Review Summary: A solid metalcore album with cool sounding riffs.
I could easily criticize the shit out of Forevermore for their loose song writing, over-reliance on breakdowns, and lisp-ridden lead singer, but I’ll give them a break. Despite their obvious shortcomings,
Sojourner is a surprisingly fun metalcore album with more cool moments than a big budget action movie. While the band fail to escape clichés,
Sojourner is a bright, exciting album that still provides plenty of brutal moments. It’s just a shame they didn't try something unique with their talents.
This album is overproduced in the best possible way, which is not only evident by the sharp guitars but the perfect sound levels. Every instrument is equally audible and crystal clear, but not in the squeaky clean gay way. Although the lead male vocalist tries to fuck things up with his toy shop voice box, there is thankfully more screaming in the album than singing. Speaking of which, the screams are pretty good; they compliment the music nicely and subconsciously get you in the head banging mood.
The lead guitar is the center piece of the album and rightly so. On my first listen, I was impressed by the riffs which were simultaneously brutal and juicy. The guitar’s tone is of perfect density, sharpness, and melody, and whether or not you personally like the riffs, the tone ensures that they will always sound cool. The guitarist also seems to know a thing or two about ear-catching riffs that could never be described as boring, although once you get used to their style they may not impress as much. The djent style of lively, bouncy riffs is Forevermore’s addiction, and can anyone blame them? After all, they manage to make djent seem fresh and exciting, which is not an easy task.
Considering that the album is mainly reliant on its riffs, and the riffs rule,
Sojourner does not disappoint. It’s a solid metalcore album only hindered by the band’s refusal to think outside the box. If you’re looking for an enjoyable metalcore album you've come to the right place, just don’t expect a ground breaking one.
