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Empires of Ash

by Sojourner

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Middle Earth
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Middle Earth Starting here with an earlier album. Excellent Atmospheric Black Metal. Favorite track: Empires of Ash.
RJ
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RJ What an ambitious album - and to think it’s a debut album too. Sojourner have found an excellent way to create atmospheric black metal with significant folk contributions. Truly epic stuff. Somehow they just keep getting better with each release too. If you like this you’ll love the rest of their discography. 8/10 Favorite track: Empires of Ash.
Funeral Fog
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Funeral Fog Took me long enough to remember to get their 1st album. May 8th, I'll finally have all the current Sojourner albums.
more... more...
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  • Digipak CD
    Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    The CD pressing of 'Empires of Ash', released by Avantgarde Music.

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  • Sojourner Gold Logo Shirt
    T-Shirt/Apparel

    A classic logo shirt in metallic gold print with the Sojourner circlet on the back. Printed on Gildan Heavy Cotton and available exclusively through our Bandcamp!

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  • Sojourner Emblem Shirt
    T-Shirt/Apparel

    We are proud to present the Sojourner Emblem shirt, created for us by the fantastic Joan Llopis Doménech Ilustrations, in metallic gold print. Printed on Gildan Heavy Cotton and available exclusively through our Bandcamp!

    Visit Joan's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/joanllopisdomenechillustrations

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1.
Dark dominion Not a speck of light in sight Feverish and fatigued I walk Searching for that glimmer of hope Am I destined to find that which I seek? I follow the path laid out in front of me I follow... To who am I so bound? Where is this free will that eludes me now? To who am I so bound? Where is my free will? It eludes me now... Blinded ever still I attempt to claw my way out of this dark abyss The precocious arcane knowledge that I possess feels drained And alien to me now Soon enough I will find you I gather strength and release a flash of light Revealing the soul of the darkness It shows the way and a figure stands before me All along you were present within me Ages ago you vanished Uncertainty, confusion, hatred, relief You shall not escape again Staring down at torment itself I reveal all that plagued my soul My hatred resurfaces A sinister wave of energy emits from me Haunting memories, I shall not back down...I unleash Here you found your final resting place.
2.
Around me they circle Emerald tones of past and present Oaken beings stand tall The sturdy mounds of granite surround us all Sapphire glowing above Bask in the glory of our mother She protects us ever still... And so we shall reciprocate For without her glory We are but lost souls on a journey to nothingness Oh mother, hear our call We summon you to show us the way For we are lost in the wilderness... Within us, we bear the torch The virtues of our matriarch Embedded in our every being, to be awakened She is eternal After the eras of our occupation we shall soon wither And you shall so beautifully remain.
3.
At the top of the hill, a legion of the unknown gathers We stare into each others souls with malicious intent All on the line, we charge As it rages, seeming unlikely to cease They all clash, knowing their fates Arcane waves of energy flow through the air Steel dips itself in blood Here they all shall die with honour The landscape now painted crimson The sanguine liquid caressing the ground No sign of sheathing, it rages on Dusk approaches, limbs now ache Death yearning to embrace our souls Sons of the earth wage in a battle for the honour of ancients The gods look down on us and smile with satisfaction Songs will be sung around embers Whispers in the night will accompany our feats Moon light comforting our trek away from home Stories told of all odysseys in the wake of victory For it shall be told Here, in faraway lands Blood was split Fight with honour, they said Die with dignity Fate approaches blindly Bound by blood Through the endless night They send us off To meet our gods.
4.
Beneath these hills there runs a stream A blood-red course where dead men dream In winter’s cold, their ghosts I see Their Pale Host ever follows me Their pyres burned high, their arms they gleamed And now they lie in Glory’s sleep And though I lived, the light to see The Pale Host still walks beside me They wander far, grey banners high Though ‘neath these hills their bones still lie Long through the mists and wilds they roam But the Pale Host never will march home.
5.
Homeward 09:14
The dust settles Tumultuous feeling, we rise Walk the fields in search of our own Lifeless many lay So many slain Our enemies quaked in fear Our swords drove strong Barren fields now covered in blood The battle cry resounded throughout these lands Weary, we retrieve them all Prepare them for their journey Onwards to eternity we send them off Into the hands of the gods We now march back to those we love We sheathe our weapons and begin our journey homeward Battered, our feet rest firmly in the soil We look upon the stars, pondering Green pastures over the horizon, awaiting Soon it shall come to pass Destiny encompasses Broken and battered souls carried away by the wind Oh, Greatness The smell of blood no longer lingers Onward to reward, pursuits of bliss Lifelong time of battles cease forever It creeps over the bend We see... Oh, greatness It creeps over the bend We see, we yearn, we deserve I fall to my knees Lash out a cry of contentment Home is where I shall dwell Battles waged for years and years Here I shall rest until my dying day
6.
Through the peaks and valleys, oceans, and fields This wondrous habitat thrives Serenity infects the skies Peaceful as the evening clouds cry And as amber rises at dawn We reflect as if all is gone The tides turn, the winds sway And as it all rests on the drip of the hourglass It shall renew itself and restore balance Serenity infects the skies Peaceful as the evening clouds cry And as amber rises at dawn We reflect as if all is gone The tides turn, the winds sway And as it all rests on the drip of the hourglass It shall renew itself and restore balance The earth roars with tremendous might The power of its rumble, a flame ignites Rejoicing in rays Dampen my being Sift through endless moss, a feeling so fleeting To be regained once more Through the ages, nature tore...
7.
On these frostbitten plains I await A withering realm, a mere shadow of its former self Dilapidated and lonely We chose to fight for a cause Honour, pride, dignity, and love Through the passage of time, it became exposed Attempting to reclaim what was never ours From the pebbles that dance in the rivers To the leaves that glide in the wind The rays that warm the pastures And the rain that spawns new life We were once one Now blinded by selfish deceit Drifting further and further away We were once one Now blinded by deceit We drift further away Through ashes of our once great host Travel through continents to lands unknown Yet we witness faceless clones of our adopted reality Transcendence non-existent The final bell begins to toll Far from redemption We slowly burn all scrolls Extinction, we beseech Anguished, I tread Wondering why? Watching all die Empires of Ash, cry! From the pebbles that dance in the rivers To the leaves that glide in the wind The rays that warm the pastures And the rain that spawns new life No longer shall we rise above our failures No longer shall we chant The end is nigh We interred our kingdom...

