Anglo-Finnish dark folk diviners take a turn for the extreme on sixth album.
Finland-based expat Brit Mat McNerney’s musical journey has led him down many fascinatingly gloomy musical avenues, from head-spinning avant-garde metallers Dødheimsgard to black-hearted post-punk revivalists Grave Pleasures. Over the last decade, he’s devoted a chunk of his energy to Hexvessel, whose shapeshifting sound has slipped between dark, arboreal folk and occult psych rock.
Polar Veil signifies a big sonic shift. While McNerney’s haunted croon remains intact, here it’s wrapped up in wind-blasted guitars that call back to the 1990s black metal scene, which the singer was weaned on. The Tundra Is Awake and Listen To The River summon images of isolated nights in snowy wastelands, be they in Scandinavia or - in the case of A Cabin…
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Prog (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 143