Sentenced reviews: from Finnish death metal roots to gothic melancholy

The Profile

Sentenced were a Finnish metal band known for a pronounced evolution in sound: early releases rooted in death metal, later moving toward a more melodic, gothic-leaning style. The band ended their career in 2005, releasing "The Funeral Album" that same year.

Publicly verifiable: Sentenced formed in Finland and were active from 1989 to 2005. They released studio albums including "Shadows of the Past" (1992), "North From Here" (1993), "Amok" (1995), "Down" (1996), "Frozen" (1998), "Crimson" (2000), "The Cold White Light" (2002), and "The Funeral Album" (2005).

Across these reviews, Sentenced are portrayed as a Finnish metal band defined by sharp stylistic evolution: early death metal, then more progressive/heavy directions, and finally a gothic-leaning, melodic era. Several writers praise albums like "Amok," "Frozen," and "Crimson" as peaks, while the later-era polish (especially around "The Cold White Light" and "Down") divides listeners. Recurring touchstones include Miika Tenkula’s songwriting/guitar work, shifts in vocalists (Jarva to Ville Laihiala), and themes of melancholy, death, and suicide. Overall, the reception ranges from “masterpiece” acclaim to outright rejection of the more melodic/gothic approach.

Notable Quotes

❝ A great debut, then, which launches the band's name among those that matter and kicks off a career dedicated, at least initially, to evolution.

❝ The Sentenced, for some time (when they were still active, you understand), were both a cross and a delight for those who loved them at first and then detested them, for those who ignored them at first and loved them later, for those who loved them both before and after, and also for those, I believe, who detested them both before and after.

❝ If you can't stand HIM and their "love metal" (brrrrrr... gives me chills just to write it) go read something else because this CD is not for you.

❝ A journey into the "Cold White Light" is highly recommended, truly a great soundtrack during a winter day with some worries drifting away and some too many memories advancing menacingly...

❝ This album is crap, not in the sense that it is poorly recorded or inconsistent with the genre it draws from, which is heavy metal with various influences that I will describe.

❝ It's really a shame that today the band is dissolved, because from "Crimson" onwards, they had embarked on an upward path that saw them continuously delivering albums worthy of their name.