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
