Sentenced
North From Here
Spinefarm/Century Media, 1993

Finland’s Sentenced evolve in dramatic style from the reasonably standard early-90s European death metal of their Shadows Of The Past debut with second effort North From Here. A highly developed sense of composition is displayed here, conducted by guitars that course through frozen melodic streams in racing harmonic fury. Insane pace of rhythm in complexity serves as support in parallel form to the manic guitarwork, with drumming that astounds in its precision and relentless rate in intricate structure. Vocals now taken over by bassist Taneli Jarva are of a higher-pitched scream with a grittiness that recalls Kelly Schaefer of Atheist or perhaps Mille Petroza of Kreator, with a ferocity and spitefulness commonly found in black metal vocals. His approach brings a stronger identity to this music as opposed to the commonplace death growl of lead guitarist Muka Tenkula heard on the previous work. The soundworld of Sentenced leaps from its humble and sometimes clumsy origins of death into a race through bloodstained tundra.

"I want to be trapped under ice
within my peaceful glacial tomb
Far from the epoch of trend
In the Aeons of Frost - In league with the North!"

Sentenced execute in murderous form at levels of blistering speed like lightning splitting into unexpected yet logical patterns in design of elaborate labyrinths voicing detestation and vengeance towards the plight and falsity of self-righteous hordes. There is a coldness and hatred flowing and pulsing in this music that allies it with the emotional and atmospheric landscape associated with black metal, as well as the elongated guitar patterns that stream in melodic currents in a manner similar to the approach of black metal guitar styles. This is most evident in closing track "Epic", which, if one had no prior knowledge of Sentenced, could reasonably conclude the band were wearing corpsepaint during the recording. Though not a black metal work in full definition, it feels like it. It’s in the spirit of this music and its themes. However, the complex nature of structure and technically accomplished instrumentation, not to mention a clear presence of bass in the sterile but appropriate mix, prevents this from leaving the realm of death metal altogether, and instead hybridizes the two styles into a sound that would be expanded upon in the coming years, rising to acclaim in the mid-to-late 90s with the growth of the Swedish wave of melodic death with blackened vocals, though Sentenced would be short-changed in favor of At The Gates for introducing and properly formulating this idea. Listen to the neo-classical lead work of Tenkula throughout this effort to hear the traditional ("power") metal guitar style that inspired similar playing in many New Wave Of British Heavy Metal-influenced guitarwork of melodic death bands In Flames and Dark Tranquility, who are often credited with originally bringing this approach into a death metal framework.

"The goals I’ve set to myself are far beyond mortality
To dominate, desolate everything weak that cannot stand alone"

Albums quite like this have been a scarcity in metal since its release, with perhaps only Dawn’s 1998-released Slaughtersun approaching anything remotely similar in terms of the entirety of the presentation, but perhaps most importantly, the overall feel of this music, which generates a sort of icy translucence in the grip of a rage-induced blur. These blood-on-snow obsessed Finns would never visit these musical shores again themselves, opting instead to carry on as musical shape-shifters before settling into a sound far removed from what is on display here. North From Here is a rare work that epitomizes the far-reaching potential of metal music when in the capabilities of visionaries such as these.

2/20/05

Tracklisting:

1. My Sky Is Darker Than Thine
2. Wings
3. Fields Of Blood, Harvester Of Hate
4. Capture Of Fire
5. Awaiting The Winter Frost
6. Beyond The Wall Of Sleep
7. Northern Lights
8. Epic

