DAWNBEARER

Whiffs of the occult have flickered about the edges of the psychedelic folk and dark folk scenes for quite some time, but Hexvessel go above and beyond with it on this debut album, beginning with an invocation of hidden spirits and taking us on a mystical journey through the woodland, culminating in secret ceremonies in sacred groves. Their commitment to this concept is impressive, and they have the mystical musical chops to back it up.

Some have tied it in with the neofolk scene, though it seems to be genuinely apolitical (as opposed to the sham- "apolitical" that bands with dodgy politics like to claim they are even when they transparently aren't), leaning much harder on the occultism angle that some sections of neofolk play on and much less on nostalgia; whereas some neofolk bands like to dream of a long-ago pagan time that never truly was, Hexvessel are living a pagan life right here and now.

Thanks to my inadvertent settings on Spotify, I have been doggedly directed to HEXVESSEL by a disembodied virtual CD changer, only to slowly recollect that I added them to progarchives several years ago. A variety of valid reference points exist for this generally somber "forest folk" offering. Because the group is Finnish, apart from its leader, a British transplant, and because of their generally morose affect, my first observation is that they might be compared to countrymen TENHI, although here lyrics are English. More importantly, whereas TENHI's repetitive motifs tend to be sufficiently captivating on their own, yet ultimately deliver more, those of HEXVESSEL too often remain mired in neutrality, in need of augmentation that never materializes. This is especially apparent on most of the instrumentals, like "A Cabalist under the Gallows" and "Radiant Transcendent", which might have worked as bridges between songs if they were bisected.

Occasionally, particularly on the opener "Invocation Summoning" and "The Tunnel at the End of the lIght", the ghosts of 1980s era DAVID BOWIE or GARY NUMAN are lurking, seemingly the antithesis of the organic sound being sought, but I suppose neo folk as a pseudo-genre does conceal this lineage several pages into its resume, and leader Mcenerny cannot fully cloak his doom metal past, to the point where "Conversations with Rosa" could swap out acoustic for electric guitar and have almost the identical dampening and emotionally numbing effect, which leaves me profoundly disappointed.

Luckily, "Dawnbearer" is somewhat salvaged by a handful of superb performances scattered throughout, albeit a bit too sparsely to be wholly satisfying, and, more importantly, never permitting the immersion required for full appreciation. "Heart of the Mind World" is the first of these, with a wistful lead vocal and effective backing vocals in the absence of lead at the interludes. My favorite is the banjo enriched "The Death Knell Tolls" which is certainly the most pop oriented track here but in all the best ways, and not unlike the best from WOVEN HAND. Its main themes are most catchy but balanced with more reflective vocal and instrumental diversions. "Wayward Confessor" is haunting and awash in mellotron, like OPETH or RIVERSIDE at their most introspective. "Solomon's Song" is even more downbeat but just as lovely, and more reminiscent of STEELEYE SPAN or FAIRPORT CONVENTION when the male lead sings.

I wish I could accord this at times brilliant pagan folk album a higher rating, but its lack of consistency and its rather static instrumentals serve to derail any hope of stealing away deep within the rituals which the group appears to take so seriously. 2.5 stars rounded down due to insufficient editing.

"Dawnbearer" is the debut full-length studio album by Finland based (but multi-national) folk group Hexvessel. The album was released through Svart Records in February 2011. Hexvessel was founded by lead vocalist Mat "Kvohst" McNerney (real name: Mathew Joseph McNerney) after he had been in and out of Norwegian progressive black metal act Dødheimsgard for a couple of years. Kvohst joined Dødheimsgard for the recording of "Supervillain Outcast (2007)", but left the band again in January 2008. He reunited with Dødheimsgard again in 2010 but left again soon after. He has also released albums with artists like Void, Code, and Gangrenator. After relocating to Finland he formed Hexvessel and the rock group Beastmilk. The latter disbanded in 2015 and some of the members (including Kvohst) continued the band under the With Grave Pleasures monicker.

So needless to say that Kvohst is quite the prolific and eclectic musician. While many of his past adventures has been in black metal related acts, Hexvessel is a very different beast and shows a completely new side of the man´s talent. The material on "Dawnbearer" is in some sort of dark and psychadelic tinged folk style. Often almost ritualistic in its expression. An atmosphere which is further enhanced by monotone repetition. It´s the work of 60s and 70s folk artists like The Incredible String Band, Comus, Forest, Spirogyra, Jan Dukes de Grey, which come to mind, but Hexvessel brings a more contemporary edge to that style. On "Dawnbearer", Kvohst is joined by female vocalist Marja Konttinen and a host of guest/session musicians playing instruments like Harmonium, Gongs, Keyboards, Dulcimer, Zither, Psaltery, Bells, Drums, Percussion, guitar, Upright bass, Bowed Dulcimer, Hand Claps, Hand Drum, Bandoneon, Mandolin, and Banjo.

The outcome is a warm and organic instrumental soundscape complimented by the paatos filled vocals by Kvohst and Konttinen (who mostly sings harmony vocals and choirs). There is an eerie and dark psychadelic tone to the music and in usual Kvohst style the lyrics follow suit and paint gloomy absurd landscapes. Some may find the lyrics too "artsy" and pretentious, but personally I think this is some damn fine dark poetry. Kvohst is quite the brilliant vocalist with a distinct sounding voice and delivery, and the many well performed harmony vocals and choirs enhance the vocal part of the music greatly too.

The material on the 15 track, 54:29 minutes long album is generally well written, but some tracks are more interesting than others and while the overall quality of the album is relatively high, the long playing time does mean that the album overstays its welcome by about 10 minutes. Highlights include tracks like the Paul Simon cover "Diamonds", the opening track "Invocation Summoning", "The Tunnel at the End of the Light" (featuring Virus frontman Carl-Michael Eide on guest vocals), and "The Death Knell Tolls".

Upon conclusion "Dawnbearer" is a strong first release by Hexvessel, featuring high level musicianship, a well sounding production, and predominantly intriguing songwriting. As mentioned above there are some tracks which aren´t on par with the best material on the album and had the band weeded out those tracks, it would have made for an overall stronger release (they could easily have left out most of the instrumental tracks on the album). As it is a 3.5 star (70%) rating is still deserved though.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives)