Hexvessel - Dawnbringer (2011)

Band: Hexvessel
Country: Helsinki, Finland
Style: Psychedelic Folk/Rock
Label: Svart Records

I'm a fan of Kvohst, in most of his various bands like Code and Decrepit Spectre, so when I heard that he would be creating a new project I was intrigued. While the first track I heard didn't really impress me, the more I heard from this project, the more I liked it. This is the debut record from this project and he has stated that it is his most personal record to date.

Unlike his previous more experimental, progressive, and avant-garde metal bands, Hexvessel takes things into a more melancholic and acoustic realm of instrumentation. Large influences coming from 60's and 70's folk and psychedelic music, but in this case, channeling a darker and more occult lyrical style into it. You'll hear elements of old-time blues, The Death Knell Tolls, and near krautrock elements, Wayward Confessor, throughout as well as a variety of instruments such as violin, mandolin, harp, and harmonium. But in the end, this is still very much a folk based album.

This is much more of a record than a lot of bands put out nowadays, as every song really contributes to the whole of the disc, it's not just a collection of songs. Tracks link together without sounding like a single track or epic and just end up creating a dynamic series of tracks that can all be conjoined without flowing into one another. There's also a real sense of light and darkness on here, beauty and ugliness, as a track like I Am The Ritual is quite dark and foreboding, other tracks like Heart of The Mind World or A Stranger's Grave are beautiful and somber feeling.

Overall, it might just be that I really like Kvohst's voice that much, but I really enjoyed this record. It has all the darkness I like in metal, but put into a much more quiet and melancholic style that channels the greats of 60's and 70's music. If you are at all into psychedelic rock or occult music, check this out, you won't be disappointed.
Overall Score: 9.5
Highlights: Every Track Is A Highlight