Finnish "forest-folk" spellcasters Hexvessel traffic in occult-themed psychedelic pop and arcane pagan folk, citing a wide array of influences that include Shirley Collins, Coil, Steeleye Span, Nick Cave, and King Crimson.
The group emerged in 2009 with a lineup featuring vocalist Mat "Kvohst" McNerney, vocalist/percussionist Marja Konttinen, multi-instrumentalist and co-writer Kimmo Helén, guitarist Jesse Heikkinen, drummer/percussionist Jukka Rämänen, and field recording specialist and master of ambiance Antti Haapapuro. McNerney was already an established extreme metal provocateur in his native England, operating both at home and in the Norwegian black metal scene -- in addition to fronting Hexvessel, he leads the Finnish gothic pop outfit Grave Pleasures. Looking to lead a more settled, though no less creatively fulfilling life, he relocated to Finland, drawn by the country's rich runic history and pre-Christian heritage. The group introduced audiences to their wyrd folk in 2011 with the release of Dawnbearer, but it was their sophomore effort, 2012's No Holier Temple, that brought them out of the shadows. Nominated for two Finnish Grammy Awards, the group supported the album via high-profile performances alongside contemporaries like Alcest and Sabbath Assembly, and made their debut overseas at the 2013 South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. 2016 saw the group ink a deal with Century Media and release the well-received When We Are Death, and in 2019 they issued the alternately sinister and bucolic All Tree, which dealt with the connection between myth and nature . ~ James Christopher Monger
Hometown
Tampere, Finland
Genre
Rock
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