Sojourner - Gateways (2026)

Creating a very atmospheric and epic blend of Gothic and Black Metal, today we have Sojourner and their third full-length release: “Gateways”. Featuring a fantasy inspired theme, this outfit delivers seven tracks of lush and elegant music filled with masterful contrasts and a hefty dose of heaviness. Greatly enhancing their sound and improving since their last release, this outfit creates a very dynamic and engaging release that any fan of their earlier work will love.

Quickly setting a very melancholic vibe, “Dawnrays” opens up this release with solemn piano arrangements that quickly transition into Doomy territories. The addition of Heike Langhans on vocals, changes the band’s sound slightly, but it adds more emotional depth to the female vocals, rapidly showcased by opener and “An the Paintings Fall”. There is a certain magic to Heike’s vocals, and it is very cool to hear them in a different concept than her other work with Draconian, Remina, and Lightfield Reverie.

Focusing on creating engaging atmospherics, this release masterfully delivers songs like “Lunar Tear”, “Occultation”, and “Epitaphs”, tracks filled with lush instrumentation. The band’s heavier side is very polished, delivering heavy melodic guitars, piercing drumming and savage harsh vocals when needed. That perfect balance is what many bands fail at, but these guys completely nail it. Shaking things up, “Vvardenfell”, from the island of The Elder Scrolls universe, has a certain Summoning vibe that contrasts a bit from the other tracks but its folky elements are masterfully blended with the band’s expansive sound.

As a whole, “Gateways” shows a more dynamic and engaging side to Sojourner. While their earlier releases are very good, this one feels a step above due to some of the member changes and the cohesiveness they achieved for this release. If you love lush atmospheric elements, fierce harsh onslaughts, and great clean female vocals, getting this release is a no-brainer. We can only hope to see the band live in the near future, as some of these songs sound like they would be killer in a live setting.

Rating: 97/100