Sentenced

Sentenced was a melodic death metal band formed in 1989, in the town of Muhos, Finland. They disbanded in 2005.
Sentenced's predecessor:Deformity, started in 1988, but in 1989 as the band's line-up changed, the name changed to Sentenced. The original line-up consisted of Miika Tenkula (lead guitar & 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 melodic death metal. In Spring 1992 they recorded a new three-song promotional tape Journey to Pohjola . As a result, they got themselves a deal with the Finnish Spinefarm Records.
The second album North from Here (and later during the ongoing year, The Trooper EP) was released in the spring of 1993. 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 'breakthrough' album Amok, 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.
In autumn, the band released the Love & Death MCD. 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, however Jarva soon left the band because of musical differences and lack of interest in music. This suprised many fans, and as a result of this, he stayed out the music business "for fear of hearing Sentenced on the radio"[2]
After the departure of Jarva, Ville Laihiala (of Breed fame) in 1996 joined the band. The decision was finalized just three 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.
Sentenced's fifth full-length album Frozen was also recorded at the Woodhouse Studios, and released in 1998 .It kept a similar musical style as Down, adding depth wherever necessary. 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 recolored (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 turn towards becoming Melodic Death Metal. 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 an extremely rare positive edge.
After The Cold White Light, they released a CD-single. Released 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 remains the only song Sentenced sung 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. It was also stated that there would be no reunions. They performed many farewell gigs during the spring and summer and ended with a final gig on October 1st 2005 in their hometown Oulu, Finland. The concert film Buried Alive, directed by Mika Ronkainen, filmed at the funeral gig was premiered at Oulu Music Video Festival September 9th, 2006.


Members:

Final line-up
Ville Laihiala – Vocals (1996-2005)
Ville Laihiala (born June 13, 1973 in Oulu, Finland) is the current vocalist and guitarist of the Finnish Gothic metal group Poisonblack. He was also the frontman for Sentenced from 1996 (when he replaced their former Bassist and Vocalist Taneli Jarva) until the group ended their career 2005. When joining Sentenced he was soon accepted by fans. He only wrote very few songs for Sentenced (whose main-songwriters were Miika Tenkula and Sami Lopakka), for example the song "Aika Multaa Muistot" on the "The Cold White Light" album.

Miika Tenkula – Guitar (1989-2005)
Miika Tenkula was the lead guitarist and the main songwriter for the band Sentenced until it disbanded. He was also the band's original vocalist from 1989 to late 1992.

Sami Lopakka – Guitar (1989-2005)
Sami Lopakka is a Finnish guitarist. Lopakka was one of two guitarists for the band Sentenced until it disbanded. Lopakka was the band's main lyric writer and was also considered the spokesman for the band. Since 2007 he is once again active in KYPCK.
Currently (2007), Sami is the "Chief Of Creation & Inter-Tribal Relations" with his company Northern Tribe which is based out of Tampa, Florida in the United States. Sami recently (April 2007) spoke with Metal-Rules.com about his recent activities. Also discussed was the final Sentenced show which was recently released on DVD, what his former Sentenced bandmates have been up to, and of course the details on his own business and musical pursuits. April 2007 interview

Sami Kukkohovi – Bass guitar (1996-2005)
Sami Kukkohovi, born in 1975 in Oulu, Finland, is a Finnish musician, best known as the bassist of the Finish doom metal band Sentenced. He joined the band in 1996, replacing Taneli Jarwa, and stayed with Sentenced up until they disbanded in 2005. Firstly he was only a session member on gigs, but after that he joined the band officially. In addition to playing the bass guitar, he was also the back-up vocalist. Currently, Kukkohovi is the guitar player for the hard rock band Solution 13. On live shows the KYPCK crew is strengthened by Sami Kukkohovi, playing the second guitar !

Vesa Ranta – Drums (1989-2005)
"Vesa Ranta" is a Finnish drummer. He was one of the original members of the band Sentenced. He is now a fine art photographer.

Previous members
Lari Kylmänen – Bass guitar (1989-1991)
Taneli Jarva – Bass guitar and vocals (1991-1996)
Session members
Niko Karppinen – Bass guitar (live) (1995-1996)
Tarmo Kanerva – Drums (summer 1999)
Marco Sneck - Keyboards
Special guests
Vorphalack – Backup vocals (1996)

Discography
Studio albums
Shadows of the Past (1991)
North from Here (1993)
Amok (1995)
Down (1996)
Frozen (1998)
Crimson (2000)
The Cold White Light (2002)

EPs
The Trooper (1993)
Love & Death (1995)

Live album
Buried Alive (2 discs, 2006)

DVDs
Buried Alive (2 discs, 2006)

Singles
Killing Me Killing You (1999)
No One There (2002)
Routasydän (2003)
Ever-Frost (2005)

Compilation
Story: A Recollection (1997)
Demos
When Death Joins Us... (1990)
Rotting Ways to Misery (1991)
Journey to Pohjola (1992)
Demo 1994 (1994)
Split albums
Cronology of Death (1991)
promo split MCD (2005)

Videography
"Nepenthe" (1994)
"Noose" (1997), directed by Sökö Kaukoranta
"The Suicider" (1998)
"Killing Me Killing You" (1999), directed by Pasi Pauni
"No One There" (2002), directed by Pete Veijalainen
"Ever-Frost" (2005), directed by Mika Ronkainen
"Despair-Ridden Hearts" (2006), directed by Mika Ronkainen

Pics