Sentenced
The Trooper
Spinefarm, 1993

Sentenced offer this four-song EP as their farewell to the Finnish-based Spinefarm label. The Trooper centers around the band’s rousing cover of the Iron Maiden tune of the same name, lending some credo to the "Iron Maiden of death metal" tag the band were generating at the time for their use of neo-classical guitar embellishments incorporated in their form of freezing, harsh blackened death metal. Jarva’s spiteful howls work in not sounding foolish in the context of this song, and actually provide it an angrier feel, along with the band’s technical, unrestrained attack, giving this metal classic a stronger urgency. What follows, "Desert By Night", is one of Sentenced’s most extraordinary songs. Relegated to relative obscurity by its inclusion on this now rare and difficult to track down EP, "Desert By Night" presents Sentenced beautifully merging classic-metal lead guitar work and structure with the rage of death metal, expressed in longing spirit appropriated by humming keyboard currents and piano finale. This song represents gleaming triumph under golden skies on the horizon of life’s twilight, a crowning achievement in the recording career of this band. It also bridges the early era of Sentenced with the mid-period era, which would see them operating purely from more traditional metal compositional standards. "In Memoriam" is taken from the Shadows Of The Past sessions, finding the band exploring compositional construction within the borders of death metal with a keen sense of dynamics. The closing "Awaiting The Winter Frost" is added from the North From Here album, showcasing one of its highlights with a song beginning with grandiloquent orchestral keyboards and acoustic guitars before launching into a frozen speedfest of technically brilliant blackened death. A decent though short overview of the development of Sentenced from 1991 to 1993, this EP is essentially obsolete save for Sentenced completists, with the entirety of its contents being included on the Story: A Recollection compilation released by Century Media in 1998.

2/20/05

Tracklisting:

1. The Trooper
2. Desert By Night
3. In Memoriam
4. Awaiting The Winter Frost

Sentenced
AMOK
Century Media, 1995

Quite a departure in sound and approach from the band’s earlier works, AMOK finds Sentenced operating out of traditional heavy metal structures and emphasizing the classic metal guitar harmonies as the carrier of songs, rather than the flirtations with such elements that decorated their past music. It’s a musical development sure to alienate certain sectors of their listeners, at least momentarily. Regardless of the obvious and stunning alteration of direction, this is Sentenced’s finest moment.

A cheap way to explain this album is to imagine what an Iron Maiden work would sound like if they had originally been a death metal band. The attack on the instruments stands as perhaps the band’s last standing reminder of their high-speed, technical death/black origins, fueling these songs with an urgency not typically discovered in traditional metal acts. The vocals of Taneli Jarva are deeper here, and his approach and delivery has paralleled the change in musical direction. While being aware that he is not a gifted singer in the melodic sense, he instead sings in a gruff manner that can reasonably be described as a death metal vocalist attempting to sing rock songs without completely abandoning the growl. His is not an attractive voice, but his charismatic style and inventive phrasing suites this music appropriately, providing the album a strong identifiable presence and unmistakable personality.

"Now all can see: the Hand of Darwin rocks this human cradle-grave
god is dead, god is dead, long live the Nature!"

While these songs are structured in rock oriented forms, the music remains undeniably Sentenced. The complexity of past works remains evident, although to a much lesser degree, within the rhythmic patterns and harmonic composition. They do this within the confines of a more streamlined approach in regards to song construction, at times representing a struggle between complexity and simplicity within a song. However, this in no way hinders the quality of this music, as these opposing forces merge in splendid form to enhance the already powerful song writing. Evolving as one of metal’s most talented guitar tandems of the 90s, Mikka Tenkula and Sami Lopakka each come into their own here as fantastic players, at times rivaling Maiden’s best moments in songs like "Forever Lost" and "Dance On The Graves (lil siztah)".

The dark frost and negative emotional core of previous Sentenced efforts remain on AMOK, resulting in an eccentric style of Northern night metal with a pessimistic disposition. Sentenced do not hold out much hope for the survival of humanity in years to come, with "The War Aint Over!", "New Age Messiah" and "Funeral Spring" alluding to the deconstruction of manmade establishments and the eventual downfall of mankind itself. These ideas are presented in a manner that suggests the band would like this world demise to occur sooner than later, a fatalistic approach while remaining reverential towards the Earth itself. "Nepenthe" and the fantastic "Moon Magic" find Sentenced exploring areas of escape and beauty, leaving this world to choke on man’s untruth.

