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Sentenced > The Trooper > Reviews
Sentenced - The Trooper

On the cusp of two sounds - 55%

autothrall, January 30th, 2023
Written based on this version: 1994, CD, Spinefarm Records

Apart from the obvious novelty of hearing Sentenced perform their more snarling, aggressive version of the Maiden classic, The Trooper EP is in a weird place, because it was released right between the band's major shift in styles from North From Here to Amok, and weirdly enough, the originals here actually create a bridge between them. You're still getting some of that fluid, weird, semi-technical death metal from the former, but its' embedding into melodic, rocking heavy metal riffs that would come with my favorite era of the band, the Taneli Jarva-led Amok. In fact, "Desert by Night" leans more heavily towards that, where "In Memoriam" definitely sounds like it could have been an outtake from North From Here, only with mildly cleaner production, but still very much in that pure Finnish death metal realm.

The last track, "Awaiting the Winter Frost", is actually taken from that album, and while it's a good song it really wasn't necessary on this release, so a little value is docked. And truthfully, I couldn't care less about "The Trooper" cover, I love Jarva's vocals here but they just sound kind of cluttered on this, whereas he goes broad and deeper for the amazing Amok. Don't get me wrong, they stay on the beat, but the backing vocals are flimsy and I don't know that the song gains all that much with just that added level of aggressive paint. The real attraction here are those two fresh songs, and since you can probably just nab this whole EP on a North From Here CD as bonus content, it doesn't stand up as an essential release. Still, you got that little peek of what was to come, and how amazing it might be, and boy was it...

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

In the dark... in death - 94%

TowardsMorthond, January 5th, 2012

Sentenced offer this four song EP as their farewell to the Finnish‑based Spinefarm label. The Trooper centers around the band's rousing, blazing cover of the Iron Maiden tune of the same name, lending some credence to the "Iron Maiden of death metal" tag the band were generating at the time for their use of neo‑classical melodic guitar harmonies incorporated in their form of freezing, complex blackened death metal. Taneli Jarva's spiteful screams, in the context of this originally melodically voiced song, provide it a more violent character, along with the band's technical, furious attack, giving this metal classic a stronger sense of urgency. What follows, "Desert by Night", is one of Sentenced's most extraordinary songs. Relegated to relative obscurity by its inclusion on this now rare and difficult to track down EP, "Desert by Night" presents Sentenced beautifully merging NWOBHM lead melodies and structure with the rage of death metal and romantic passion of black metal, expressed in longing spirit appropriated by illuminating keyboard atmospheres and piano finale. This epic song represents gleaming triumph under golden skies on the horizon of life's twilight, a crowning achievement in the recording career of this band. It also bridges the early era of Sentenced with the mid‑period era, which would see them operating purely from more traditional metal compositional standards. "In Memoriam" is taken from the Shadows Of The Past sessions, finding the band exploring compositional construction within the thundering design of bitter death metal with a keen sense of dynamics. The closing "Awaiting the Winter Frost" is added from the North from Here album, showcasing one of its highlights with a song beginning with grandiloquent orchestral keyboards and acoustic guitars before launching into a frozen speedfest of technically brilliant, bloodthirtsy blackened death. A decent though short overview of the development of Sentenced from 1991 to 1993, this EP is essentially obsolete save for completion-motivated Sentenced devotees, with the entirety of its contents being included on the Story: A Recollection compilation released by Century Media in 1998.

One song on here truly stands out - 90%

CoffinText, March 8th, 2009

Ah, The Trooper. A full throttle, merciless Metal classic with epic proportions that have graced the ears of just about everyone. I’m sure you, the reader, are already familiar with this bombastic tune, so how does Sentenced’s version match up to such a notorious number? Well, they pull it off, that’s for certain. For one, I have heard many, MANY other Iron Maiden covers, and there are few that actually kick this much ass! However, I have heard better, primarily from bands that do not use harsh vocals. Iron Maiden, as a band, are already well known for Bruce’s operatic approach and performance, so it is a little awkward to hear a growler like Taneli Jarva spewing out melodic vocal lines like “You take my life but I’ll take yours too/You’ll fire your musket but I’ll run you through” etc. I have to say though, that after a while, the cover does grow on you. But really, this is one fantastic cover. Miika nails that solo, spot on! Honestly, that’s truly saying something about this guy’s guitar playing capabilities.

However, the title cut isn’t the highlight of this EP. The non-album number, “Desert By Night”, hails as one of the best songs that Sentenced have ever produced, clearly hinting at the direction that the band would soon go in after this release. It’s progressive in a sense, complete with harmonious melodies and catchy hooks, while Jarva’s raspy vox adds epic and dark dimensions to the song’s aura. Similarities to North From Here are prevalent, although, as stated above, the band is beginning to shift directions into more melodic territory. “In Memoriam” is a standard Death Metal affair, originally from the Journey To Pohjola demo from 1992. Finally, the EP closes with “Awaiting The Winter Frost”, a track that’s nothing short of amazing. Read my review for North From Here for further description.

Sentenced are (were?) truly a band to be reckoned with. You can easily find this EP on the re-release of North From Here. But is it worth hunting down individually? You bet your ass it is! I don’t usually pay too much attention to EPs, but Sentenced is one of those bands that has changed that for me.

Wow... - 95%

The_Wanderer, February 24th, 2007

Okay, let's face it. Every melodic death metal band has covered an Iron Maiden song or two. And generally they execute the music part pretty well, and sometimes good vocalists like Mikael Stanne can make an interesting version with death vocals (see Dark Tranquillity - 22 Acacia Avenue). Then there are the complete failures that butcher the original song completely (In Flames - Murders in the Rue Morgue). But better than the original? Completely unheard of. I must confess...I think Sentenced has done it. This is much faster than the original, and the raspy vocals add power that the original lacked. The nicest part is that in some parts they have clean in the background, to keep the original vocal melodies intact. It's great. They nail the solo, even speed it up. In fact, the entire song is so much fucking faster that it's a minute shorter than the original. Also...as you listen to the vocals, it sounds like Sentenced is having a fucking blast playing this song. And I'm having a lot of fun listening to it. It hurts me to say this...but the Iron Maiden version sounds lame after this!


Anyway, enough ranting about the cover and title track. The second track, Desert by Night, is an awesome piece of early melodic death metal with some of the progressive and thrash influence that characterizes At the Gates, and more overt melody more commonly used by early DT and In Flames. If you are familiar with North From Here, it sounds like that. And it's great. Absolutely beautiful piano outro too. In Memorium is an older track from the Journey to Pohjola demo that was released between Shadows of the Past and North From Here. It is raw and brutal, with deep vocals (like the debut), but has some of the melody of the second. I tend to prefer the vocals on the second album, but this is still a good song, and good if you prefer the raw. Awaiting the Winter Frost is a song from North From Here, and a good addition to the EP. It starts with some folkish acoustic accompanied by haunting keyboard, before speeding up and going into metal. The "1, 2, 3, 4" is a bit cliche and weak, but the song itself is very dark, think raw early Gothenburg with a black metal atmosphere. There's also some really cool and odd bass sound in this song. In fact, this reminds me a bit of Amorphis's Tales From The Thousand Lakes. Great early Finnish death metal, like all early Sentenced. It is really too bad that bands like Sentenced and Amorphis went in the direction they did after the first few albums, because that sound was genius, and it is dead. If you're a fan of melodeath, or just death in general, check out some early Sentenced. This is a good EP to sample for it.