If I had to mention just one band that brings everyone together in this country—a band almost every Finn has meaningful memories connected with—it definitely is SENTENCED. They were active from 1989 to 2005, so this year marks the 20th anniversary of their disbandment, as well as the release of their last album called “The Funeral Album.”
I have heard amazing things about MULTAISET MUISTOT, a SENTENCED tribute band hailing from Kuopio, from a friend of mine whose taste in music I deeply trust, moreover, I had the chance, a couple of years ago, to see KAIKKEUS, in which frontman Henri is the bass player, hence hearing that MULTAISET MUISTOT had a gig scheduled for February 20th, 2025, at On the Rocks in Helsinki was great news.
They took the stage at 20:00 sharp, on the notes of “Konevitsan Kirkonkellot,” a traditional Finnish song SENTENCED have recorded a cover version of on their album, “The Cold White Light.” MULTAISET MUISTOT were actually playing the song in almost total darkness; very evocative, as much as the backdrop, clearly inspired by the cover artwork of “The Funeral Album.”
The first thing that I noticed was how close Henri’s voiceprint was to Ville Laihiala’s. Henri was, at the same time, playing the bass, gaining a bit more of a typical rockstar’s stage presence, while conveying all his devotion to the band, which I believe had a strong impact on his development as a musician. There was a noose on stage, and a couple of risers, on which the guitarists and occasionally the singer stepped on, making the show even more entertaining and dynamic.
They played “The Funeral Album” in its entirety as a first set, while the second one consisted of a selection of various tunes from different releases. Radio-friendly and extremely catchy melodies are a well-known part of SENTENCED’s very own trademark sound, and I was not surprised to see pretty much everyone in the audience singing along to those legendary tunes. “The Funeral Album” was, indeed, an excellent farewell gift they donated to their fanbase, and having the chance to hear that release performed live by those skilled musicians is something I do not take for granted. “Ever-Frost” and “We are but Falling Leaves,” respectively second and third track, made me immediately understand that SENTENCED are truly missed, but such a tribute could partially mend their fans’ hearts. The vibe was uplifting and joyful, and I swear that I even heard someone yelling at the singer “Paita pois!” [“take your shirt off!”] at some point.
The keyboard part on “Her last 5 Minutes” was covered by the lead guitarist, Mikki, whose solo saw the singer leaving the stage for a little while, and then he came back and had the chance to focus on the bass part. Two quite odd songs followed: the instrumental “Where Waters Fall Frozen” shows an exquisite death metal touch, reminiscent of SENTENCED’s early days, and “Despair Ridden Hears,” which is a one-of-a-kind tune that proves loud and clear how wide the band’s taste can be. MULTAISET MUISTOT nailed it: the singer stepped on the riser, and he was weirdly intimidating for those in the front row, but it totally felt like a celebration we all were part of.
I noticed that the audience got a bit closer to the stage during “Vengeance is Mine,” leading to a warmer general atmosphere. The singer mimicked a gun pointed to his head while announcing “Consider us Dead,” and I could not help wondering how many of the attendants had the lucky chance to see SENTENCED performing that song on a live show…
There were a few songs left, but the peak of intensity was, quite predictably, on “End of the Road,” the closing tune on the album. Both guitarists, Mikki and Jaakko, stepped on the risers, and I could not help but notice how skillful drummer Iiro‘s performance had been so far. On a side note: a part of the song is carved on Miika Tenkula’s gravestone, and I am pretty sure it holds a special place in both the fanbase and the former band members’ hearts. MULTAISET MUISTOT left the stage on the notes of the instrumental “Karu,” and then we all took a 15-minute break.
They came back on the notes of the instrumental “Kaamos,” and then they started the second set with “Cross my Heart and Hope to Die,” where the solos were equally divided by Mikki and Jaakko; quite evocative if you ask me. “Sun won’t Shine” followed, taken from “Down,” the first album with Ville Laihiala on vocals. His style was different back then, and I was fairly curious to see how Henri would handle it. He obviously nailed it.
The chorus on “The Suicider” was definitely one of the highlights of that night: everyone in the audience was singing along and raising their fists, sharing that moment to the fullest. The following song, “Nepenthe,” saw a drastic change, as it comes from that era when SENTENCED’s frontman was Taneli Jarva, whose vocal style is quite unique and hard to describe. The result was quite good, in the end, and the participants’ enthusiasm was touchable.
A guest, bass player Petri Sara (PAHAN IKONI) joined the band, for the next three songs: “Neverlasting,” “Noose,” and “Dead Moon Rising,” which saw Henri having the chance to show off his frontman skills and moves more freely. Guitarist Jaakko provided some backing vocals, while the interaction between the musicians was heartwarming and joyful, despite the tragic nature of the lyrics they were singing.
Henri thanked Petri, who then left the stage to the sound of a big applause from the crowd. The instrumental “Mourn” was the next in line. The stage was in complete darkness, and only Mikki was under the spotlight. The other band members joined, and then the light on stage increased, creating a very emotional atmosphere that paired perfectly with the utterly melancholic vibe of the song.
The show was drawing to an end, as there were just a few songs left. “No One There” saw a highlight in terms of participation of the audience, and I legitimately felt like it might be many people’s all-time favorite. Henri left the stage for a while, in the meantime Jarkko fist-bumped with a few guys in the front row, and we were not ready to call it a day… Luckily, there were still a couple of songs on the setlist, so Henri came back and announced “Farewell” as the second-to-last tune. I spotted some people taking selfies with Jarkko while he was playing, and it felt unexpected and hilarious! Henri thanked us warmly, also because it was Thursday, and none really wanted to think about going to work the very next day…
The closing song they chose was “Excuse Me While I Kill Myself,” to which we reacted with the well-deserved excitement. A nice call-and-response between us and them occurred on the “I kill myself – see you in hell” part, a full-fledged cherry on top. They took a picture with us right before leaving, as that was for sure a night to remember.
Again, some bands managed to touch many lives in their career, and SENTENCED are definitely one of them, no matter how many decades ago they disbanded. Based on what I have witnessed, they are still deeply missed, but I am grateful to MULTAISET MUISTOT for their passion in delivering such an emotional and entertaining tribute show.
Written by Licia Mapelli
Photos by Mirko L.
Setlist 1
- Konevitsan Kirkonkellot (intro)
- May Today Become the Day
- Ever-Frost
- We are but Falling Leaves
- Her Last 5 Minutes
- Where Waters Fall Frozen
- Despair-Ridden Hearts
- Vengeance is Mine
- A Long Way to Nowhere
- Consider Us Dead
- Lower the Flags
- Drain Me
- End of the Road
- Karu (outro)
Setlist 2
- Kaamos (intro)
- Cross my Heart and Hope to Die
- Sun Won’t Shine
- The Suicider
- Nepenthe
- Neverlasting
- Noose
- Dead Moon Rising
- Mourn
- No One There
- Farewell
- Excuse me while I Kill Myself
