Miika Tenkula

Miika Tenkula (6 March 1974 – 18 February 2009)[2][3] was a Finnish heavy metal musician. He was the lead guitarist and the main songwriter for the band Sentenced until it disbanded. He was also the band's original vocalist from 1989 to late 1992.

Miika Tenkula
Also known as	M. Steelgrave[1]
Born	6 March 1974 Muhos, Finland
Died	18 February 2009 (aged 34)
Genres	Death metal, melodic death metal, gothic metal
Occupation(s)	musician
Instruments	Guitar, Vocals, Bass, Keyboards
Years active	1989–2005
Labels	Century Media
Associated acts	Sentenced

Death

After Sentenced disbanded, Tenkula withdrew from publicity. He died of a sudden heart attack caused by genetic heart disease at his home in the town of Muhos 18 February 2009. His former band members remembered him by publishing an obituary in the official Sentenced webpage on 22 February 2009:[4] "a dear friend, a truly remarkable artist and musician, and the very soul of what used to be Sentenced. Rest now, brother – in your music and our hearts you will live forever."

An open memorial was held in the Club Teatria in the city of Oulu on 18 April 2009. The ceremony featured music and a concert film, Buried Alive, which was their last concert and had been filmed in the same location in 2005. Music included Tenkula's favourite artists and cover versions from the Sentenced songs by various Finnish artists.

Finnish melodic death metal band Insomnium's song "Weighed Down with Sorrow" from their 2009 album Across the Dark is dedicated to Tenkula.[5]

References

1. Sentenced - Questions Archived 2009-02-24 at the Wayback Machine mhs.fi. 2002. Retrieved on 2009-08-02.
2. "Kuolleita". Kaleva (66/2009): 6. March 8, 2009.
3. Former Sentenced Guitarist's Cause Of Death Revealed Archived 2009-06-29 at the Wayback Machine. 2009-06-26. Retrieved on 2009-07-02.
4. "S E N T E N C E D". Sentenced.org. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
5. "Insomnium Guitarist Ville Friman on the Inevitable Truths of Critique". Guitarworld.com. Retrieved 1 December 2017.