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Thursday, June 16, 2005
"'Funeral Album' by Sentenced"
by
Bill Vogel III
June 13, 2005 A.D.
Today is a sad one, because this review is of the last Sentenced opus before they officially call it done. What can one say about one of the greatest Metal acts ever? Never enough, that is sure.
Their 2005 masterpiece, "Funeral Album" [Century Media Records], is one of their finest. Sentenced's unique, powerful brand of Melodic Dark Metal has an epic melancholy to its raven intensity. Poetic and tenebrous, Sentenced stands at a level of brilliance all their own. They are a true wonder.
These Finnish greats began as a Swedish Style Death Metal band, but then slowly evolved. And on their past four albums they were engulfed by pure melodic darkness, it was then that they began to truly shine. Such is the balance of their various aspects-serenity and aggression, radiance and darkness, beauty and sorrow.
(Their 2000 release, "Crimson" [Century Media Records], is their apex glory.)
The vocals are clean with a slightly raw edge, with a Gothic tinge and steeped in woe. The instrumentals share this feel, having a dark and melodic aggression that is mesmerizing and epic. Keyboards are samples are used lightly, sharpening the depths of this beautiful downfall. Sentenced does it all brilliantly.
The most powerful of these bleak stars includes the stark radiance of "May Today Become The Day," the gloomy ode to life's fragility "We Are But Falling Leaves," "End Of The Road," the rampaging "Vengeance Is Mine," "Consider Us Dead," "A Long Way To Nowhere," and deep wondrous woe of "Her Last 5 Minutes." Every song kills though....
Always powerful, always sublime: Sentenced never fails to amaze. This is an apex release for 2005, a blinding dark light amongst pale glimmers. This one is essential.
In final respect, Sentenced will be sorely missed. But this work is a brilliant testament to their greatness. They will always be one of my favorite bands. Stay savage. Farewell.
Related Bands: Poisonblack, Beseech, Darkseed, Samael,
Cemetary, Acid Bath, Aion, Anathema,
Pyogenesis, etc.
Keep the faith, and the AGGRESSION.
Copyright 2005.
Courtesy of Stranger Aeons Magazine.
W.B. Vogel III 4:26 PM
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