Aethyrick - Pilgrimage (2022)

Releasing their third album in three years, Finnish mysterious duo Aethyrick show no limits to their creativity and melancholic sound with “Pilgrimage”. Featuring 42 minutes of bleak and desolate Melodic Black Metal, the band’s sound continues to get refined and streamlined perfectly delivering highly emotional pieces with a compact core sound.

The aural journey begins with the incisive “The Turning Away” and its piercing subtle atmospherics, perfectly paired with intricate guitar work. Those minimalist keyboards work wonders when used to accent a well written track. As the band settles into this release, “In the Chapel of One Spirit”, “Threefold Resurrection”, and “Winds of the Wanderer” brilliantly shift the mood from blistering to more introspective and melodramatic as in the latter track.

Our personal favorite track has to be the magical “A Brother to the Stars” and the dramatic combination of uplifting atmospherics and razor sharp riffs, packaged in a very moody and yet sublime progression. Bringing back some of the late 90’s guitar driven Melodic Black Metal, “Hallowed Bloodline” sets a very engaging start as it transitions into more contemporary BM territories.

Saving one of the most mellow tracks for last, “Kingdom” closes a highly emotional and diverse release with a bang. Aethyrick continues to amaze us with their incisive and yet well balanced Black Metal that pleases both fans of the more melodic and aggressive sides of the genre. If you thought their previous releases were good, this one is perfectly up to par with those. If you have never heard of this band, you are completely missing out.

Label: The Sinister Flame

Release: March 31st, 2022

Genre: Melodic Black Metal

Country: Finland