樂隊簡介
樂隊名: Sentenced
音樂風格: Melodic death/doom metal, later depressive hard rock (旋律死亡/厄運金屬,晚期低調硬搖滾) Death Metal/Black Metal（死亡/黑色金屬） Heavy Metal（重金屬） Power Metal（能量金屬） Scandinavian Metal（斯堪的納維亞金屬）
音樂主題: Doom, Nature, Depression, Love (厄運,自然,消沉,愛情)
國家: Finland (芬蘭)
成立時間: 1988年
所在場牌: Century Media (世紀傳媒)
樂隊現狀: 解散
現樂隊成員
現任成員Ville Laihiala - Vocals (Poisonblack)
Miika Tenkula - Lead guitar
Sami Lopakka - Guitar
Vesa Ranta - Drums (Anthony)
Sami Kukkohovi - Bass (Solution 13)
前樂隊成員
Taneli Jarva - Vocals/Bass up to Love and Death. (Chaosbreed, The Black League, ex-Impaled Nazarene)
Lari Kylmen - Bass (1989 - 1991)
Session/Live members:
Niko Karppinen - Bass (1995 - 1996)
Tarmo Kanerva - Drums ((Poisonblack) (summer 1999)
簡介
各個成員1990年他們錄製了第一個小樣之後，新的主唱兼貝司手Taneli Jarva加入了樂隊，他幫助樂隊找到了更好 的音樂創作方式和風格走向。在十年的歌詞創作中，Sentenced總試圖將聽者帶入一個失落，自殺的消沉和通體否定的世界，這是一種用語言無法描述的感覺，只有隨著Sentenced的音樂才能感受到。雖然他們的風格越來越軟化下去，但他們高素質的音樂，是誰也不能否定的。Sentenced在其音樂與歌詞中體現出的才能使他們遠遠區別於金屬運動中諸多平庸之輩，他們是真正意義上的前衛死亡！
1993年，芬蘭的獨立廠牌Spinefarm為他們錄製了第二張專輯“North from Here”，專輯的封面可能給人Black Metal的感覺，但這的確是一張Death Metal的專輯，的確也有Black Metal的成分在裡面，吉他運用了很多Tremolo Picking的手法，主唱的嗓音也時而有Black Metal的影子。樂隊把氣氛掌握的很好，而且旋律不俗。值得一提的是，在“North from Here”里，有少量弦樂作為背景出現，但不是很明顯。同年的晚些時候Sentenced發行的一張EP“騎兵”（顧名思義，EP里翻唱了Iron Maiden的這首經典歌曲）。這幾張唱片的風格基本都是北歐風格的Death/Black Metal，又硬又重，速度並不很快，實際上，樂隊受早期Iron Maiden的影響是很明顯的。
EP發行之後，德國的著名的死亡金屬廠牌Century Media與樂隊進行了聯繫，並與樂隊簽定了一份世界範圍的契約，包括重新發行樂隊的前兩張專輯。Sentenced加入Century Media後發行了專輯“殺氣”，這一次是樂隊音樂風格上的重大突破，專輯甚至賣出了35,000張。這張專集裡的音樂異常豐富，旋律性很強，女聲，弦樂，原音吉他層出不窮，經常出現同時有6，7種樂器合奏的場面（兩種節奏吉他，貝司，鼓，主音吉他，主唱...），而且有條不紊，非常協調。很難想像這是一支死亡金屬樂隊玩出來的音樂，同時期有很多樂隊都開始嘗試這種PROGRESSIVE DEATH（前衛死亡金屬）的風格，象Therion，Samael等等，但似乎這張“Amok”是做得最為徹底，風格變化最突然的專集。可惜並不是所有樂迷都接受這種改變，一些老歌迷對樂隊的這種旋律化傾向感到失望，儘管樂隊技巧的提高是那么無法抵禦的誘惑。
後來，樂隊主唱Jarva表示退出樂隊，Ville Laihiala加入了進來，很快他與眾不同的音樂品味給樂隊增加了更多戲劇化的音樂成分。新的貝司手Sami Kukkovi加入後，Sentenced開始創作並錄製專集“向下”。專輯中的演唱完全用了“清喉”演唱，音樂更加的旋律化，完全螢幕棄的早期的風格，豐富的音色和效果的運用，證明了他們的音樂才華。從這張專輯開始，樂迷及樂評已經開始接受並欣賞這種Sentenced的風格了，以至於幾個知名雜誌（如德國的Rock Hard和Metal Hammer），將這張“Down”評為當月最佳專集。這使得樂隊名聲大噪，並在更大範圍的巡演中和諸如The Gathering，My Dying Bride和Therion這樣的樂隊一起合作，並作為頭牌樂隊在芬蘭進行了巡演。
1998年Sentenced在德國著名的Woodhouse錄音室開始了他們最新專集的創作，即由Waldemar Sorychta製作的“冰凍”。這一次樂隊嘗試了新的吉他和效果器，並大大加強了感情在歌曲中作用，看起來樂隊在這張專集中達到了顛峰狀態。隨著比以往作品更為出色的旋律進行，Sentenced在每首歌中都盡力去抓住那種痛苦和悲哀的情緒，“Frozen”無疑音樂風格上更加多元化了。
樂隊的出版物
When Death Join Us Demo, 1990
Cronology of Death Split, 1991
Rotting Ways to Misery Demo, 1991
Shadows of the Past Full-length, 1991
Journey to Pohjola Demo, 1992
North From Here Full-length, 1993
Demo 1994 Demo, 1994
The Trooper EP, 1994
Amok Full-length, 1995
Love and Death EP, 1995
Down Full-length, 1996
Story: A Recollection Best of/Compilation, 1997
Frozen Full-length, 1998
Killing Me Killing You Single, 1999
Crimson Full-length, 2000
No One There Single, 2002
The Cold White Light Full-length, 2002
Routasydän Single, 2003
promo split MCD Split, 2005
Ever-Frost Single, 2005
The Funeral Album Full-length, 2005
Buried Alive DVD, 2006
Buried Alive Live album, 2006
Buried Alive (Box) Boxed set, 2006
The Glow of 1000 Suns / Amok Run EP, 2008
來自官方的告別信....
Dear Assembly,
We have now gathered here, with heavy hearts, to lay SENTENCED to rest. Therefore let us cast an eye on those sixteen glorious years of this band's life.
