Sentenced

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{{Infobox band |band_name=Sentenced |image= Image:Sentenced (band).jpg |years_active= 1989 – 2005 |status= Disbanded |country=Muhos/Oulu, Finland |music_genre=Heavy metal |record_label= Century Media Records |current_members= Ville Laihiala
Miika Tenkula
Sami Lopakka
Sami Kukkohovi
Vesa Ranta }}

Sentenced was a heavy metal band formed in 1989, in the town of Muhos, Finland. They disbanded in 2005.

1 Biography
2 Final line-up
3 Discography
4 Videography
5 External links

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Biography

Sentenced's predecessor Deformity got started back in 1988, but in 1989, as the band's line-up changed, the name also changed to Sentenced. The original line-up consisted of Miika Tenkula (lead guitar & vocals), Sami Lopakka (guitar), Vesa Ranta (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 infamous French label Thrash Records) already with their first demo.

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 and pure European death metal. In springtime 1992 they recorded a new three-song promotional tape Journey To Pohjola to flirt around labels. As a result, they got themselves a deal with the Finnish Spinefarm Records, which was just starting its career, a fledgling company.

The sophomore album North From Here (and later during the ongoing year, The Trooper EP) saw the light of the day in spring 1993. The new tracks showed (or shoved) the world a totally renewed Sentenced. Technically adept and aggressive as hell, a straight-to-your-face burst of northern hatred would probably be the best way to describe it. The boys' playing skills had taken a huge step upwards and this time they really had their own thing going on. It was North From Here that earned the band the undivided attention of a German record label Century Media Records, and in 1994 Sentenced abandoned Spinefarm in order to head towards a wider market with a new multi-album contract under Century Media's wing.

It was in 1995 that the band made their real breakthrough with Amok, considered the best of their albums by most of their fans and critics. Compared with their earlier work the music has slowed down somewhat, acquired a much more melodic structure and even Jarva's vocal work had matured greatly. And the deal with Century Media was definitely going to show everyone what the band was worth. The track "Nepenthe" was complemented with a music video and the band took to conquer Europe in two full-length tours supporting Samael and Tiamat right as Amok was released.

The band had no trouble with this, and as the autumn came they showed it with the Love & Death MCD. Music-wise, it kept a fairly similar concept as Amok, as the songs had been written around the same time. But as soon as Sentenced had achieved this fine foothold on melodic death metal markets, Jarva surprised everybody by leaving the band. (He resurfaced a few years later with his new band, The Black League.)

Following this, Jarva's baritone was replaced by the much more cleaner singing of Ville Laihiala (of Breed fame) in 1996, the decision finalised just three weeks before the band was due to head towards Germany. The destination was Woodhouse Studios, and the cause: to record their fourth long-play album Down with producer Waldemar Sorychta. And once again, the music evolved more melodic with a huge rock influence, and for the first time they had a true singer in the band, blessing the band with myriad new possibilities for musical growth, development and evolution. During this time, bassist Sami Kukkohovi also joined the band, but only as a session member on gigs. However, in spring 1997 he was granted a permament slot in the line-up.

Sentenced's fifth full-length album Frozen (1998) was also recorded at the Woodhouse Studios and it continued pretty much on the same path as Down, adding depth wherever necessary. Now, Laihiala and Kukkohovi had gotten properly initiated into the band, so they participated a lot in the composition process, resulting in Frozen being very much a group effort; a band album. In 1999 a special edition of Frozen was released, containing a recoloured (gold) cover and rearranged track running order, with four cover songs included. Some fans scorned, stating that they now had to buy the album again, because of this new release coming well after the "regular" one, and without prior warning.

The next Sentenced album to be released was Crimson in 2000. As the single "Killing Me, Killing You" showcased, the band's sound had once again taken a turn for the lighter direction. And two years from that, the release of The Cold White Light saw the band in a slightly more creative light, the lyrics displaying some self-irony in a wink of an eye, and even an extremely rare positive edge, in a "there is light at the end of the tunnel after all" sort of way.

It was after The Cold White Light's release that Sentenced were rightly considered grand masters of catchy, twin-guitar-driven metal. While not as abundant as Paradise Lost, for example, it still is easy to see quite a pop influence in many of the band's latter works, and it is with this style that the suicidal, despodent themes of the lyrics somewhat transcend.

After The Cold White Light also lies a particularly noteworthy CD-single. Released in 2003 along with songs by other bands on a four track compilation single that's dedicated to Oulun Kärpät, the ice hockey team of the band's hometown, Routasydän remains the only song Sentenced sung 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 overtones, which the band has steadfastly refuted.

In early 2005, the band announced that their following release The Funeral Album would be their last. It was also stated that there would be no reunions. Ever. They performed few farewell gigs during the spring and summer (as per their wishes) and ended with a funeral gig in October 2005 in their hometown Oulu, Finland. A DVD concentrating on their last show was also part of the plan. With this has come the dissolution of Sentenced's 16 year career.

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