Hexvessel is the brainchild of Mat “Kvohst” McMercenery, whose résumé consists of a wide array of death and black metal acts, including Dødheimsgard and Code. Like many metalheads before him, Kvohst has his roots in folk music and like many metalheads before him, it turns out Kvohst can put together some damn good folk songs. Hexvessel’s debut, Dawnbearer, is a catchy collection of distinctly British psychedelic folk songs.

Dawnbearer blends the quirky and the serious in a distinctly British manner. It’s an album full of memorable melodies and vocal lines, but at the same time, Kvohst takes his paganism very seriously. There is a strong sense of reverence at the core of the album, giving power to the lyric’s shamanistic imagery. Kvohst’s vocals are the strength of the album. Standing somewhere between Peter Murphy’s gothic croon and the more suave sounds of Morrissey, Kvohst blends style, substance and a healthy dose of strangeness. While he lets out deep, ghostly bellows on “The Tunnel at the End of the Light,” he provides soothing, gentile vocals on “I am the Ritual”. Musically, the wide array of instruments—violin, accordion, mandolin, dulcimer and just about every kind of percussion instrument imaginable—provide a solid and engaging background. Kvohst arranges this plethora of instruments with excellent care, knowing when to throw in the kitchen sink and when to keep the sound simple.

The only thing that brings the album down is that there are way too many filler tracks. While the vocal tracks are almost universally enjoyable (the god-awful cover of Paul Simon’s “Diamonds” being the exception), the instrumental tracks fail to add anything to album. The compositions are not complex enough to grab the listener’s attention, nor are the melodies as powerful as those on the vocal tracks. Consequently about 20 minutes of the album sounds like the soundtrack to some art house movie—nothing offensive, but also nothing that can stand on its own. Had these instrumental tracks been replaced with two or three more vocal tracks, Dawnbearer would have been a more consistent album.

In spite of the fact that you may have to reach for the skip button one time too many, Dawnbrearer is still an example of psychedelic folk done right; odd yet entertaining, imaginative but straightforward. Add in a lot of interesting arrangements and an impressive vocal effort and Dawnbrearer is sure to please most psych folk fans.

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Written by Jael

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