Founded in 1989 in Finland, Sentenced originally played pure Euro Death Metal.Signing with Century Media in 1994, they released their third album,Amok, which sold 35,000 copies worldwide.With the band at its peak in 1996, lead vocalist/bassist Taneli Jarva left the band.He was replaced by the cleaner and smoother singing skills of Ville Laihiala.The band's success continued and Crimson is their 6th full length release.On Crimson, Sentenced continue with their general themes of lost love, self loathing, and in general - misery.An unending melancholy saturates this album.From slow, deliberate melodies to distraught lyrics, Crimson bleeds richly and slowly, never allowing you to see the light of day.It is always dark and rainy in the vacuum created by Sentenced:

Sacrifice yourself so frail / This pseudo-love is as good as betrayal - "Bleed in my Arms"

Again the sky has fallen down on me / Once more a world has crumbled down and over me - "Home in Despair"

Sometimes it feels it would be better for you all / If I ceased to exist or was never born at all - "Fragile"

The fire in my heart is dying / and the zeal I had is gone - "Broken"

At times sounding like recent Savatage, musically Crimson safely straddles the middle ground.You won't hear anything on the cutting edge, nor will you be disappointed.Crimson is a release for the artists themselves.It is an example of how art can be our savior - both for the artists and spectators alike.Self-punishment for sympathy?Or self-sacrifice for aesthetics?Whatever.Shared pain brings us closer together.The next time you've had a lousy day, listen to Crimson, but don't count on it to lift your spirits.That's not its intention.

This review is credited to:
Death_Explosion