This EP by Finnish gloom heavy metallers Sentenced is basically essential to all those who claim to be their fans. First, it is an important release because then-vocalist Taneli Jarva left soon after this one came out, and it is a stepping stone from 1995 rather labyrinthine 'Amok' album to 1996's 'Down' which is much sententious with its stylings.

I remember how good this looked when I saw this for the first time, but by closer inspection, no; the cover artwork is messy. Otherwise the digipak looks fine, thankfully. And I'm even more thankful for music, as this was all-exclusive material for many years; it was reissue with 'Amok' in 2001 and some times later. All-exclusive is a way I like the EPs to be, and more so where all are studio tracks, not lives or demos of album tracks (they are cool if very different, as been rearranged, for example). Yeah, there's one cover song, but I'm cool with such, especially when it's this good a cover version.

I remember I never liked this extended play so bloody much as I did like, or even love, 'Amok' album. However, the opener 'The Way I wanna Go' is a continuation of the mentioned album, and in the fine way, too. It's basically how I wished the band would continue. Both skull-cracking and with melodic groove, the song is a fine excursion to dark-as-hell (kaamos, perhaps) landscapes of these Northernmost killers. Next up is Jarwa's song 'Obsession', which is one of the heaviest since Shadows of the Past (1991), but still not death metal. Mid-paced, heavy-handed riffing and ominous simple melodiousness, it lingers like poison waking listener up every now and then with great gang vocals. 'Dreamlands' present a calmer Sentenced. Harking back to 'North from Here' (1993), it shows how unique the band was with their melodies and general gestalt. Magical! 'Love and Death' could be on 'Down' album, simple as that. A tad more stream-lined, still with metallic balls.

Sentenced's obsidian heavy metal was just so very unique, that copycats couldn't copy. Jarva sounds like a man that has been feeling down for 5 decades; his somewhat theatrical voice (like resting his forehead on his palm, eyes closed) tells sullen stories of boozing, sorrow and suicide underneath Miika Tenkula's characteristic lead guitar work. Jarva's bass guitar is rather farting here, but together with Sami Lopakka's rhythm guitar create a fine backbone. Vesa Ranta's drumming is looser compared to old albums: Not as stiff wrists, if you know what I mean.

The sound is a bit muffled, but not bad. It's more of a rock production than a metal production, to tell the truth. There's low end and high end, but it sounds like a tad rushed job. Well, this sounds fuller than the original 'Down' CD anyway! But Sentenced weren't a 100% metal band after first 2 albums. Gloomy Finnish rock first showed its ugly head on 'Amok'.

Generally 'Love & Death' is one of those EP releases, which is actually an understandable part of the band's history and therefore, it is totally necessary for Sentenced fans. As for Taneli Jarwa, it took some years to get a new band running: The Black League was formed in 1998, whose debut 'Ichor' (2000) is a definite "check it out" for S-fans, too. It makes me both happy and sad listening to this band. There will never be a reunion as the band really had a burial ceremony for themselves, and guitarist Miika Tenkula died in 2009, way to early at the age of 34. Bittersweet, man, bittersweet...

Rating: 9- (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
11/26/2023 19:25