Pilgrimage – From Amber To Sun

Vicky

I had only briefly heard of Pilgrimage in my Doom/Goth/Death Metal groups of friends when some of them said that this band was very promising. I’ve listened to its debut album – Sigil of the Pilgrim Sun – in the Pandemic era, but I have to admit that, to my embarrassment, I completely forgot about it. I have to thank the manager of Metal Eclipse Reviews, our fellow cat lover and Metal enthusiast, Catto, for reminding me that Pilgrimage is about to release a new album, From Amber To Sun. And it’s a very good one.

This is the first album released in 2025 that I didn’t have to listen to over and over again, so that it would “grow on me”. No, From Amber To Sun is a masterpiece of the Gothic Death Metal genre from start to finish. You pretty much like it from the start, and you begin to adore it with every listen. So far, I would call this album the best one of the year, but we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves.

The members of Pilgrimage are most certainly experienced. They are known for their collaboration (or previous collaboration) with various well-known bands, such as: Weeping Silence, Stream of Passion, Saint Vermin, Daeonia, Victims of Creation, and various others. Not to mention the fact that they have two guest features on From Amber To Sun, by the vocalist Heike Langhans (ex-Draconian, Light Field Reverie, Remina, :LOR3L3I:, ex-ISON, Sojourner, etc.), and the cellist Elianne Anemaat (Adoma, Celestial Season, ex-Sundqvist, ex-Karmaflow).

Over the past few days, From Amber To Sun has projected onto me numerous emotions: sorrow, serenity, relief, joy, and a sense of anticipation – the lyrics share a story that one must read while listening to the music. The Death Metal background is surprisingly melodic. I, for one, as a fan of the darker shades of Metal, have noticed Gothic nuances, and even slightly more Atmospheric ones, often their approach being similar to that of Gothic Metal legends Crematory or Doom Metal masters Draconian.

However, probably the most important question that From Amber To Sun raises is: does Doom Metal truly exist? Because we have gotten used to Doom Metal as being a melancholic genre, yet if we trace it back to its My Dying Bride origins, we can consider it a “slower-than-usual Death Metal”. Thus, since Pilgrimage plays a slower Death Metal, we can consider it to be even Doom Metal. And the gloomier, more sorrowful passages resemble those you can find in Gothic Metal. This slight dispute between Gothic and Doom Metal might actually only be solved by the band members. Until then, I am certain of the fact that the album From Amber To Sun will give birth to a new wave of Gothic/Doom/Death Metal, with its rich layers of melody, and its profound lyrics. If you don’t believe me, go check out the album for yourself when it’s released. I promise you won’t regret it.

Label: Meuse Music Records

Release date: August 29, 2025

Website: https://pilgrimageofdoom.bandcamp.com/

Country: Netherlands/ Malta

Score: 4.8/5.0