Sentenced started in 1989 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 French label Thrash Records) after their first demo. 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. 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.
The second album, North from Here, was released in the spring of 1993, and later that year 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 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. In 1995, Sentenced released their 'break through' 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 and Tiamat.The first Century Media release "Amok" (1994) was to be their break-through with over 35,000 copies sold worldwide.
In autumn, the band released the 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/death markets, but Jarva left the band because of musical differences.
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 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. Sentenced's fifth full-length album, Frozen, was also recorded at the Woodhouse Studios, and released in 1998, its style is similar to Down. Laihiala and Kukkohovi had become initiated into the band, so they participated in the composition process, resulting in the next 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 songs included.
The next Sentenced album to be released was 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. 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 USA 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 Nazi overtones, which the band has steadfastly refuted.
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.
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 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.
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" and so far available in Finnish only. The title translates to "North from Here – The Story of Sentenced."
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 fictional Oulu-based metal band's European tour and have clear influences from his experience of touring with Sentenced.
Fragile
Sentenced Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I have already lost all count
And I seem to be doing it again
No matter how hard I have tried
I have crumbled time after time
And kept failing in the end
Sometimes it feels it would be better for you all
So many times I have let you down
Shadowed the shine of our sun
And drowned you in tears and misery
That it is hard for me to see
How you can after all these years
Still be standing by me
Sometimes it feels it would be better for us all
If I ceased to exist or was never born at all
Sometimes it feels it would be easier to fall
Than to flutter in the air with these wings so weak and torn
The lyrics of Sentenced's song "Fragile" explore themes of self-doubt, regret, and the fear of not being good enough. The singer of the song has a history of disappointing those around them and feels that they are bound to continue doing so. They express the belief that it might be better for everyone if they were no longer around. The repeated reference to fragility throughout the song reinforces the singer's sense of vulnerability and almost suggests that their shortcomings are beyond their control.
The opening lines of the song are particularly striking, as the singer admits to having "brought you down" many times and losing count. This repetition emphasizes the weight of their mistakes and suggests that they feel almost overwhelmed by them. The singer seems to recognize that their loved ones have been hurt by their behavior, referencing the "tears and misery" that they have caused. Nevertheless, they express confusion about why their loved ones continue to stand by them. This suggests that the singer has a difficult time accepting forgiveness or support, perhaps because they do not feel deserving of it.
Line by Line Meaning
So many times I have brought you down
I have disappointed you repeatedly
That I have already lost all count
I have lost track of how many times I have let you down
And I seem to be doing it again
I am about to let you down again
No matter how hard I have tried
I have put in effort to not disappoint you, but it has not been successful
I have crumbled time after time
I have failed repeatedly
And kept failing in the end
I have not been able to succeed despite my attempts
Sometimes it feels it would be better for you all
I feel that my absence would improve the situation for everyone
If I ceased to exist or was never born at all
I believe that my existence has caused harm
So many times I have let you down
I have disappointed you a lot
Shadowed the shine of our sun
I have obscured the good in our lives
And drowned you in tears and misery
I have caused you to suffer emotionally
That it is hard for me to see
I struggle to comprehend why you are still standing by me
How you can after all these years
I am surprised that you continue to support me despite my mistakes over time
Still be standing by me
I am grateful for your loyalty and presence in my life
Sometimes it feels it would be better for us all
I feel that my absence would improve the situation for everyone
If I ceased to exist or was never born at all
I believe that my existence has caused harm
Sometimes it feels it would be easier to fall
It can seem less difficult to give in and give up
Than to flutter in the air with these wings so weak and torn
It is a struggle to keep going and persevere despite my weaknesses and shortcomings
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Anna Riga
So many times I have brought you down
that I have already lost all count
and I seem to be doing it again
No matter how hard I have tried
I have crumbled time after time
and kept failing in the end
Sometimes it feels it would be better for you all
If I ceased to exist or was never born at all
So many times I have let you down
shadowed the shine of our sun
and drowned you in tears and misery
that it is hard for me to see
how you can after all these years
still be standing by me
Sometimes it feels it would be better for us all
If I ceased to exist or was never born at all
Sometimes it feels it would be easier to fall
than to flutter in the air with these wings so weak and torn
Jack Liar
Tantas vezes eu te machuquei
que eu já perdi a conta
e eu pareço estar fazendo-o novamente
Não importa o quanto eu tenha tentando
eu desmoronei vez após vez
e continuei falhando no fim
Ás vezes há a sensação de que seria melhor pra vocês todos
se eu deixasse de existir ou não tivesse nascido
Tantas vezes eu te machuquei
escureci o brilho do nosso Sol
e a afundei em lágrimas e misérias
que é difícil para eu ver
como depois de todos esses anos
você ainda está ao meu lado
Às vezes há a sensação de que seria melhor pra nós todos
se eu deixasse de existir ou não tivesse nascido
Às vezes há a sensação de que seria mais fácil cair
que agitar no ar com essas asas tão fracas e rasgadas.
