Review Summary: The end of life's forest approaches...
Despite the melancholia often associated with man’s ultimate fate, Hexvessel manage to paint a somewhat brighter picture of our inevitable passing with their latest album
When We Are Death. Though the Finnish sextet offer a handful of bleak tracks throughout, such as the solemn ‘Mirror Boy’ or subdued closer ‘Hunter’s Prayer’, the atmosphere never quite dips into dismal territory, instead dancing above with a refreshingly positive attitude. It's always interesting to experience an alternative interpretation, especially one that goes against the cliché, and opener ‘Transparent Eyeball’ is the albums best testament to that. Featuring soaring vocals, trebly riffs and a bouncy nod-along drum beat, it's an embodiment of the aforementioned mentality and accurately sets the tone for what follows.
Hexvessel’s brand of psychedelic folk strikes a balance between respectful reservedness and upbeat jubilance, without leaning too heavily towards either. Multi-instrumentalist Kimmo Helén is largely responsible for creating the overriding psychedelic and folk themes, whether it be with the quiet piano melody introducing ‘Cosmic Truth’ or the multiple trumpet and violin pieces decorating
When We Are Death. Certainly, the prominent bass playing and soaring mid-register vocals contribute heavily, and in addition they prove how important quality mixing is for the product as a whole. Buttery-yet-trebly guitar riffs and minimalistic drumming cut through just as easily, yielding an old-school progressive rock vibe which mirrors a similar effort by the Swedish group Ghost to recapture an iconic 80s-psychedelia sound. Indeed, the vocalists of each band share similarities in tone as well. On the topic of vocals, Mat McNerney’s singing envelops every track, and despite some hit-or-miss efforts to shake things up, his performance provides each song with just what it requires. There are some approaches which fail to pay off, such as the thin vibrato of ‘Mushroom Spirit Doors’ which leads to an undesirable Elvis Presley comparison, or the banal and repetitive phrases on ‘When I am Dead’ and ‘Drugged Up On the Universe’. Regardless, there are times when his experimentation leads to a positive result. Alongside the seemingly lazy, rattling riffs of ‘When I Am Dead’, McNerny’s application of a much deeper voice recalls early American bluegrass styles to great effect.
Unfortunately,
When We Are Death isn't an example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. The album is let down on several occasions by underwhelming songwriting and a yearning for something exciting to occur. While not entirely devoid of climaxes, Hexvessel seem content dawdling through each track, without having any goal in mind of building up to a worthwhile conclusion. The occasional solos scattered amongst the gentle swells are barely worth mentioning considering how easily they melt into the background; in fact the only time strength is given to any one part is with the reinforcing vocal layering during the choruses, but that approach becomes predictable quickly and lacks the punch this album so desperately craves. The seemingly thin spread of ideas assures that the albums real strength resides in the songs as individual pieces, rather than the collective. For all its faults though,
When We Are Death carries a certain charm that endears itself to the listener. Whether or not it manages to fully engage, there are plenty of excellent tracks on offer that make up for its few shortcomings, and for an album that deals so heavily with death, it's hard not to appreciate their optimism.
