In my Witchcraft practice, I love to use pop culture magic, specifically pop music and music in meditation. I usually refer to this part of my practice as music magic. And after a spell from the Estonian High Priestess of Light and Darkness, aka Kerli, and meeting the Lady (Gaga) in Red, I found myself dwelling in German forests full of witches and hags, conjured up by Hex, Faun’s newest release.
Cover to Faun’s album “Hex” [Pagan Folk Records]
- Released: September 5, 2025
- Genre: Pagan Folk, Medieval Music, Darkwave, Celtic Folk, Pop.
- Length: 49:35
- Label: Pagan Folk Records
- Producer: Faun & Faun Phoenix GbR
- Tracklist:
- Belladonna — 4:55
- Lament — 3:40
- Nimue (feat. Chelsea Wolfe) — 4:38
- Blot —5:13
- Zauberin — 4:40
- Lady Isobel — 3:25
- Black Eyed Dog (Nick Drake Cover) — 3:37
- Vals — 2:34
- Ylfa Spere — 3:36
- Hare Spell — 4:17
- Umay (feat. Fatma Turgut) — 4:08
- Alfar — 4:54
I’m surprised (and embarrassed) to realize this is just the second time I have spoken about this German band. The first was when I started writing about (pop) music brujería. I have been listening to their music for longer than that and getting familiar with their previous sounds. In fact, I have had their single “Halloween” on repeat since September, whose video seems to connect with the one for Hex’s opening track, “Belladona.”
A record that “revolves around witches, healers and wise women,” as explained in their official store, it is full of references to powerful female figures in folklore and myth such as Hekate, Nimue, Morgan le Fay, and Isobel Gowdie. I would even say that there are some references to the Lady of Shallot in the poetic “Lady Isobel,” which speaks about a “woman who seems to be trapped in the tower of her loneliness,” as explained by Vaim Hull.
Something that awestruck me is the wide variety of languages in this record, including German, English, Latin, Greek, Hungarian, and more. We are in deep need of diversity, of union, which this record celebrates through language and heritage. Thanks to a mix of traditional music with modern rhythms, adding different languages is the cherry on the cake that makes Hex shine even brighter.
Their haunting second track, “Lament,” has filled my space for a long time as I remember the many people (and my Cucho) I have lost throughout my life. No wonder, it’s the darker half of the year, and my mind so aptly focuses on those who have been but will be no more in my life. Emotional yet healing, it’s one of my favorites.
My Middle-Eastern self enjoyed their second-to-last track, “Umay,” with the soft voices of Laura Fella and Adaya, with the gorgeous collaboration of Turkish rock singer Fatma Turgut. It’s the sound I’ve been looking for for a long time to honor my roots! Although the lyrics are (from what I was able to see) in Crimean Tatar.
Soul-stirring from beginning to end, Hex continues the dark charm of Faun’s 2022 album Pagan, not only expanding on the themes but also serving as a follow-up. I could keep going on about all the things that make this an incredible adventure, about the evocative music, or how almost every track in the album has a video. However, I find it fitting to allow the band itself to explain the core of it:
HEX – FAUN’s twelfth studio album revolves around witches, healers and wise women.
With “HEX,” FAUN invites you on a musical journey that delves deep into the myths and legends of various cultures. But this album is more than just music—it’s an exploration of feminine magic, a reflection on the power of healers, seers, and sorceresses. Musically, FAUN remain true to themselves while simultaneously venturing into new territory, opening another impressive chapter in their success story with “HEX.”
This album is an invitation to immerse yourself in magical worlds.
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