View source for Sentenced

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Short description|Finnish metal band}}
{{Infobox musical artist  <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| name              = Sentenced
| image             = Sentenced,_Wacken_Open_Air_2005.jpg
| caption           = Sentenced at [[Wacken Open Air]] 2005
| image_upright     = 1.2
| alias             = Deformity (1988–1989)
| origin            = [[Muhos]], [[Oulu]], Finland
| genre             = {{hlist|[[Gothic metal]]|[[melodic death metal]] (early)|[[death metal]] (originally)}}
| years_active      = 1989–2005
| label             = [[Century Media]]
| associated_acts   = [[Poisonblack]], [[KYPCK]], [[The Man-Eating Tree]], [[Solution 13]], [[The Black League]]
| current_members   = 
| past_members      = [[Ville Laihiala]] <br/> [[Miika Tenkula]] <br/> [[Sami Lopakka]] <br/> [[Sami Kukkohovi]] <br/> [[Vesa Ranta]] <br/> [[Taneli Jarva]] <br/> Lari Kylmänen
}}

'''Sentenced''' was a Finnish [[gothic metal]] band that played [[melodic death metal]] in their early years.<ref>{{cite web |last=Pigeon |first=Tim |url=http://www.metalreview.com/reviews/1637/sentenced-the-funeral-album |title=Review of Sentenced - The Funeral Album |publisher=Metal Review |access-date=25 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327091621/http://www.metalreview.com/reviews/1637/sentenced-the-funeral-album |archive-date=27 March 2012 }}</ref> The band formed in 1989 in the town of [[Muhos]] and broke up in 2005.

Lead guitarist [[Miika Tenkula]] was the band's vocalist for the first album, but duties were shifted to bassist [[Taneli Jarva]] for the next two albums, ''[[North from Here]]'' and [[Amok (Sentenced album)|''Amok'']], until his departure in 1995. Under new lead vocalist [[Ville Laihiala]], Sentenced shifted from melodic death metal to gothic metal and enjoyed a run of commercial success in Finland, including three consecutive number-one albums. The band announced in 2005 that their eighth album ''[[The Funeral Album]]'' would be their last. The single "Ever-Frost" spent six weeks at number one in Finland and Sentenced's final show took place on 1 October in their hometown [[Oulu]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-11-28 |title=Sentenced |url=https://www.nordicmetal.net/band/sentenced/ |access-date=2025-07-08 |website=Nordic Metal |language=en-US}}</ref>

Tenkula died of a heart attack in 2009.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Blabbermouth |date=2010-01-10 |title=Australian Metal Musicians To Pay Tribute To Fallen SENTENCED Guitarist |url=https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/australian-metal-musicians-to-pay-tribute-to-fallen-sentenced-guitarist/ |access-date=2025-07-08 |website=BLABBERMOUTH.NET |language=en}}</ref>

==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]] (lead guitar and 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 [[France|French]] 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 (album)|Shadows of the Past]]''. At that time, their musical style was fast, typical European [[death metal]]. 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]]. 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]]'', was released in the spring of 1993, and later that year ''[[The Trooper (EP)|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 [[Germany|German]] record label [[Century Media Records]], 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 (Sentenced 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 (band)|Samael]] and [[Tiamat (band)|Tiamat]].

In autumn, the band released the ''[[Love & Death (EP)|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 metal|doom]]/[[death metal|death]] markets, but Jarva left the band because of musical differences.

===''Down'' (1996–1998)===

After Jarva's departure, [[Ville Laihiala]] (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 (Sentenced album)|Down]]'' with producer [[Waldemar Sorychta]]. Once again, the music became more melodic with a significant [[NWOBHM]] influence. During this time, bassist [[Sami Kukkohovi]] 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 (album)|Frozen]]'', was also recorded at the Woodhouse Studios, and released in 1998, its style is similar to ''[[Down (Sentenced album)|Down]]''. Laihiala and Kukkohovi had become initiated into the band, so they participated in the composition process, resulting in the next album: ''[[Frozen (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 version|cover songs]] included.

===''Crimson'' (2000–2002)===

The next Sentenced album to be released was ''[[Crimson (Sentenced album)|Crimson]]'' 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 band was seen in a slightly different light, the lyrics displaying some [[self-irony]] 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 US tour alongside [[Killswitch Engage]], [[Dark Tranquillity]] and [[In Flames]]. 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]].

After ''[[The Cold White Light]]'', 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]] 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 [[Nazism|Nazi]] overtones, which the band has steadfastly refuted.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=15717 |title=SENTENCED Embroiled In 'Nazi' Controversy |date=5 October 2003 |publisher=Blabbermouth |access-date=7 December 2012}}</ref>

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

In early 2005 the band announced that their following release, ''[[The Funeral Album]]'', 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]]. The concert film ''Buried Alive'', directed by [[Mika Ronkainen]], filmed at the funeral gig, was premiered at [[Oulu Music Video Festival]] 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]] on 14 August 2008, where [[Poisonblack]] and labelmates [[Norther (band)|Norther]] 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."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://metalfromfinland.wordpress.com/2015/01/16/dance-on-the-graves-a-tribute-to-sentenced/|title=Dance on the Graves - A tribute to Sentenced|access-date=12 June 2015}}</ref>

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==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
'''Final lineup'''
* [[Miika Tenkula]] – lead guitar (1989–2005; died 2009), vocals (1989–1992)
* [[Sami Lopakka]] – rhythm guitar (1989–2005)
* [[Vesa Ranta]] – drums (1989–2005)
* [[Ville Laihiala]] – vocals (1996–2005)
* [[Sami Kukkohovi]] – bass (1997–2005)
{{col-2}}
'''Prior members'''
* Lari Kylmänen – bass (1989–1991)
* [[Taneli Jarva]] – bass (1991–1995), vocals (1992–1995)

'''Tour members'''
* Niko Karppinen – bass (1995–1996)
* Tarmo Kanerva – drums (1999)
{{col-end}}
===Timeline===
{{#tag: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:01/01/1994 till:01/01/1996  color:keyboards width:3
  bar:Lopakka      from:01/01/1989 till:end          color:rhythm
  bar:Lopakka      from:01/01/1993 till:01/01/1996  color:keyboards width:3
  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:01/01/1994 till:01/01/1996   color:keyboards width:7
  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==
{{main article|Sentenced discography}}
* ''[[Shadows of the Past (album)|Shadows of the Past]]'' (1991)
* ''[[North from Here]]'' (1993)
* ''[[Amok (Sentenced album)|Amok]]'' (1995)
* ''[[Down (Sentenced album)|Down]]'' (1996)
* ''[[Frozen (album)|Frozen]]'' (1998)
* ''[[Crimson (Sentenced album)|Crimson]]'' (2000)
* ''[[The Cold White Light]]'' (2002)
* ''[[The Funeral Album]]'' (2005)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{cc}}
* [http://www.centurymedia.com Century Media - official website]
*{{allmusic}}
*{{discogs artist}}

{{Sentenced}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Finnish gothic metal musical groups]]
[[Category:Finnish heavy metal musical groups]]
[[Category:Finnish melodic death metal musical groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2005]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1989]]