Hexvessel

Led by British singer-songwriter Mat McNerney, who settled in Helsinki after a background in the extreme metal scene, Hexvessel has been developing a psychedelic folk strongly marked by Finnish forest imagery since the late 2000s. Born initially as a private project before evolving into a band with a fluid lineup, Hexvessel blends acoustic folk, progressive rock and occult-rock influences, favoring slow atmospheres, dense vocal harmonies and a constant engagement with myth and nature. The debut album Dawnbearer (2011) established this “forest folk” aesthetic tinged with psychedelia, continued on No Holier Temple (2012) where ritual elements and extended structures were amplified. With When We Are Death (2016) Hexvessel moved toward more direct songwriting, powered by more electric guitars and formats closer to alternative rock, then returned to a more acoustic, pastoral vein on All Tree (2019). Kindred (2020) and Polar Veil (2023) accentuate contrasts by reintroducing darker hues — at times recalling post-punk and atmospheric black metal — while retaining the folk-based melodic core that defines Hexvessel. The group performs regularly across European rock, metal and psych scenes, moving between intimate clubs and specialist festivals, situated at the crossroads of folk counterculture, 1970s psychedelic heritage and the experimental tendencies of the contemporary Finnish scene.