With the arrival of Buried Alive I came to the conclusion that time really does fly. I didn't quite realize it until this double DVD/CD set found it's way to my mailbox, but it has been more than a year already since SENTENCED was carried to the grave and left a gaping hole in the metal scene.
One of the things that became apparent through interviews with the various bandmembers over the course of last year was that their gig on October the 1st 2005, in their hometown of Oulo, would be the last thing that they were ever going to undertake together. Buried Alive is a recording of that final moment and a more than worthy testament to the band's legacy.
In the two hour show which is featured on disc one we get treated to a setlist compromising pretty much every era of SENTENCED's career, from their early Death Metal days to the melancholic metal band that they ended up becoming. As a special surprise we even get a guest appearance by Taneli Jarva during a couple of their earlier songs, and while his performance doesn't even come close to Ville Laihiala's excellent showing that night, it is definitely a nice gesture towards both longtime fans as well as Jarva himself. After all he undoubtedly played an important role during SENTENCED's early years, and it is nice of them to acknowledge this. The concert itself sounds and looks excellent, and the lighting, coupled with the fact that this is the last performance of the band, makes sure that there is a feeling of melancholy noticeable throughout the entire gig. Of course there are plenty of highlights musically as well, like Sun Won't Shine, Nepenthe, Vengeance Is Mine and of course SENTENCED's trademark song Noose. The only small complaint you might have is the fact that the in between song banter isn't in English - but this is easily resolved by turning the subtitles on.
And if the first disc wasn't enough to satisfy your desire, there still is a second DVD as well. On here we find all of the band's videos (seven in total), a festival and club tour documentary (with plenty of live material in between of course), a photo gallery and two extensive interviews, one with Ville Laihiala and Sami Loppaka and one with Taneli Jarva. All of these features are also very much worth watching and contain plenty of dark & occasionally infantile (but no less funny) humor and nicely complement the first disc. Also included in the package are two audio discs which also have the final show in it's entirety on them, for exactly those times when you find yourself without a DVD player.
In the end Buried Alive is a fitting ending to SENTENCED's career and an absolute must-have, certainly if you are a fan of the band. Absolutely one of the better DVD releases of 2006.