Hexvessel - Nocturne (2025)

Keeping things weird and unique as always, Mat McNerney is back with the current era of Hexvessel that has them playing a very frosty and powerful blend of Atmospheric Black Metal with some of the band’s earlier Dark Folk elements. In “Nocturne” the band shapeshifts a bit more, taking the BM elements of “Polar Veil”, and blending some harrowing bleak soundscapes with chilling vocals and a few guest appearances to keep things dreamy and weird.

With a mood setting opener and the chilling keyboards of “Sapphire Zephyrs”, the band sets a very desolate backdrop that masterfully is reinvigorated with piercing Black Metal-styled guitars and harsh screams. The transition to “Inward Landscapes” shifts the momentum to more atmospheric territories alongside Mat’s eerie clean vocals. One of our favorite tracks has to be the moody “A Dark Graceful Wilderness”, which gives us some “Dawnbearer” and “When We Are Death” vibes.

As the album continues with “Spirit Masked Wolf”, “Nights Tender Reckoning”, and “Mother Destroyer”, we are transported to a trance inducing world, thanks to the every present harsh guitars and masterful tempo changes, creating a sort of weird Isengard-meets-Nick Cave-meets and acid trip atmosphere. Multi-instrumentalist Kimmo Helén gives the band an extra set of dimensions with his versatility and knack for solemn instrumentation, like on the evocative “Concealed Descent”.

Featuring Yusaf Vicotnik Parvez on lead vocals in “Unworld”, we get a window into the madness a full-on collaboration would be between Hexvessel and Dødheimsgard. Definitely a very unique track that (almost) culminates a shapeshifting and complex release.If you thought “Polar Veil” was awesome, “Nocturne” takes things even further with deeper and more mystical compositions that create some truly unique and bleak soundscapes.

Label: Prophecy Productions

Release: June 13th, 2025

Genre: Dark Folk/Atmospheric Black Metal

Country: Italy