Band:	Sentenced
Album:	Crimson
Style:	Depressive heavy metal, Suomi metal
Release date:	January 17, 2000
Guest review by:	iaberis

01. Bleed In My Arms
02. Home In Despair
03. Fragile
04. No More Beating As One
05. Broken
06. Killing Me Killing You
07. Dead Moon Rising
08. The River
09. One More Day
10. With Bitterness And Joy
11. My Slowing Heart
+ Killing Me Killing You [video] [limited edition digipak bonus]
+ desktop theme [bonus]

"Crimson" is the sixth full length album of the Finnish band "Sentenced." It's also the third with "Ville Lahiala," the new singer who brought the band into a new era. After leaving the "Death Metal" times in the past (four years ago), this album establishes them for good in their new style, bringing them popularity among the fans and the most important, recognition.

I have to admit, this album is one of my favorites. There are so many good points here, that I don't know from where to begin! A Chinese saying goes "One picture is equal to one thousand words." Being inspired by that, it wouldn't be absurd if I'd say Crimson's value can't be described by words? You have to listen to, it to understand this band's achievements!

Ville's voice is the most suitable for these songs and this kind of music. It fits perfectly with the melancholic and depressive sound of "Sentenced." Songs like "Home in Despair" or "(Bored to live) One more day" are perfect samples to get a glimpse of this dark atmosphere. Depressive Heavy Metal "With bitterness and joy" seems to be very pleasant when accompanied by smart guitar and -not pointless- bass riffs. At this point, influences from "Iron Maiden" are obvious in both guitarists work, something that wasn't denied by the band - rather widely shown in their earliest EP, "The Trooper."

Every song on this album is possessed by a sad feeling, which is obvious by the song titles. Death and pain, fills us all with songs like "Bleed in my arms" and "Dead moon rising," but as I already said, all these things have a pleasant form, not a sense of negativity.

Maybe that's why "Sentenced" are so acceptable by the audience. Both fans of metal and rock find their music amusing and worthy. Although I'm against these "must have" ideology, "Crimson" is a "must" for every metal/hard rock collection!