DVD! The CD topped the Finnish album chart upon its release in May 2005 and made it to position No. 49 on the German Media Control chart. "Ever-Frost" single went straight to 1st position on Official Finnish Single Chart staying there for 6 straight weeks.

Aftermath (2006–present)

Sentenced have been awarded Platinum in the band's native Finland for their posthumous live DVD ''Buried Alive''. The trophy was handed out to the band's former members at the Century Media 20th anniversary party at the Tavastia club in

Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...

on 14 August 2008, where

Poisonblack Poisonblack was a Finnish gothic metal band led by singer and guitarist Ville Laihiala. History In 2003, the band's first album, ''Escapexstacy'', was on the Finnish national charts for three weeks, peaking at No. 21. They opened for Iro ...

and labelmates

Norther Norther was a Finnish melodic death metal band from Espoo formed in 1996 and broke up in 2012. History Norther formed under the name Requiem (Lindroos, Korpas, Hallio) in 1996 after various early stage band formations. The band's debut effort w ...

and Kivimetsän Druidi played exclusive gigs to properly celebrate this special event. All hope for the band to return was gone when guitarist and founding member Miika Tenkula died on 19 February 2009. On 26 June 2009 it was announced by his family that Miika died from a heart attack caused by a genetic heart condition that he had for many years previous to the break-up. He is buried in the Kirkkosaari cemetery in his hometown Muhos. On 13 November 2009, Sentenced released a box set of 16 CDs and 2 DVDs chronicling their entire career in a coffin-shaped box. The box-set also included rare and previously unreleased tracks. In 2011 a tribute CD was released by a couple of Russian bands. The CD is called "Russian Tribute To Sentenced". On 12 December 2014, a book written by Matti Riekki, a Finnish rock journalist, about the band's history was released. It is named "Täältä Pohjoiseen - Sentencedin Tarina". After years of being available in Finnish only, an English translation was released in 2021. The title translates to "North from Here – The Story of Sentenced." Vesa Ranta released a photo book ''Agony Walk – On the Road with Sentenced'' in September 2019. Sami Lopakka released his first novel ''Marras'' in January 2014. The novel is about a fictional Oulu-based metal band's European tour and has elements inspired by his experiences when previously touring with Sentenced.

Members

Final lineup *

– rhythm guitar (1989–2005) *

– drums (1989–2005) *

– vocals (1996–2005) *

– bass (1997–2005) Prior members * Lari Kylmänen – bass (1989–1991) *

Taneli Jarva Taneli Jarva is a Finnish musician born in Oulu, Northern Finland. He was the vocalist and bass player of the heavy metal band Sentenced from 1991 until leaving the group in 1995, citing creative differences. In 1998, Jarva formed The Black ...

– bass (1991–1995), vocals (1992–1995) Tour members * Niko Karppinen – bass (1995–1996) * Tarmo Kanerva – drums (1999)

Timeline

ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:100 bottom:60 top:0 right:20 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1989 till:01/10/2005 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:1 ScaleMajor = increment:1 start:1989 ScaleMinor = increment:2 start:1990 Colors = id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals id:lead value:teal legend:Lead_guitar id:rhythm value:brightgreen legend:Rhythm_guitar id:bass value:blue legend:Bass id:keyboards value:purple legend:Keyboards id:drums value:orange legend:Drums id:lines value:black legend:Studio_album LineData = at:01/11/1991 color:black layer:back at:01/06/1993 color:black layer:back at:03/01/1995 color:black layer:back at:11/11/1996 color:black layer:back at:15/07/1998 color:black layer:back at:17/01/2000 color:black layer:back at:13/05/2002 color:black layer:back at:31/05/2005 color:black layer:back BarData = bar:Laihiala text:"Ville Laihiala" bar:Tenkula text:"Miika Tenkula" bar:Lopakka text:"Sami Lopakka" bar:Kylmänen text:"Lari Kylmänen" bar:Jarva text:"Taneli Jarva" bar:Kukkohovi text:"Sami Kukkohovi" bar:Ranta text:"Vesa Ranta" PlotData= width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(11,-4) bar:Laihiala from:01/01/1996 till:end color:vocals bar:Tenkula from:01/01/1989 till:end color:lead bar:Tenkula from:01/01/1989 till:01/01/1992 color:vocals width:3 bar:Tenkula from:01/07/1996 till:01/01/1997 color:bass width:3 bar:Tenkula from:01/01/1989 till:01/01/1993 color:keyboards width:5 bar:Tenkula from:01/01/1994 till:end color:keyboards width:5 bar:Lopakka from:01/01/1989 till:end color:rhythm bar:Lopakka from:01/01/1993 till:01/01/1994 color:keyboards width:5 bar:Kylmänen from:01/01/1989 till:01/01/1991 color:bass bar:Jarva from:01/01/1991 till:01/01/1996 color:bass bar:Jarva from:01/01/1992 till:01/01/1996 color:vocals width:3 bar:Kukkohovi from:01/01/1997 till:end color:bass bar:Ranta from:01/01/1989 till:end color:drums

Discography

* '' Shadows of the Past'' (1991) * ''

'' (1993) * '' Amok'' (1995) * '' Down'' (1996) * '' Frozen'' (1998) * ''

'' (2000) * ''

'' (2002) * ''

'' (2005)

References

External links

Official band website

Century Media - official website
{{Authority control Finnish gothic metal musical groups Finnish melodic death metal musical groups Musical groups disestablished in 2005 Musical groups established in 1989