There is a thin line between cheesiness and enchantment. It’s one that German neofolk ensemble FAUN have ridden hard for almost three decades now, fishing inspiration from the rustic mystery of the medieval age but never relinquishing their supremely listenable songwriting. Stacking instruments as obscure as the hurdy-gurdy, bagpipes, lute, flute, bowl fiddle and harp alongside modern synths and polyphonic vocals, their sound could be as dense as Scandic overlords Wardruna and Heilung. Instead, they prefer the poppier side of paganism: an airier alternative to fellow Teutonic heroes Corvus Corax and Saltatio Mortis.
Twelfth album Hex is a tribute. Under the direction of bandleader Oliver Satyr – ‘Magister Artium of Medieval Philology’ – these 12 tracks explore the history of witches, female heaers and wise women in Western Europe. Blot, for instance, is a mournful exploration of Vikings’ naturalist religion, with its demand for ritual sacrifice. The surging Hare Spell is named after an incantation recorded by Isobel Gowdie during a Scottish witch trial in 1662. Prancing opener Belladonna is steeped in old Irish legend and brought to life with pulsating reggae rhythms and crunching guitar. Shadows lurk but ultimately hope and light prevail.