"Think about all the good in your life
-it’s only temporary
think about all the positive sides in life
-they never last forever"

AMOK stands as Sentenced’s most consistent effort in terms of quality, conviction and musical vision. Not for one moment does the brilliance of this work suffer, as each of these nocturnal song maintains the band’s high level of creativity and strong sense of melody, as well as an emotionally captivating core. Such a drastic change in approach is always a risky move for a band, yet keeping in line with their identity, they wrote these songs in the understanding that it was very likely to be misunderstood by a large percentage of their fanbase, yet they followed their apathetic hearts. "Love it or Hate it!", right? Sentenced couldn’t care less.

2/21/05

Tracklisting:

1. The War Ain’t Over!
2. Phenix
3. New Age Messiah
4. Forever Lost
5. Funeral Spring
6. Nepenthe
7. Dance On The Graves (lil siztah)
8. Moon Magick
9. The Golden Stream Of Lapland

Sentenced
Love And Death
Century Media, 1995

This five-song EP sees Sentenced taking their post-death heavy metal traditionalism further into the realms of straightforwardness, embracing an even more rock-oriented direction of song structure. The disc contains four Sentenced originals, all of which operate in a similar style to that of AMOK, only even more direct in approach. "The Way I Wanna Go" and "Obsession" each function in the dark rock-ish metal that would preview Sentenced’s eventual and final musical destination. Both songs are strong if not offering anything new in the band’s craft. The real highlight of this EP is "Dreamlands", which can be seen as a mellower cousin to The Trooper’s standout track "Desert By Night". The song has a dreamy, Gothic atmosphere appropriated by subtle keyboards and a nightly ambience, tying in very nicely with the song’s theme. Indeed, Sentenced has never sounded this ethereal, and it’s a format that works well for the band, contrasting nicely with the heavier nature of the tracks that surround it. "Love And Death" closes the album in a sinister, nearly suicidal tone. It’s a dark, brooding song with yearning melodies effectively ending the EP and the Taneli Jarva era of the band. There is a cover of Billy Idol’s "White Wedding" here also, which works surprisingly well as Sentenced turn it into a dark heavy metal song standing up well amidst the band’s original works on this disc. All in all, Love And Death is a solid EP that is definitely of interest to anyone who liked AMOK or the works that were to follow, or for those who enjoy the Jarva era of the band.

2/21/05

Tracklisting:

1. The Way I Wanna Go
2. Obsession
3. Dreamlands
4. White Wedding
5. Love And Death

Sentenced
Down
Century Media, 1997

Sentenced’s fourth album, Down, introduces Ville Laihiala as the band’s new lead vocalist, and marks the beginning of a new era for this, until now at least, largely unpredictable Finnish group. Down is a continuation of the traditional metal/rock structures and Iron Maiden-inspired guitar-playing, yet in absence of the melodic complexity of previous outings. This music is easily the band’s most accessible up to this point, with rhythms simplified to allow for a more straightforward delivery of riff arrangements and vocal phrasing. This results in the band’s highly-developed sense of melody to take center stage, as well as a more spacious atmosphere within the songs.

At times, the music comes across as Megadeth circa-1992 if they were European and feeling suicidal. The guitar riffs and melodies rival some of the genre’s classics, with Sami Lopakka’s post-speed metal rhythms recalling the aforementioned ex-speedsters approach to riffwork on Countdown To Extinction (though far more interesting) supporting Miika Tenkula’s lead-playing and harmonizing techniques reminding of Iron Madien’s Murray-Smith tandem responsible for some of metal’s finest guitar moments. There is a theme of depression running through the album, a world-weariness that gives these songs a melancholic, grey feel. "Noose", "Bleed" and "Keep My Grave Open" express suicidal thoughts and generate a negativity that has always been present within this band’s sound. However, these themes contrast strangely with the rockier approach Sentenced have taken, suggesting a kind of enthusiasm for the end of it all. Songs like "Crumbling Down (Give Up Hope") and "Ode To The End" find a closer parallel between sound and theme, with a gloomier, doom-styled approach decorated by female backing vocals and keyboards, and lyrics that lust for the end of the world.

