Sentenced was a Finnish gothic metal band that played melodic death metal in their early years. The band formed in 1989 in the town of Muhos and broke up in 2005.
Lead guitarist Miika Tenkula was the band's vocalist for the first album, but duties were shifted to bassist Taneli Jarva for the next two albums, North from Here and Amok, until his departure in 1995. Under new lead vocalist Ville Laihiala, Sentenced shifted from melodic death metal to gothic metal and enjoyed a run of commercial success in Finland, including three consecutive number-one albums. The band announced in 2005 that their eighth album The Funeral Album would be their last. The single "Ever-Frost" spent six weeks at number one in Finland and Sentenced's final show took place on 1 October in their hometown Oulu.
Tenkula died of a heart attack in 2009.