Following a short prelude, the two guitarists Miika Tenkula and Sami Lopakka as well as drummer Vesa Ranta came together in the provincial town of Oulu in the cold north of Finland in the year 1989 to baptize their death metal newborn, and gave it the name: SENTENCED. Only one year later, this child of death let loose its first startling scream in the shape of the demo "When Death Joins Us..." (1990). When its voice developed an extremely charismatic touch with the recruiting of singer and bass-player Taneli Jarva, a first record-deal followed soon, which led to the release of the traditional death metal debut "Shadows Of The Past" (1991). Two years later SENTENCED took a more melodic turn on "North From Here" (1993) and created a true milestone of their deadly genre. Just a small amount of time elapsed until this rapidly growing whelp honoured its Iron Maiden roots with "The Trooper" (1993). This MCD also saw a strengthening of the band's melodic side at the expense of its harshness. With a fresh worldwide contract of German label Century Media in their pockets and the release of their third masterpiece "Amok" (1995), the Finns were getting their deserved breakthrough. It was emotional, melancholic but still harsh. Taneli's smoky voice breathed life into the album and the fans loved it. Another hint of a change in style was given by the second MCD "Love & Death" (1995). Just coming out of his infancy, this precocious youngster opened up to more rock influences and broadened his musical horizon. SENTENCED had reached a first peak in their career, but the fast and furious rock 'n' roll lifestyle demanded a sacrifice: rough-throated Taneli Jarva was too worn out to continue and took some years off before returning with his own band The Black League. An era had reached its end. SENTENCED had built the base of the Finnish boom in metal, alongside Amorphis and Waltari, paving the path for such diverse bands as Children of Bodom or Nightwish.
Still there was no rest for the wicked, and SENTENCED were not satisfied to rest on their earlier succces. They recruited the charismatic Ville Laihiala and returned with the sensational "Down" in 1996. "Down" finally ended the chapter "death metal" for the reformed five-piece band. Taneli's deep rumpling voice was replaced by Ville's warm and clear delivery. The dark-maned Finn immediately put his own touch to the new melancholic and pain-ridden songs. Caught between anger and despair, "Down" offered more than once suicide as the only way out. While that theme became something of a trademark, SENTENCED more or less toyed full of self-irony and biting sarcasm with the melancholic stance of their fellow countryman - likely caused by too many dark days in wintertime. A simultaneous change of singer and style meant truly taking a dare, but for SENTENCED it turned out to be a lucky one. The band kept most of their old fans and added a considerable number of new followers to their camp. From now on SENTENCED released top-records in a quiet regular rhythm of two years. "Frozen" (1998) followed "Down" and delivered a more precise and refined version of the new formula. Next up "Crimson" (2000) added a mighty dose of bitterness and finally "The Cold White Light" (2002) took this special SENTENCED-sound to a new peak: The perfectly interlacing stringwork of guitar-duo Lopakka & Tenkula gave the band抯 desolate picture a shining silver frame. Melodic beasts of groove were driven by Ville's electrifying voice, embodying the pain of broken hearts and seeming to drown easily in streams of alcohol at the same time. SENTENCED manage to use all those clich閟 of their homeland to better effect without ever appearing stereotyped. It was quite the other way around - while the band matured into a young adult it created some of their most breathtaking songs like the poison-dripping "Excuse Me While I Kill Myself" or the sadness filled "Cross My Heart And Hope To Die". It is beyond doubt, that SENTENCED as masters of melancholy in their second incarnation delivered a decisive impulse, that others successfully turned into poppier sounds like HIM, Charon or even The Rasmus - yet SENTENCED remained always true to the metal-genre.
