Sojourner

Hand of Kalliach – Corryvreckan Review

Hand of Kalliach – Corryvreckan Review

“A Scottish husband and wife duo, Hand of Kalliach is self-described as melodic death metal that is interwoven with Celtic and Gaelic folk music and has been making wholly distinct music defying implied genre confines since 2020. Their yet-brief existence has already spawned an independent EP and LP, and now a sophomore full-length under the Prosthetic Records banner. Swift underground successes and unique sonic signifiers are all well and good, but when it comes to Corryvreckan, does innovation translate to a worthwhile listen?” Marriage Metal!

Sgàile – Traverse the Bealach Review

Sgàile – Traverse the Bealach Review

“I get few opportunities for hiking thanks to my urban-adjacent residency, but were I to pick my ideal hiking spot, the Scottish Highlands would be up there. In lieu of a plane ticket, it seems I must settle for yet another spin of Traverse the Bealach, the long-distance hiking-inspired concept album about a nomad’s journey through post-apocalyptic Scotland, from Tony Dunn’s Sgàile. Dunn has an impressive resume that spans playing bass in Cnoc an Tursa, singing for Falloch, and some live performances with his former bandmate Andy Marshall’s Saor, but Sgàile is his one-man show.” Walkabout-core.

Miasmata – Unlight: Songs of Earth and Atrophy Review

Miasmata – Unlight: Songs of Earth and Atrophy Review

“The epic and atmospheric, fantasy-inspired black metal stylings of Sojourner continue to go from strength to strength, with 2018’s very good outing, The Shadowed Road, matched by last year’s Premonitions, which – if not actually better – was, as Eldritch Elitist said in his List, “a far more consistent effort” than its predecessor. But, wherever Sojourner’s travels take them next, they will be going there without New Zealand bassist, Mike Wilson, who has set off into the back metal wilderness for a sojourn of his own, with his new solo project Miasmata.” Participation atrophy.

Cor Scorpii – Ruin Review

Cor Scorpii – Ruin Review

“2018 has been a damn good year for folk-oriented black metal. Okay, quantitatively speaking, that’s not true at all; more accurately, there have been two particularly captivating releases in the new Sojourner and Vallendusk records that on their own have single-handedly carried the style in recent months. This seems more than a bit unfair to Norway’s Cor Scorpii. Formed from the ashes of Windir by drummer Steingrim and guitarist Strom (neither of whom are actually still in this band), their decade-in-the-making sophomore effort, Ruin, is relatively featureless when stacked against the current crop of folk-black trailblazers.” Folking in the ruins.

Sojourner – The Shadowed Road Review

Sojourner – The Shadowed Road Review

“For just a moment I’m going to break Angry Metal Guy‘s most sacred of journalistic vows to explain how Sojourner’s The Shadowed Road ended up in my undeserving hands. Occasionally, one of our editors will send out an office-wide memo requesting a quick turnaround on a high profile review. Such was the case with Sojourner’s sophomore effort, and while this Swede-Kiwi joint venture yielded a decent debut in 2016’s Empires of Ash, what I perceived as a safe, derivative take on the atmospheric black/folk formula failed to hoist me up on the bandwagon. Volunteering to cover its follow-up, then, was an action born as much from curiosity as it was from a desire to stem undeserved hype. Well, fuck me running, because this time the hype is more than deserved.” All aboard the H-train.