Finland’s occult black/doom/folk collective Hexvessel unveil the digital release of “Horse Tears”, a track previously available only as a bonus song on the premium edition of their 2025 album Nocturne (Prophecy Productions). The piece is a striking reinterpretation of Goldfrapp’s haunting classic from their 2000 debut Felt Mountain, and features a rare guest appearance by Jan Kenneth Transeth, the iconic former vocalist of In The Woods….

For Hexvessel’s founder and frontman Mat “Kvohst” McNerney, the collaboration carries deep personal resonance. “Me and Jan Kenneth Transeth go way back,” McNerney reflects. “I toured Europe with In The Woods… in 1996, a stowaway in their van, after tracking them down to Kristiansand as a young blackpacker — as black metal tourists to Norway are now commonly known, myself being one of the first in the mid‑90s. I have always adored Jan’s voice, and those early In The Woods… demos and records are so important to me.”

Reimagining “Horse Tears” with one of his greatest vocal inspirations was, for McNerney, a moment of profound artistic alignment: “It is such a high honour to have him sing this song — one of my favourite singers of all time performing a cover with us of one of my favourite songs from one of my favourite albums. And having his daughter Lea join him makes it even more touching.”

The track becomes not only a tribute to Goldfrapp’s ethereal original, but also a portal back to the era when avant‑garde black metal was at its most exploratory and alive. “Those who have missed Jan’s voice with that old sound can take a trip with us to a time when avantgarde black metal was truly influential and vital,” McNerney adds. “Let the shivers take possession.”

With its spectral atmosphere, emotional weight, and intergenerational vocal interplay, “Horse Tears” stands as one of Hexvessel’s most evocative reinterpretations — a bridge between genres, eras, and personal histories. Link