HEXVESSEL have returned. They’ve unveiled the frost-bitten video clip ‚A Dark & Graceful Wilderness‘ as the spectacular first single taken from the forthcoming new album „Nocturne“. The seventh full-length of the enigmatic Finnish black metal shapeshifters has been slated for release on June 13, 2025.
Hexvessel – A Dark & Graceful Wilderness [official music video]
HEXVESSEL comment: „This song is a macrocosm of our new ‚Nocturne‘ album and it embraces all the elements that are represented throughout. It ranges from epic black metal structures that evoke nature’s grand epiphany to the minimal synths as we drone out to the chaos of wild space. All the influences are there from Thorns to Tangerine Dream, Darkthrone to Philip Glass to Dead Can Dance. As an artistic tradition, a ‚Nocturne‘ captures the essence of night, a somber veil where nature is the liminal path.“
While HEXVESSEL are based in Tampere, Finland, they were founded by English singer & songwriter Kvohst aka Mat McNerney after he moved to the country in 2009. In many ways, HEXVESSEL reflect their founder. The vocalist and songwriter has instigated and been involved in various bands ranging from UK black metal act CODE, a stint in Norwegian legends DØDHEIMSGARD, and to rock shooting stars BEASTMILK – later ‚continued‘ with GRAVE PLEASURES to name but a few of his success stories.
If there is a constant element in McNerney’s work, it is a permanent evolution and ever-lasting search for new forms of expression and artistic development. This also applies to HEXVESSEL – as the band shifted from using more folkish and psychedelic elements to their current incarnation as an atmospheric black metal outfit over the course of time. True to their nature as a musical enigma, none of that was ever exclusive but elements of the above as well as post-punk and other stylistic references have been there before and remain present.
With „Nocturne“, HEXVESSEL invite all souls on earth to a transcendental night ritual that is imbued with DARKTHRONE, TANGERINE DREAM, Philip Glass, and sounds unearthed from the dead past, now instilled with new life.
