Faun
Hex
Pagan Folk Records
As we get caught and swept forwards on a tsunami of technological advances, thankfully there are bands such as Faun to tether us to the past. This German crew perform a brand of Pagan folk that seems to echo as if from a distant age, connecting and resonating on a primordial level. Stirring something deep within the soul, the band’s latest album Hex holds the listener spellbound over the course of fifty minutes by employing traditional instrumentation such as Celtic harp, and song lyrics sung in a variety of languages including Old Norse. Yet, Faun haven’t totally disowned the past; opening track ‘Belladonna’ takes an Irish folksong and infuses it with reggae rhythms and hard rock guitars, whilst the band take the obscure Nick Drake classic ‘Black Eyed Dog’ and make it their own. As with previous Faun albums, Hex has an overarching aesthetic and songs about wise women and witches pushes the feminal to the fore, and as history is largely written by men, this is vitally important. Transporting us to the heart of female magic and Pagan mythology, Hex is not only an album of ancient times, but for all times.
Review by Peter Dennis.