ALBUM REVIEW: Hex – Faun
German pagan-folk band, FAUN, are back with their newest record Hex. When it comes to describing the group’s style and music, on the surface, it can be described as a darkwave wave blend of Medieval instruments meets modern sounds, but on a deeper level FAUN create soundscapes to capture a living, breathing scene from events throughout history. When it comes to Hex, this is a concept album around the themes and stories of magical women throughout history that aims to explore different cultures and posing the question as to why we were so afraid of these individuals rather than the people who sought to burn them.
It’s a haunting yet beautiful experience that one can fully delve into and enjoy, regardless of one’s knowledge of the topic. So, whether you’re someone naturally fascinated with topics regarding history, magic, and the supernatural, or someone simply looking for something incredible to listen to, the record is perfect for you.
Opening the record we have Belladonna, a song based on Irish folklore, starts out with low instruments and vocals, drawing you in, before moving into something uplifting with the blend of hard-rock guitar and upbeat compositions created by Medieval instruments. All the while you find yourself transported into a dark, twisted forest where you’re on a journey to find the witch of the woods. And that’s where FAUN really thrive in terms of creating a visual scene for us to imagine we’re standing in nature, whether a darker atmosphere as set up in Belladonna, or a more enchanted setting as heard in the gentle strumming of Lady Isobel where we find ourselves transported into forest surrounded by flowers and wildlife.
Of course, we can’t forget some of the more uplifting songs that one could easily picture being performed in a tavern to rapt applause or to people wanting to share local stories and legends with tracks like Zauberin, a gentle singalong, and their cover of NICK DRAKE’s Black-Eyed Dog, that again invites a scene of a slow swaying singalong where others listen closely to the story being told. Or perhaps a blend of both as heard on Ylfa Spere, a track that uses the words from an Old English spell in the 11th Century; things start out with the sounds of rain and crows, symbolising the start of a ritual, yet rather than the stereotypical imagery of being something evil it’s actually something beautiful and good, as told through an uplifting composition that takes over from the melancholic scene. Everything is concluded in a bouncy composition where we’re again back in that tavern now celebrating the success of the spell.
And if that hasn’t interested you yet, then maybe the chance to explore different time cultures will. One moment we’re in Old England, the next we’re in Scandinavia amongst the Vikings as heard in Blot, all the way to the elven hills in their country of origin in Germany, as heard in Alfar. Yet whatever draws you in, whether the theme, the genre, or the soundscapes created, you’re in for a beautiful listening experience.
Rating: 7/10
Hex is out now via Pagan Folk Records.
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