VEXING HEX - Solve Et Coagula (Review)

Written by: Blackie Skulless 

Considering how much I loved the debut album by Indianapolis’s very own Vexing Hex, you can imagine my excitement upon hearing they’ve finally cooked up a follow up. Haunt was very much a spooky doom metal-meets-psychedelic/classic rock outing that often finds itself compared to the likes of Ghost. Now we get Solve Et Coagula hitting the surface several years later. The same stylistic grounding is very much present, but I’m glad to say it’s also derivative.

Mainly, the slower, doom-cladded riffing is a little more relaxed here in exchange for more blatant rock ‘n roll numbers that have a poppy front. Layers upon layers of synth and effect make themselves even more known, without compromising the tight riffs the band has long since built itself on. Moreover, the bass is more present than ever, enforcing an aggressive bottom as well as playing an important role in the rhythm itself. The outcome is quite literally a mix of songs that almost feel metal oriented, and straight up radio tunes.

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Furthermore, themes here seem to focus more on creature-horror than they do paranormal horror. “One Thousand Eyes” is one of my favorite tunes, even sprinkling in a little Ramones-like chanting with that early punk edge that’s more fun than it is aggressive. This and opener “Into The Night” cake on vocal layers that work like sing-along tunes that have a little more effort behind them than that style is known to offer. Others will sneak in acoustic guitars and draw out vocals in the bridge, like the earworm known as “Mind Funeral.”
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To the opposite end, “Besmirched” has a little more meat on its bones, feeling heavier due to speed rather than the previous method of slow burning. “Revivified” closes things off in a similar way, utilizing those rumbling bass passages to its advantage. An exception may be “Wiccaphobia” because of its slower creeps nodding back to “Reverence,” being the only one that really screams doom metal.

But what matters is that Solve Et Coagula never feels awkward, and this step in a different direction is smooth as butter. There are ties to what the band has already perfected, and obvious glimpses into something different. Vexing Hex further cements my idea that sometimes more time between releases makes it easily worth it in the end. If Haunt was a personification of the Salem’s Lot type film, this one is a personification of the Re-Animator type film.

Vexing Hex - Solve Et Coagula was released June 21st, 2024 via Wise Blood Records. Find it here!

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Vexing Hex can be found:
Bandcamp
Official Site
Linktree