Hexvessel - His portal tomb (video)

New from Finnish cult/psychrockers Hexvessel off their latest record "No holier temple".

Hexvessel mixtape - Houses of fir

Cult Nation has a new mixtape curated by Finnish neofolkers Hexvessel available for free download: http://www.cvltnation.com/cvlt-nationhouses-of-fir-mixtapecurated-by-hexvessel/

Hexvessel - Woods to conjure (video)

The first track from Hexvessel's upcoming album "No holier temple", due out September 7 via Svart Records.

Beastmilk
Use your deluge
Svart Records

Now this is where it's at! This four-tracker kicks off like the ugly cousin of something that The Cult would have put out back in the day and it's immediately evident where talk of the Helsinki quartet being a lo-fi outfit comes from. It's not that they're lo-fi though, it's more that the guitars have been given a dirty post black metal(ish) production and remain subdued when compared to the sublime vocals. They're like an apocalyptic marriage of the voices of Ian Astbury and the enigmatic Czral from Norwegian oddballs Virus. Kvhost of Hexvessel infamy is the man here and he simply kills. After opening track "Void mother" the band venture into a more retro-based aesthetic and, as weird as it might sound, from here on out "Use your deluge" is probably best described as hippy '60s surf-punk for the 21st Century. There are many influences at work here and the concept has clearly been built from a punk foundation. It's also a grower that runs from "not sure" to "utterly amazing" in the space of a few days. Awesome stuff.
- John Norby

New Hexvessel confirmed for September

Excellent Finnish occult rockers Hexvessel have announced that their sophomore album will be called "No holier temple" and will be released on September 5 via Svart Records, both on CD or 2LP. And speaking of Svart, their latest release from similarly-minded act Jess and the Ancient Ones is streaming in full now via Terrorizer: http://www.terrorizer.com/blog1.php/2012/05/22/terrorizer-stream-jess-and-the-ancient-ones

Svart Records spring release schedule

Svart Records' upcoming release schedule is bonkers -- in addition to the new Beastmilk and Hexvessel 7"s, as well as the "Dawnbearer" 2LP repress, they've also got like 5 new releases coming out every week from May through June. Here's the Finnish/Scandinavian highlights:

05/09 - Sähkö-Isku - Sata kaljaa 12"
05/09 - Kovaa Rasvaa 7"
05/09 - Problems? - Ei tää lama päähän käy 7"
05/09 - Unicef - Käkimassaa 7"
05/09 - Kollaa Kestää - Jäähyväiset aseille LP
05/16 - Abhorrence - Completely Vulgar 2LP / CD
05/23 - Jess and the Ancient Ones LP/CD
05/23 - Callisto - Noir 2LP
05/23 - Sarcofagus - Envoy of Death LP
05/23 - Sarcofagus - Go To Hell 7"
05/23 - Kimmo Kuusniemi Band - Moottorilinnut LP + DVD
05/30 - CMX - Kolmikärjen veljeskunta 4LP
05/30 - Musta Paraati - Peilitalossa LP
05/30 - Reverend Bizarre - Crush The Insects 2LP
05/30 - Rattus - WC räjähtää LP
05/30 - Mana Mana - Maria Magdalena 7"
06/06 - Pelle Miljoona & NUS LP
06/06 - Pelle Miljoona & 1980 - Pelko ja viha LP
06/06 - Carpathian Forest - Strange Old Brew LP
06/06 - Candlemass - Ancient Dreams 2LP

Hexvessel - Preachers orchard

An old track from Hexvessel circa 2009 soon to be (re?) released on 7" to coincide with the band's appearence at Roadburn. More info here.

Beastmilk - Void mother

Absolutely killer new apocalyptic postpunk from Finland, featuring Kvohst from Hexvessel on vocals. The band's new 4-song EP "Use your deluge" will be out on March 27 via Svart Records.

Hexvessel - I am the ritual (video)

An excellent new video from Finnish neofolk act Hexvessel.

Hexvessel - I am the ritual (live video)

Quality crowd footage of Hexvessel performing "I am the ritual", live in Helsinki on May 27.

Hexvessel podcast at The Soggy Bog

Mat Kvhost of Hexvessel contributed a new podcast mix for The Soggy Bog of Doom: http://thesoggybogofdoom.podomatic.com/player/web/2011-06-23T08_41_09-07_00

Lodge Doom
Visions of Dunkelheit
SenzaVib

Lodge Doom are a Swedish act who play a sort of grandiose hybrid of heavy progressive rock and folk (Scandinavian and otherwise) that, while often quite ostentatious, largely succeeds due to an obvious and persistent concept and ambition. Bookended by a pair of atmospheric interludes, "Visions of Dunkelheit" covers a vast musical terrain that approaches both the mellower moments of Amorphis and the pagan folk of Hexvessel and beyond, yet always remains anchored by the excellent violin playing of main instrumentalist Thomas von Wachenfeldt and the band's overriding dark vision. Whereas the band's previous release "The Walpurgis Night EP" suffered from an inadequate recording that failed to match the band's large aspirations, there are no such issues here -- "Visions of Dunkelheit" sounds every bit as big as their ideas and so it succeeds in most every way. My only complaint however, and unfortunately not a small one, is that the vocals don't always measure up quite so well. Whether it's a matter of distinction or range, it's the one thing that keeps this good album from being a great one.
- Avi Roig

Hexvessel
Dawnbearer
Svart Records

It's quite an enigmatic release, this debut from Finland's Hexvessel. It's enigmatic in that it's profoundly strange; in some places it's like the alternate soundtrack to "The Wicker Man", exuding an off-kilter folk presence that is somewhat unnerving, while in other places it's simply beautiful, as if this is the music of the fairies. Of course, given the name of both band and album, together with the ritualistic cover art and black metal-type song titles, it comes as quite a surprise that's there's no metal here whatsoever. Instead, "Dawnbearer" is just under an hour of psychedelic folk music that conjures up visions of lace-clad maidens dancing around a hayfield on a late summer's eve. That might sound a bit strange, but give this a spin and you'll know exactly what I mean. If occult '70s folk is your thing then this will quite possibly be your release of the decade.
- John Norby

MP3: Hexvessel - Wayward confessor

Not to diss on Torpedo, but when I imagine the soundtrack to the end-times, I tend to think of Apocalyptic Folk or the "metaphysical black'n'roll" of Okkultokrati. Hexvessel fit into the former category and provided a perfect soundtrack for my apocalyptic/disaster-prep book club meeting last night where we discussed the first half of the anthology "Brave New Worlds: Dystopian Stories". Amongst other similar artists, naturally, many more of which I will be listening to as I await the coming drift of the radiation cloud headed now for the Pacific coast.

Hexvessel - Wayward confessor

Quarterly report: Q12011