Hexvessel – No Holier Temple
Initial spins of this folk based vessel of nature worship, No Holier Temple, the second offering by Finland’s Hexvessel, rubs off as a hippier, more pagan minded relative of Anathema. Warm waves of 70’s rock, embellished by a horn section (?? I’m guessing here), violin, and organ/keyboards, sound expertly considered and quite memorable as you sit down and allow this music to chip away at your rugged exterior long enough to eventually enter a different kind of cult where there is dancing and rejoicing, rather than hopeless and satanic brooding in the night all because “women just don’t understand you”. A lot of hope and love for the living world pours out of these compositions. Having mentioned Anathema, I’m referring to their later Pink Floydian era, for Hexvessel embraces simplistic/soft harmonies and an inviting clean singing style with a very similar execution to Anathema, as found on the charming and honest track, “A Letter in Birch Bark”. Though you can tell all the musicians in this group can definitely play, Hexvessel humbly (and thankfully) keep the prog showmanship/wankery to a bare minimum, allowing the songs to take shape and take flight with an organic 70’s aura that thrives on every track. Longer songs are connected by the occasional shorter segment where poetic verses are spoken over sparse instrumentation, at times putting one in mind of Jim Morrison’s solo experimentation. No Holier Temple is a heady mix of metal-less musical celebration, reveling in the glory of old, though not pretentious folk rock. It’s the kind of music that definitely isn’t for the common demographic of folks that may read this blog, rather the more open minded souls that like their music earth based and created by musicians that probably don’t wear shoes very often. I won’t be spinning this CD much as the fire found in the first half burns out as it progresses, but it is a nice change of pace for sure. Hexvessel hold on and keep it together for the duration to hold my interest in spite of a lackluster ending. -Marty
Svart Records
Worm Gear 