Today at Metal Music Clan we have the honor of introducing a band like Nechochwen, a Neofolk / Folk / Black Metal formation from Eastern Virginia (USA) based on Native American traditions.
In Nechochwen, in addition to excellent music (where native instruments are also added), you will find the essence of Tribal Rituals, Nature and the Folklore culture of the Appalachian Mountains.
Without more we leave you with the words of Nechochwen.
1.Welcome Nechochwen to Metal Music Clan. Could you tell us a bit about the history of the band and why did you decide the name Nechochwen? When and where start Nechochwen?
Nechochwen is a name I’ve had for 27 years now, it’s a Lenape name and since it means walks alone, it was a fitting name when I started writing music for the first album, Algonkian Mythos, because I was writing and performing all the music myself in 2005 in northern West Virginia. I had done some guest appearances on other albums before this under the same name. By 2009 or so I wanted to expand to some heavier sounds and atmospheres in Nechochwen’s music. Pohonasin became a full-member of Nechochwen after engineering the first album. We have continued this way ever since as a two-piece.
2.Which is the current line-up of the band? Could you do a brief presentation of the members?
Nechochwen – Guitars and vocals, some percussion
Pohonasin – Bass and drums, some vocals
3.Which records have your released until now?, please, present us your last works, the album compilation "The Ancient Pulse" (2018) and Nechochwen / Bhleg Split (2019).What can we find in this álbums?
Algonkian Mythos (2008), Azimuths to the Otherworld (2010), Oto (2013), Heart of Akamon (2015), The Ancient Pulse (2018), Nechochwen/Bhleg split 7” (2019), Nechochwen/Panopticon split (2020).
The Ancient Pulse is a 10-year retrospective containing reworked and remastered versions of album tracks, two songs that came from compilations, and two cover songs. The split with Bhleg is all new material from both bands, one song each. I had the honor of playing Native American flute on Bhleg’s track.
4.Nechochwen it's a Folk/Black Metal, Neofolk band based on Native American Traditions, Tribal Rituals, Nature, history and Appalachian Folk culture.
What are your inspirations to write music and lyrics?
In general, I’ve had this desire or compulsion to write riffs and songs since I was about 11 years old. It just happens at random or when I have some free time to just play guitar for fun. This happens much more often when I am inspired by something in nature or in learning about local history, being in the old camps and village sites from centuries ago, or reading a good book about these subjects. I’ve spent many years connecting with others and learning obscure traditions. If there is some subject that I think creates an atmosphere that I need to connect to or an experience that gives me a feeling that I am stepping out of the modern world, usually some words about it will come to mind and I’ll have riffs in my head from it.
5.How about your concerts? Talk to us a bit about your concerts and live experiences?
I probably have a lot less experience than most musicians my age when it comes to playing shows. I have played hundreds and hundreds of acoustic, classical, and jazz guitar gigs. Nechochwen has played a few acoustic performances but have yet to play our heavier music live as a full metal band. Playing in live metal bands really hasn’t been my thing, but maybe that will change in the future.
6.Please.Could you give us a brief explanation about the next lyrics of Nechochwen "Ancient Pulse" ?:
-The Lodge: Several musical projects led to the development of Nechochwen as a musical entity. The acoustic music that Pohonasin and I were creating about 16 years ago was new and fulfilling to us, and also indicative of things to come. We called our experiments in acoustic, folk, and classical genres Forest of the Soul in 2002. The Lodge was inspired by a sweat lodge at an old strip mine site in northern West Virginia where we began to exchange these musical ideas. We think of The Lodge as an introduction to a project that, at that time, did not yet exist.
The theme, lyrics, and music have more in common with Nechochwen than with Forest of the Soul, though it preceded Algonkian Mythos by several years. The updated version presented here is built upon a framework of the percussion and atmosphere of the original work from the self-titled 2004 album Forest of the Soul but the guitar and vocal parts have been re-recorded.
-Fallen Timbers: In 2005, I began to attach more thematic and symbolic meaning to my acoustic guitar pieces than before. Rather than write books similar to the American History narratives that have inspired me (which was my original intent), I chose to write music that I hoped would capture the spirit of 18th Century eastern North America. Algonkian Mythos was released in 2008 through Dark Horizon Records. Fallen Timbers, the first song written for the album, was an attempt to create an atmosphere of reflection on the sorrowful Battle of Fallen Timbers and its effect on the Nations involved. The slide guitars have been re-recorded on this new version; Pohonasin has added bass and percussion as well as an all new mix and remaster.
