Founded in the magical forests of Finland, via the green and pleasant lands of England and Ireland, Hexvessel are wyrd folk. Formed in 2009 by Mat "Kvohst" McNerney, who having already made a name for himself in extreme metal bands in the UK where he was born and raised, and again in the Norwegian Black Metal scene, finally found his home in the land of the midnight sun. Settling in a country where mythology, tradition and pre-Christian heritage is still alive McNerney, (who also fronts 1980s-excess-tinged gothic pop band Grave Pleasures), found solace in the constant reflection of Finland's pagan past, awakening secret knowledge that led to the formation of Hexvessel.
The group reveals nature’s universal tales of hidden spirits. The pagan wilds are portals to reality. Hexvessel write songs in the oral tradition of the old balladeers. They weave everyman stories that create a bond between the teller and the audience, bringing alive a sense of shared purpose and spiritual history. By drawing on older folk acts like Shirley Collins, Vashti Bunyan, later folk rock bands such as Steeleye Span, Fairport Convention and King Crimson, to more recent artists such as Nick Cave and Coil, imbued with Karelian and Nordic folklore rhythms, Hexvessel have created a sound that is both ancient and modern.