And now it is supposed to be all over. Just like in their songs, the five Finns commit collective suicide as a band and part ways with each other. At the end of this year, SENTENCED will no longer be among us. What a painful thought full of drama and tragedy. Only one hope remains, before the end we will once more enjoy the happiness of a new SENTENCED-release. Dear assembly, behold "The Funeral Album", which the Finns from Oulu luckily leave as their final testament. "We decided to end the band's career with this record, and already knew what was going to happen when we were writing the songs", admits guitarist Sami Lopakka. "So we agreed to make this one final round, to make a farewell album and a funeral tour." Knowledge of their mortality and the end firmly in sight led SENTENCED to an outburst of unexpected powerful creativity: "The Funeral Album" oozes with self-confidence, variety and a barely restrained hostility. It was recorded at Finland's Tonebox and Finnvox Studios and mastered at Finnvox Studios by the acclaimed Mika Jussila. Manning the producer's chair was Hiili Hiilesmaa (HIM, Moonspell, Apocalyptica, Theatre Of Tragedy and many more), who also produced SENTENCED's two previous albums "Crimson" and "The Cold White Light". Right from the sparkling opener "May Today Become The Day", an uptempo rocker with brilliant solo-parts, the album hits home. The following ice-breaker "Ever-Frost" reminds immediately of "Frozen" in its most distilled form, while "We Are But Falling Leaves" continues the Finns' great tradition of sad half-ballads. Only one track further down the album, "Her Last 5 Minutes" explore even greater depths of despair, underlined by fragile solo-guitars. This song leaves the listener with the frosty feeling of standing in a cold winter's rain and a truly freezing shower is soon to follow: "Where Waters Fall Frozen" proves to be a short instrumental reminder of SENTENCED days in the realm of death metal. "There are some references to the things we have done in the past", agrees Sami. "However, those pieces came out naturally. For example "Where Waters Fall Frozen", which somehow links to "North From Here", was born in rehearsals when we were waiting for someone to show up - kind of a live burst of aggression." This nostalgia is also present in "Despair-Ridden Hearts". Once this song takes up speed after its surprising harmonica intro, and those fingers fly over the strings one feels returned to the grace of "Amok". The same feeling points towards the angry impetus of "Down" while listening to the nicely coarse "Vengeance Is Mine". At this point it is necessary to state, that these songs are not even close to ordinary copies of gone glories, but only mildly hinting to the past while still being full of fresh ideas. Just marvel about this insane choir of children in "Vengeance Is Mine" for example. 揅onsider Us Dead?and the dirty groove of "A Long Way To Nowhere" both take another turn off the band's road and treads on the melodic path in between metal and gothic rock. One step ahead, "Lower The Flags" demonstrates clearly that SENTENCED are well able to deliver a stunningly dark piece of rock, which makes their more commercial Finnish colleagues look rather pale in comparison - and not only because of the classic piano-intro. In a last struggle before the looming end, the lively "Drain Me" stubbornly refuses to give in to tearful moods, but now it is time for the inevitable: After the thoughtful acoustic piece "Karu" allows a last pause, the stone is finally and firmly placed on the grave by "End Of The Road". Ville sings with a tender voice of this journey's end, then a grave-bell tolls and the guitars set in for a dark requiem like the last beats of a heart surrounded by silence. The choir of children returns and "End of The Road" makes a final stand, rising beautifully before slowly fading into eternity. "Obviously the overall feeling of the album is very final and every song has the words 慻ood bye?written upon it", remarks Sami. "After making "The Funeral Album" we can look back on our career with the knowledge that we kept the flame burning at its brightest till the very end and let it die with dignity."
There is nothing to add to these last words. So let us praise and celebrate "The Funeral Album" now, for it is the grandiose peak of SENTENCED's too-brief but wonderful and glorious life. When attending the band's last rites at this year抯 summer festivals, we shall all turn those concerts into a worthy memorial of both laughter and tears. Amen.
- Gunnar Sauermann