-Nilu-famu: Nilu-famu, also from Algonkian Mythos, is dedicated to the spiritual importance of tobacco. It refers, in particular, to the seeds of lathiima tobacco. The song has a simple structure but its melody is one of our favorites. For this version, the melody and harmony guitars as well as percussion have been re-recorded, bass and vocals were added, and the song has been remixed and remastered.
-Winterstrife: This version of Winterstrife has been completely remixed and remastered from the original, which appeared on the 2010 compilation, Der Wanderer uber dem Nebelmeer, released by Pest Productions and Midnight Records. The album was based on the artists’ musical interpretations of Caspar David Friedrich’s iconic 1818 painting. Winterstrife was Nechochwen’s first implementation of drums, bass, distorted guitars, Native American flute, and melodic singing.
From the compilation’s liner notes: “When I saw the painting, I thought not of Europe but the foothills of Appalachia where I live. It reminded me of the struggles people have gone through in my region. The song is about a man in the Great Depression watching the fog lift off of the Ohio River from his shack on a mountain. He is wondering how he is going to feed his children this winter. Perhaps his wife died in childbirth? The kids are hungry and he has been out of work. The weather has been cold and it’s hard to keep the cabin warm. And those kids keep crying. He is at his breaking point, gazing out into the sea of fog. This was common in West Virginia years ago, as poverty and hunger was always just a hilltop away.”
-Allumhammochwen- The Crossing: With the stylistic shifts we made when writing and recording our second album, 2010’s Azimuths to the Otherworld, came both anxiety and a sense of freedom that we could explore any genre that we felt would most appropriately convey meaning in our material. By this time, we had signed with Bindrune Recordings and we were writing songs about the prehistory of North America and incorporating the death and black metal elements that we had grown up on. Allumhammochwen – The Crossing opened the album with an allegory about migration in ancient times; the new version presented here has been remixed and remastered.
-At Night May I Roam: The lyrics for this song, the second track from Azimuths to the Otherworld, came from a Lakota poem translated into English. We were very pleased that this song built to such an energetic crescendo without the use of any distorted guitars. It continues the migratory spirit of The Crossing; the poem reminds us that day and night, we are always roaming and exploring. This version is remixed and remastered.
-On the Wind: Our third release, the 2013, vinyl-only Oto, was written during a turbulent time and was a more introspective, philosophical album. I was searching for a lot of answers myself, and I suppose this song was my way of reminding myself that being in nature is often the best place to find direction. We feel that it was important to include On the Wind in this collection because it addresses the preservation of indigenous languages and cultures, a subject that is very important to us. This version has been remixed and remastered.
-Heya Hona: Taken from the much heavier Side B of Oto, Heya Hona is a song written to honor Kokumthiina and to ponder our human connections to nature. Even in modern times, we can feel the ancient pulse of the spirit that moves through all things. The rhythm guitars in this version have been re-recorded and the song has been remixed and remastered.
-Song of the White-tailed Deer: Most of the guitar and piano tracks for this song sat for several years as an incomplete idea we called Nova until we got a request from Bindrune Recordings for an unreleased track for their 2014 label comp, Untamed and Eternal. After several strange interactions with deer, I felt it was proper to organize these parts into a song and lyrics about deer. This updated version is remixed and remastered from the original, digital-only release.
7.Have you any website for info, merchandising,etc??Where can we get your stuff?
You can order directly from us at www.nechochwen.bandcamp.com or through www.bindrunerecordings.com in North America and www.nordvis.com in Europe. You can also find us on Facebook and Spotify.
8.Please, give us a opinnion about the next Words:
-Mitology: It’s very important to keep teaching this to kids. There are things in it that are crucial to understanding our world on a deeper level than what modern technology provides.
-Mother Earth: So beautiful. And she will kick your ass without warning. Don’t treat her like garbage, take care of her.
-American Indian history:That’s a really huge subject. It’s so varied and covers so much time and territory that I don’t know where to begin. It has been a big interest of mine for decades and I learn new things about it all the time.
-Extreme Metal and Folk instruments: Sometimes it works beautifully and sometimes it doesn’t, right?
9.Recommend us:
-A book: And Grandma Said… Iroquois Teachings by Tom Porter
-A film: We Shall Remain documentary series
-A place to visit: Grave Creek Mound in Moundsville, West Virginia, US
10.Future plans for Nechochwen?
Bindrune Recordings will release a split LP with Nechochwen and Panopticon, slated for a January 2020 release date. We are nearly halfway through the recording of our fifth album and we plan to finish it in the coming year. We also have new shirt and patch designs that will be revealed soon!
11-Something to add to the readers or editors of METAL MUSIC CLAN??
Thank you for the opportunity to discuss what we are doing with Nechochwen. I am anxious to return to Spain some day and explore more of your country!
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