Album Review: Sojourner - Premonitions
Reviewed by Paul Hutchings
Folking black metal. Not my favourite genre by a country mile. The twee combination of blast beats and accordions, frantic riff walls and hurdy gurdy etc do little for me. But there’s something a bit different about ‘Premonitions’, the third album from Sojourner. I’m not sure if it’s the lack of the folk heavy instruments apart from the clever use of the tin whistle, the solid construction and composition of the songs or the blend of melody and intensity which breathes a fresh approach. Whatever it is, ‘Premonitions’ is overall an enjoyable album.
Utilising the contrast between harsh growls (Emilio Crespo) and the ethereal vocals of Chloe Bray, the album opens with the brooding atmospheric ‘The Monolith’, all sweeping keys thick riffs. The band, who are spread across New Zealand, Italy and Sweden move up a gear on ‘Eulogy For The Lost’, one of five songs on this album that clock in at over seven minutes in length. The tin whistle isn’t a tool that is used very often in metal, but when the use is reasonably sparing it becomes a useful tool, adding harmonies without becoming overpowering. When the band get into full flow there is a delightful juxtaposition between the explosive power and the shimmering delicacies which are laced through the release. It’s hard to label Sojourner as black metal, but the roots are evident occasionally, such as the explosive tremolo riffing on ‘The Apocalyptic Theater’, one of several songs where Bray and Crespo interact with each other strongly.
The synthesis of folk and black metal provides a broad canvas which allows the wide range of melodies and rhythms to merge. At times it’s desolate, yet there is something captivating in the sound that the band produce. ‘Talas’, the shortest track on the album, takes a completely different route, with Bray’s ghostly vocals accompanied mainly by keys and synths in a melancholic change of direction. There is some repetition, with the use of thick, expansive keyboard intros a familiar tool in the band’s arsenal. Crespo’s growls are limited in variation, but he uses them well, taking centre stage on ‘Fatal Flame’ to solid effect.
Sojourner amalgamate a wide range of musical forms to provide a soundscape that at times is captivating and unpredictable. ‘Premonitions’ is unlikely to have mass appeal, but if you like your music crafted with creativity and passion, then this is an album well worth a listen.
'Premonitions' is released via Napalm Records on May 8th
