Folk-influenced atmospheric metal quintet Sojourner are gearing up to release their new, third album, Premonitions, on May 8th via Napalm Records. The group’s lineup spans the globe, with band members hailing from New Zealand, Sweden and Italy. It makes sense then that when we spoke to Sojourner’s Mike Lamb (guitars, piano, synths/keyboards) to spotlight five albums that changed his life, his picks spanned artists from Sweden, Italy, Canada and the U.S.
Agalloch – Pale Folklore
I found this album at a point in my life where it made an impact on literally everything that came after and shaped my entire approach to writing and listening to music.
Katatonia – Discouraged Ones
This album was probably the saddest thing ever committed to tape, and it hasn’t lost any of that edge over time. Like Pale Folklore, it came along at just the right time in my musical evolution.
Novembre – Novembrine Waltz
There’s something about Novembre’s autumnal, dreamy atmosphere that I had never really heard in anything else at the time. Novembrine Waltz, Classica and Materia will always have a special place for me.
HEALTH – Vol. 4 :: Slaves of Fear
It feels really weird to have an album as recent as 2019 on here, but this album came along during the hardest years of my life and it helped get me through it more than anything else. I really leaned on this album hard.
The Birthday Massacre – Walking with Strangers
This is the kind of band I’m sure I’d get heat for, but I absolutely adore the Birthday Massacre. They’re the perfect distillation of that synth-driven dream-pop nostalgia that reminds you of a time that never really existed but feels like your entire childhood.