about

'Empires of Ash' is our debut album, released via Avantgarde Music in May 2016.

Empires of Ash Reviews:
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"Three words will suffice to summarize 'Empires of Ash': violent, atmospheric, beautiful." - valkyrieswebzine.com

"Sojourner integrate various instrumentation such as tin whistle, piano, and an array of synth work to evoke a heroic and defiant atmosphere that would sit proudly alongside James Horner’s 'Braveheart' soundtrack (if it were more metal of course)." - deadrhetoric.com

"To me the best way to describe it is like walking the pages of a fantasy novel. You have the atmosphere, beauty, struggle, sadness, and reconciliation. Fans of atmospheric black metal rejoice, Sojourner has made their mark and I am excited to see what the future holds for this band." - themetalwanderlust.com

"For those of you who like your atmospheric black metal records to sound more akin to a 'Lord of the Rings' movie score, this is your album. Sojourner’s debut is simply put, one of the best black metal records of the year." - metal-fi.com

"A pleasant surprise that easily gives established atmospheric nature-metal acts such as Fen or Saor a run for their money; this is definitely one to check out." - metalreviews.com

credits

released May 25, 2016

Emilio Crespo - Vocals
Mike Lamb - Guitars, Piano, Synth, Drums
Chloe Bray - Guitars, Tin Whistle, Vocals
Mike Wilson - Bass

All songs written by Mike Lamb & Chloe Bray

Produced, recorded & engineered by Mike Lamb
at Ghost Bird Studios in St. Andrews, Scotland

All guitars recorded by Mike Lamb in St. Andrews, Scotland
Bass recorded by Mike Wilson at The Beardroom in Wellington, NZ

Emilio’s vocals recorded at Arcane Studio in Malmö, Sweden
Chloe’s vocals recorded at DM Studios in Dundee, Scotland

All lyrics written by Emilio Crespo,
except 'The Pale Host' written by Chloe Bray

Mixed & mastered by Gabriele Gramaglia in Milan, Italy

Cover art by Jordan Grimmer, 2016

Ghost Bird Studios contact:
ghostbirdstudios@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/metalsojourner
www.instagram.com/sojournermetal

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about

Sojourner Dunedin, New Zealand

Sojourner is an Atmospheric Metal band formed in 2014 with members from New Zealand, Sweden & Italy.

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