Topic: Sentenced

To start off, how about a discussion of the band that inspired my blog title. That band would be Sentenced. They are a metal band from the nation of Finland. A place where it is cold and dark for a good portion of the year. The specific song that inspired this blog is Crumbling Down (Give Up Hope). It is from the album Down. Here are some of the lyrics:

Like roses wither so does hope
as we approach our final fate
A new dawn of man?
Oh no, can't you feel. the End is on its way

It's all over, said and done, haven't you heard?
We are living our last days in this world
Oh. Give up hope, do it now
the world is coming Crumbling Down....

This was a band that started off as an extreme death metal band. Their topics were typical death metal material; war, death, etc. But as the years went on they honed their sound and the death metal elements were slowly sloughed off. Now, they are pretty much just straight ahead metal but with a very dark element. Their subject matter these days is pretty much good ol' misery. Being depressed. Wanting to die. Waiting for the end..... sounds pretty bleak eh? But that's the genious of Sentenced. While their lyrics wallow in woe their music is relatively upbeat. So they are hooking you in with this music that has an upbeat tempo but meanwhile the lyrics worm their way into your head. A great band! You don't have to be a depressed person to be into Sentenced but you do have to be open to the idea that life isn't always a bunch of roses.

So, I encourage everyone to check out Sentenced. Go to their website www.sentenced.org and check them out. I recommend staying away from their death metal albums if you aren't into death metal. Start with Amok and work your way to their present material. My personal favorite is The Cold White Light.