"As blood runs down my arms, I feel peace in my heart..."

Laihiala is a fine vocalist who fits this new style quite well. His voice is an effective mix of melody and grit, similar to Metallica’s James Hetfield or Paradise Lost’s Nick Holmes once those band’s started writing more accessible music. Indeed, Taneli Jarva was a strong vocal presence, not to mention excellent bass player and songwriter, that will be missed, but his style would have never worked with these songs which call for a more melodic vocal approach, something Jarva was never skilled in. While Laihiala does not provide Sentenced with the sort of charisma and identity that Jarva brought to Sentenced, he certainly makes better sense on Down. Samael’s Vorph makes a guest appearance, providing a few songs with a darker, more sinister vocal presence during particular sections.

The Waldemar Sorychta production grants Sentenced’s music a heavier bottom-end and thickness of sound, giving these songs a powerful presence. However, not much diversity exists between the songs, as they each contain a similar feel/approach that leaves the album coming across as one long song. Taken as a whole, the album does not make the same impact as AMOK, nor does it challenge the listener as Sentenced’s earlier material did. Down is simply a solid work of finely crafted and executed dark metal/rock that initially doesn’t disappoint but also fails to hold up in the same manner as earlier works from the band, which were not so easily digested on the first encounter. Sentenced won’t be remembered for Down, but Down will be remembered as the start of a new course for Sentenced into the realms of the more accessible, melody-driven, rock-oriented metal in which they would remain until their final days.

2/23/05

Tracklisting:

1. Intro - The Gate
2. Noose
3. Shadegrown
4. Bleed
5. Keep My Grave Open
6. Crumbling Down (Give Up Hope)
7. Sun Won’t Shine
8. Ode To The End
9. 0132
10. Warrior Of Life (Reaper Redeemer)
11. I’ll Throw The First Rock

Sentenced
Story: A Recollection
Century Media, 1997

This compilation recaps Sentenced’s first four full-length recordings and the EPs released inbetween, including 1993's rare The Trooper in its entirety. As is to be expected, most of the material here is taken from the band’s Century Media titles, AMOK (1995) and Down (1997), as well as two tracks from the Love And Death EP. Two tracks from 1993's North From Here and one from 1991's Shadows Of The Past, as well as the aforementioned The Trooper, are included as the only representation of the band’s death metal days. One previously unreleased song makes an appearance in the form of "No Tomorrow", a leftover from the Down recording sessions, which would have fit in well on that particular album since it pretty much follows the formula of songwriting the band employed for that disc. It’s a good song and can be added to "Desert By Night" and "Dreamlands" (not included here) as non-album tracks that are highly deserving of attention. Though not compiled chronologically, this CD shows how Sentenced have gone from high-speed, melodic, technical, blackened death metal to traditional, darkened, rock/metal over the course of four albums. It’s a bit bizzare to hear on one CD songs like "Sun Won’t Shine" and "My Sky Is Darker Than Thine" and realize that they were both written and performed by largely the same band. Most of these inclusions make sense, but "Forever Lost", "Dreamlands" and "Epic" are noticeably missing. This serves as a decent introduction to the band for newcomers, as well as giving those who missed out on The Trooper a chance to acquire its musical contents and hear the one unreleased track. The most important and outstanding music of Sentenced’s career was recorded during the era that this compilation covers, and while it is light on material from the first two albums, Story works well enough as a representation of the band’s sound and style through the first (and best) half of their recording life.