Luxgoods
Sentenced was definitely one of the best Metal band which ever existed. I may sound exaggerated, but which other band makes such a simple song, with great melody and so full of emotion?? Furthermore, Sentenced songs always talk about real sentiment and emotions instead of fantasy and senseless subject like mostly of the metal bands nowadays! R.I.P Sentenced!
OpnDoarPlcy
I feel that it was at some sad point in my life that I felt Sentenced music was there with me, it followed me down to the place where I felt lost and seemed to have lent me a voice that I could speak to my intense and constant mental discomfort. So alone yet it seemed that Sentenced had found me there ready to listen to them and to myself.
K-cerez Locker
I hope u still listen this fkng music
Gaff
Sometimes this song and a cup of tea is the only thing that'll do it for me.
Simple song on the surface, but masterfully balanced on all scales small and large, with sections that weave naturally between each other, an emotional guitar solo, and lyrics that lie somehwere between poëtic and crude, interpreted by one of the most emotive singers I've ever heard. Cheers.
Anna Riga
So many times I have brought you down
that I have already lost all count
and I seem to be doing it again
No matter how hard I have tried
I have crumbled time after time
and kept failing in the end
Sometimes it feels it would be better for you all
If I ceased to exist or was never born at all
So many times I have let you down
shadowed the shine of our sun
and drowned you in tears and misery
that it is hard for me to see
how you can after all these years
still be standing by me
Sometimes it feels it would be better for us all
If I ceased to exist or was never born at all
Sometimes it feels it would be easier to fall
than to flutter in the air with these wings so weak and torn
Kristian Tofferi
+Anna Riga Sometimes it really feels that it would've been better to never born at all. I didn't ask for it. This "gift" is more than often pure hell. Finnish melancholy & booze = suicide.
Bryan Hampton
No "gift" should ever cause the pain and suffering that life does. Better to have never been born.
Mikko Salokannel
I totally agree with you. No other band has managed to record so many great songs. 2006 me and me friend listened every single one of Sentenced's songs in one day. It was something like 101 and took about 7 hours and 12 beers. Totally worth it. Now that I think of it, I will try it again sometime :-]
Jack Liar
Tantas vezes eu te machuquei
que eu já perdi a conta
e eu pareço estar fazendo-o novamente
Não importa o quanto eu tenha tentando
eu desmoronei vez após vez
e continuei falhando no fim
Ás vezes há a sensação de que seria melhor pra vocês todos
se eu deixasse de existir ou não tivesse nascido
Tantas vezes eu te machuquei
escureci o brilho do nosso Sol
e a afundei em lágrimas e misérias
que é difícil para eu ver
como depois de todos esses anos
você ainda está ao meu lado
Às vezes há a sensação de que seria melhor pra nós todos
se eu deixasse de existir ou não tivesse nascido
Às vezes há a sensação de que seria mais fácil cair
que agitar no ar com essas asas tão fracas e rasgadas.
Webalergy
I couldn't agree more!! And also, this is THE ONLY band that made me fall in love with EVERY single song they made.... no other band did... othershave their good and bad songs, while sentenced has only good ones! Cheers mate, and R.I.P Sentenced and Miika....