To start the night properly, and get us in the right mood, Hexvessel brought along the black metal project Unfyros. A logic choice since the brains behind this is a former Hexvessel collaborator, and the soundscapes that they bring forth fit in perfectly with what Hexvessel is doing with their latest album. While definitely way less folk-infused, a very similar mesmerizing atmosphere quickly filled the whole venue, much thanks to the rather doomy, hauntingly repetitive black metal played by the band. Somewhat hidden in dark red light, smoke, pulled up hoods and branches, it was a quite captivating performance.

And then it was time for the main event. The venue was quite packed by now and you could feel some of the anticipation to see Hexvessel in action again. I believe the last time they played in Helsinki was shortly before the pandemic locked everything down, when they opened for Twin Temple, so we definitely were part of that group of excited people. When Mat and his collaborators took over the stage, it really felt like something special was about to happen. They of course played mostly the tracks from ‘Polar Veil’, and clearly everyone was ready to really soak in the magic that is a Hexvessel show. Mat was clearly pleased to see how many people showed up and how their music really touched the majority of the crowd, and together with his bandmates were totally absorbed by their own music. Here and there he said some things in between tracks, sometimes thanking the crowd, sometimes telling a short story with some background on the next song. But mostly we got what we were all there for: a mindblowing trip into other realms, carried by absolutely great music.