2/23/05

Tracklisting:

1. Noose
2. Nepenthe
3. Sun Won’t Shine
4. Dance On The Graves
5. The Way I Wanna Go
6. White Wedding
7. My Sky Is Darker Than Thine
8. The Trooper
9. New Age Messiah
10. Desert By Night
11. No Tomorrow
12. The Truth
13. Awaiting The Winter Frost
14. Crumbling Down (Give Up Hope)
15. In Memoriam

Sentenced
Frozen
Century Media, 1998

For the first time in Sentenced’s recording career, they have created an album that is not so obviously different in sound or approach from its predecessor. Frozen follows the path laid out on Down, on which Sentenced simplified their songs to allow the strength of their melodies to becoming the point of focus in songs, and create atmospheric soundscapes within the traditional structures of heavy metal. Listening to Frozen, one gets the sense that Sentenced have found themselves in this new style, and have arrived at the decision that this more straightforward, melody-rich direction is the right course for what they are expressing at this stage of their existence. These songs, while very much operating within the disciplined realms of rock-oriented songwriting, come across less restrained compared to the previous effort, and these compositions and their delivery seem fueled by a higher level of confidence. The album sounds and feels more alive, even though the subject matter is perhaps their bleakest and most dejected yet.

The crystalline production awarded these songs allow the band’s razor-sharp melodies to penetrate without competing for attention with the bottom-end heaviness of Down that gave the drums a louder presence in the mix. As these songs are driven by the band’s outstanding guitar and vocal melodies, this sound suits their style more appropriately. Where Down tended to come across as one long song due to the quite similar approach and feel of each track, Frozen is much more dynamic, possessing a more varied approach to tempo and atmosphere from song to song, making it easier to differentiate between tracks. Ville Laihiala’s singing also benefits from a more confident delivery, as he takes more chances in these songs and has a firmer understanding of his strengths and weaknesses as a vocalist. He’s sometimes not as convincing when dipping down into a deep, gothic singing style, but when he applies his more standard approach, a nice balance of grit and melody, he shines. Guitarists Tenkula and Lopakka deliver a sensational performance on this disc, offering up stellar riffs and harmonies that both burn and freeze, and Tenkula’s lead work is simply astounding, especially in his more soulful playing found in "Mourn" and "The Rain Comes Falling Down". Indeed, "The Suicider", "Drown Together", "Burn" (an outstanding instrumental with a couple of death-growled lines that slightly harkens back to the band’s past) and "Let Go (The Last Chapter)" feature some of this tandem’s most impressive work to date.

"I regret every single day I’ve ever lived in my life
I gave all I had in me...so it’s time to say goodbye"

Lyrically, the band continue with the suicidal and morose themes of Down, only this time the words are deeper into the black hole of misery. "Dead Leaves" and "The Rain Comes Falling Down" both act as similarly grey-spirited soundtracks to such lyrics, but most of these songs are driven by almost elating, enraptured melodies that create a curious relationship of conflicting elements that somehow produce splendid results that strangely make sense. Sentenced seem enthused at the idea of death’s inevitable touch, and this music rejoices in celebration of its eventual arrival. No longer "The Northernmost Killers" as they were once known, Sentenced have now become "serial self-killers" who anticipate the end of life with an ironic glee. The touching instrumental "Mourn", is perhaps the band’s most cohesive representation of gloom in both theme and sound, concluding the album on a funereal note.

"A steady hand with this sharpened cold steel
will help me wipe away this pain that I feel."

Frozen stands as Sentenced most consistent, engaging and quality effort of the Ville Laihiala era. The band’s approach had changed tremendously from their early days, but in the context of this new style, the band peaks with Frozen. Excellent songs, an enveloping atmosphere and inspired performances from the musicians involved raise this album to a high level that they would struggle to meet on future efforts. A fine collection of songs that skillfully manages to avoid the usual trapdoors that befall most death/black metal bands who opt for the commonality of ordinary songcraft.

