(((O))) Review: Hexagraf – Walsen van Hoop

Hexagraf is a collaboration between two members of the Dutch collective Zwotte Kring. Daan Bleuminck (Hellevaerder, Duindwaler, Magistraal, Throne of Time) and Floris Velthuis (Asgrauw, Meslamtaea, Schavot, The Color of Rain) joined forces after Bleumink contributed guest vocals to Schavot’s album Verstrikt in Halflicht. Although both are already deeply involved within the close-knit circle of black metal musicians and bands, the duo found the time, inspiration, and energy to launch a new project.

Walsen van Hoop is Hexagraf’s debut album, evoking a claustrophobic, pitch-black atmosphere rooted in doom and black metal, enriched with symphonic elements.

Bleumink impresses with his versatile voice, alternating between screams, grunts, and narrative passages (in Dutch) that tell stories of dark, mechanised suffocation haunting industrial landscapes. Velthuis, meanwhile, handles drums, fretless bass, guitars, and synths, constructing a massive wall of doom metal enriched with thrilling black metal elements, giving the songs a murky, tension-filled atmosphere.

The well-balanced synthesiser choir work creates a haunting ambiance, amplifying the cascades of bleakness. Bleumink rasps his way through Walsen van Hoop, forming a dense soundscape of endless suffering amid a deadly landscape of dust-choked lungs and decaying intestines. On this debut, Hexagraf delves deeply into the darkness of human industrial activity, exploring its oppressive and relentless impact with profound intensity.

Walsen van Hoop is a highly recommended, mind-blowing piece of extreme metal, where slow, crushing doom and furious black metal blasts merge with striking power. We hope the intense chemistry between Bleumink and Velthuis continues to evolve on the next Hexagraf album.