This is the second album I've heard from SENTENCED. Let me say right away -- I did not expect this from the Finns. If their album "Down" imprinted itself in my memory as a masterpiece that belongs in every collection, then this record simply shook me. As with the first time, I was intrigued by the distinctive sonic design of the disc. Here it's birds -- seagulls, if I'm not mistaken. Everything begins with them and everything ends with them. A superbly conveyed mood. The melancholy and sadness of a sunny morning -- a morning in late November. Plenty of memorable melodies. Arpeggios, solos -- all of it transmits an inimitable atmosphere of sorrow. It permeates everything here. Ville Laihiala's voice carries notes of detachment from the vanity of this world. As I already noted, the musical arrangement is superb; there is none of the standard track-by-track structure. One melody flows smoothly into the next. Everything is crafted for the precise conveyance of mood. A resemblance to the work of Ville Valo and H.I.M. is noticeable, but not in the music -- only in certain vocal passages, nothing more! This album was created from the soul and for the soul.