2/24/05

Tracklisting:

1. Kaamos
2. Farewell
3. Dead Leaves
4. For The Love I Bear
5. One With Misery
6. The Suicider
7. The Rain Comes Falling Down
8. Grave Sweet Grave
9. Burn
10. Drown Together
11. Let Go (The Last Chapter)
12. Mourn

Sentenced
Crimson
Century Media, 2000

With their first few releases, Sentenced conditioned their listeners to expect the unexcepted. However, by the time of their fourth album, 1997's Down, the band arrived at a musical and thematic presentation that they apparently feel at home with, as Crimson is the third consecutive effort to feature the standard rock/metal song format with gothic overtones. At this point, it becomes increasingly unlikely that Sentenced will ever revisit their pre-Down past, or stray to far from their current path. While that is not necessarily a bad idea, as both Down and Frozen were solid efforts for the most part, redundancy bordering on self-parody is a common pitfall discovered on such courses, one that, with Crimson, Sentenced are coming dangerously close to falling into.

As stated above, the approach here is quite similar to the one taken on the two previous works. Songs follow the basic rock structure, dressed with a melancholic emotion in its expression of life’s sorrows and despair. Sentenced usually carry this formula out convincingly, but too many of Crimson’s songs seem to be going through the motions, and come across half-heartedly. The band’s penchant for coming up with exceptional melodies and hooks is alarmingly infrequent here, as songs like the opener "Bleed In My Arms", "The River" (possibly the weakest song ever written by the band; a limp-wristed ballad of self-pity) and "No More Beating As One" are crippled by uninteresting melodic ideas and weak hooks. Most of these songs seem to suffer from any real sense of inspiration, and without the genuine emotion behind music of the nature, falls flat. The album as a whole has a sort of indifferent vibe about it that is troubling in the context of the band’s past material.

"And yet in some twisted way
I enjoy my misery
And in some strange way
I have grown together with my agony"

There are, however, a few standout moments. "Fragile" and "Broken" are up-tempo rockers fueled by razor sharp melodies and Tenkula’s emotive, burning solos. The piano-led "Killing Me Killing You" is a beautifully crafted song of the tragedy of lost love, driven by a strong chorus, while "Dead Moon Rising" is a brooding number that serves as the album’s darkest moment. Other highlight’s can be found within particular songs, but the consistency that propelled past works is simply absent here. Even the outstanding guitar tandem of Loppaka/Tenkula fail to really ignite the lifeless core of the majority of these songs, only bringing a handful of truly exceptional ideas to the recording. Singer Ville Laihiala holds his own through most of the album, even though he comes a bit too close to imitating H.I.M.’s Ville Valo in the mellower moments, and, needless to say, that is not a good thing for the music of Sentenced.

It is now expected that Sentenced will write albums of suicidal dark metal/rock songs, and it appears they are only too happy to deliver now that they have established this identity. For a band that apathetically defied all expectations at the beginning of their recording career, this is strange and unsettling. Crimson is the easiest Sentenced work to digest, yet it is also quickly dismissed in favor of older, stronger efforts. This is a band in dire need of re-ignition.

2/25/05

Tracklisting:

1. Bleed In My Arms
2. Home In Despair
3. Fragile
4. No More Beating As One
5. Broken
6. Killing Me Killing You
7. Dead Moon Rising
8. The River
9. One More Day
10. With Bitterness And Joy
11. My Slowing Heart

Sentenced
The Cold White Light
Century Media, 2002

Finnish metal veterans Sentenced carry on with their style of catchy, melody-driven heavy metal songs of sorrow and despair on their seventh release, The Cold White Light. No surprises await, as the band have now firmly established this direction as their chosen form of expression and show no hints of deviation from this course, for better or worse. The previous effort, Crimson, was the least inspired effort of the Ville Laihiala era, offering only a handful of truly exceptional songs/moments, leading to questions concerning the band’s future in terms of remaining an interesting, valid act with fresh ideas to communicate. A little over two years later and the band return with a work that, while not the most impressive moment of the post-Jarva era, finds the band sounding recharged, though suffering similar consistency issues as its predecessor.

