Wednesday 27 March 2019

The Pilgrim - Walking Into The Forest (Album Review)


Release date: April 26th 2019. Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Walking Into The Forest – Tracklisting

Peace Of Mind
The Time You Wait
Sailor
Dragonfly
Sunset In The Desert
Brainstorm
Pendulum
When I Call Your Name
Secrets
Suite 2

Review

Walking Into The Forest is the new solo album by The Pilgrim. The Pilgrim is the solo project of Gabriele Fiori from famed Psych Stoner Rockers – Black Rainbows and Killer Boogie. Gabriele is also the owner of Heavy Psych Sounds. Walking Into The Forest is very different to other musical projects Gabriele is currently involved with. As The Pilgrim is a semi-acoustic Psych/Classic Rock/Folk Rock album with its heart and soul firmly rooted in Sixties and Seventies Rock.

The album is constantly engaging and mellow from the start. If you’re looking for the heavier sound that Gabriele is known for then it’s best to look elsewhere. Though the album does have its fair share of Heavy Rock moments. This album sees Gabriele offer a more emotional and heart-warming sound with personal lyrics holding everything together.

The vocals are engaging and offer a different perspective from what I’ve heard from Gabriele before. This is a good change of pace from Gabriele as he lives up quite rightly to The Pilgrim persona. The songs are very similar to each other but they all have their own distinctive sound and identity. Songs such as Peace Of Mind, The Time You Want, Sailor and Dragonfly show you that Gabriele has a cool deft touch at writing the calmer style of music compared to Black Rainbows.

Walking Into The Forest has an excellent cover of Hawkwind classic – Brainstorm– and it’s more a laid-back cover compared to the original. There are times on the album that Gabriele is laying his soul and personal feelings to closely to the bone at times and I admire his approach to the overall flow of the album. As this is perhaps his more personal and soulful album to date.

I’m always slightly wary when members of bands that I love and admire announce solo albums. As most of the time they’re so different from we’ve heard from the artist before that I kinda lose interest quickly. Wino and Scott Kelly are perhaps the only solo output that I enjoy from the Heavy Rock/Heavy Metal spectrum. Well you can add The Pilgrim to that list.

Walking Into The List surprised me in a huge way. It’s been on constant rotation since I’ve received the album to review. A good sign, personally for myself. The album is an excellent addition to Gabriele’s already impressive resume. I hope we hear more from The Pilgrim in the future as I feel there is a lot more to come in the years to come. Unless Gabriele is keeping this as a one-off release. I hope not.

Overall, Walking Into The Forest is a superb sounding album that has quite an emotional depth and a few hidden surprises along the way. You don’t have to be a fan of Black Rainbows to enjoy this album. You just need to be a fan of great music in general and that is what Walking Into The Forest actually is. A great album that offers a wide range of different musical elements and leaves you with a warm happy vibe that’s totally addictive and very hard to beat.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Claire at Purpler Sage PR for the promo. Walking Into The Forest will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds from April 26th 2019.

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