Sentenced
Crimson

If there is an album that made Finnish band Sentenced famous within the gothic scene, it is certainly "Crimson". The third album of the band's new course, which after abandoning their death roots and changing singers with the arrival of Ville Laihiala, produced two fairly good albums like "Down" and "Frozen" without, however, leaving a significant mark. The gaps present in these two albums are filled here: "Crimson" is indeed a complete album with no obvious weaknesses.

Already the opener "Bleed in my Arms" hints at the album's direction and shows a compositional maturity finally acquired by the Finnish combo, thanks to perfect arrangements that make the tracks little gems to be discovered. Ville's husky voice gives the right shades of gray to these songs narrating death, love, and solitude, but it is the work of the entire band that is highlighted in songs like "Broken", "With Bitterness and Joy", and "No More Beating as One". Suicide, a recurring theme in the band's lyrics, is addressed here in the form of two splendid songs (the best of the album in my opinion): "Fragile" and "Killing Me, Killing You".

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. Sentenced has left an irreplaceable void in the metal scene, but we can still appreciate their artistic vein thanks to albums like this one, which I recommend to anyone who wants to get closer to the band's music.