The sound of the album, courtesy of famed Finnish producer Hiili Hiilesmaa, is immense. The bass rumbles like thunder underneath while the guitars are given a loud, clear and full presence, creating a wall of sound that, along with the more energized nature of the songs and performances, provides the band’s sound with an increased vibrancy. The presence of this music is far more intense than has been the case on recent recordings, propelled by solid, addictive melodies. This intensity flows over into the emotional component of the band’s presentation as well, as these songs are executed with a firmer sense of feeling than Crimson’s mostly sterile and lifeless spirit. Sentenced once again sound like a hungry, inspired band.

The intro, "Konevitsan Kirkonkellot", is a dark, doom-ish piece that, though briefly, recalls the band’s earlier era, before leading into "Cross My Heart And Hope To Die", a storming, straight-ahead dark metal song that gets this disc started off on a very promising note. From there on it’s largely a hit-or-miss affair. For every shining moment on this disc, such as "The Luxury Of A Grave" or "Blood And Tears", there exists a song or an idea that slows momentum or in the case of a song such as "Guilt And Regret", would have strengthened this album with its absence. The Laihiala-penned "Neverlasting" and the lyrically ridiculous but musically superb "Excuse Me While I Kill Myself" are barn-burners welcoming the underrated guitar tandem of Miika Tenkula and Sami Loppaka back into the realms of brilliance after mostly dull work on Crimson. Tenkula adds to his illustrious career-best solos with scorching performances in "Neverlasting" and "Cross My Heart And Hope To Die", while melting hearts in the touching "You Are The One". Ville’s singing continues to strengthen, and his deeper, gothic style comes across more convincing than before in "Aika Multaa Muistot (Everything Is Nothing)" and the melancholic yearnings of album closer "No One There".

"I’ve hated life to the fullest yet with longing deep within."

The Cold White Light could have, and should have, been the best album from Sentenced since AMOK . It’s not, though it promises much at the start, before failing to maintain quality consistence throughout. Missteps appear on nearly ever other song, diluting otherwise outstanding songwriting and disrupting atmospheric flow. Eliminate the poor "Guilt And Regret", kill the uninteresting and distracting mid-song breakdowns in "Neverlasting" and "Blood And Tears", and rework the lyrical ideas in "Excuse Me While I Kill Myself" and "Luxury Of A Grave", and we may be talking a sensational work of modern-era Sentenced. This is a heavier, darker and more energized and inspired Sentenced than was heard on Crimson, but it’s not clear where they can go from here without another dramatic change of course similar to the one that took place between North From Here and AMOK. Don’t hold your breath.

2/26/05

Tracklisting:

1. Konevitsan Kirkonkellot
2. Cross My Heart And Hope To Die
3. Brief Is The Light
4. Neverlasting
5. Aika Multaa Muistot (Everything Is Nothing)
6. Excuse Me While I Kill Myself
7. Blood & Tears
8. You Are The One
9. Guilt And Regret
10. The Luxury Of A Grave
11. No One There

Shadows Of The Past (Thrash, 1991)
North From Here (Spinefarm, 1993)
The Trooper E.P. (Spinefarm, 1993)
AMOK (Century Media, 1995)
Love And Death E.P. (Century Media, 1995)
Down (Century Media, 1997)
Story: A Recollection compilation (Century Media, 1997)
Frozen (Century Media, 1998)
Crimson (Century Media, 2000)
The Cold White Light (Century Media, 2002)
The Funeral Album (Century Media, 2005)
Buried Alive DVD (Century Media, 2006)
Buried Alive live album (century Media, 2006)
Buried Alive box set (Century Media, 2006)