Hexis – Aeternum
Release Date: 26th August 2022
Label: Debemur Morti Productions
Bandcamp
Genre: Blackened Hardcore, Dark Ambient, Industrial, Grindcore, Doom Metal.
FFO: Oathbreaker, Grief Ritual, Celeste, Panzerfaust.
Review By: Joe McKenna
Copenhagen’s upcoming blackened hardcore contenders, Hexis, return in supreme fashion with their third studio album, Aeturnum, exhibiting their most versatile and aggressive musical ability to date. Formed in 2010, Hexis are noted for their hard DIY approach to touring playing over 800 shows from the Faroe Islands to New Zealand, with live performances that contain some of the most energetic and expressive gestures in the DIY underground. Now after an extended period away from the touring spotlight, Hexis have been hard at work ensuring that their next release delivers that unhinged visceral power of black metal-infused hardcore with tinges of eerie dark ambient textures and pummelling industrial instrumentation.
On first impression, what really hits hard is the abrasion of this record through the provocative tempos and dissonant chord progressions that do their upmost to convey an eerie presence. The versatile delivery of vocalist Filip Anderson further matches this volatile tension, creating a wall of deranged, noise-ridden atmosphere of violent disorder. Tracks such as Exhaurire present these dissonant textures even when the tempos begin to ease, reminding us that there is no escape from this uneasy world of sonic devastation.
The musicianship certainly must be acknowledged on this album from the immaculate percussive work of drummer Felix Kothe, whose ability to maintain these complexly driven patterns, under the guidance of ferocious blast beats, is impeccable. Dalle Oldman’s abrasive guitar work seriously outworks itself, generating these dense, sinister textures accompanied by the thumbing bass of Luca Mele, who’s additional backing vocals are a competitive adjoining component to Andersons lead work.
Other standout moments include the incorporation of these dark ambient passages that range from symphonic backing sections that capture the album’s grandness, to the disoriented noise scapes that offer a more ominous feel. Exemplified in the album’s final track of the same name, these ghostly ambiances are a fitting finale to a disturbingly ethereal and emotionally charged musical experience.
With a faultless palette of musical styles under their belt, Hexis have truly cemented themselves in many hardcore and extreme metal circles with their third addition to an already weighty discography. Aeturnum arguably becomes the band’s most essential release in which the rooms for improvement have been fulfilled, making it difficult to identify any areas of weakness. Promising things are coming for this band and with the fresh material in their arsenal, Hexis will be ready to unleash their harsh rendition of blackened hardcore to new audiences across the globe.
(4.5 / 5)
