History: Formed in 2005, West Virginia's Nechochwen is the passionate exploration of Native American Indian heritage through stunning classical guitar instrumentation and lush atmosphere. From the ashes of the band Angelrust, Nechochwen, the sole creator of this art and man from which the "band" receives it's namesake, set out to create a very powerful trip back in time with his music and further explore the tales and lives of his ancestors. Nechochwen is passion, creativiy and a powerful spiritual awakening that the listener can feel pouring out of the compositions of this art.
With his debut full-length, "Algonkian Mythos" for Dark Horizon Records (now available through our webshop!), Nechochwen focuses on the era surrounding French and Indian War. By the call of war drums, ritualistic/shamanic/trance-like ambient passages, and bold musical compositions that embrace eclectic/folk instrumentation, "Algonkian Mythos" inspires a vibrant mental journey guided further back in time by ancestral spirits eager to share the tales of how they lived, and died.
2010: On the Bindrune Debut, "Azimuths to the Otherworld", Nechochwen takes us on a 14 track journey into the mysterious world of the Adena and Hopewell people that dwelled in the Ohio River Valley nearly 2 millennia ago. Recorded by Andrew Della Cagna at Sacred Sound Recording Studio www.myspace.com/obsidiansoundstudio , "Azimuths to the Otherworld" is the logical continuation of "Algonkian..." spiritually and musically in a bold mix of classical folk metal. Due to the dark and mystical content of this album, more of an aggressive and uniquely metal influence can be found dancing among the tracks. The results are truly magical/groundbreaking as Nechochwen look deep within and further back in time to lead the spirits back from their home among the stars, to once again traverse the forgotten trails of the Ohio River Valley. Nechochwen was kind enough to share with us a glimpse into the thoughts and meaning behind the album...
Nechochwen – Azimuths to the Otherworld
Synopsis: The second album from Nechochwen takes the listener back more than two millennia to the ancient woodlands of the Ohio River Valley. Azimuths to the Otherworld is a musical journey through the world of the Adena and Hopewell peoples, a mysterious group of ancient American Indians known for constructing giant burial mounds and effigy earthworks. Like its predecessor, Algonkian Mythos, the album is tied together by loosely connected compositions. The main theme of the album is how indiginous people ritualistically sought to provide safe passage for their dead to the “Otherworld”, the realm beyond death. This was mainly through constructing earthen mounds, walls, hilltop enclosures, and animal effigy mound groups. They were meticulously aligned to solstices and lunar events using ancient shamanic knowledge. The degree of angle from true north is called an azimuth. Since the moon has always been associated with night, and night is associated with death, lunar alignments were very important for burials. Cremation in “charnel houses”, painting the dead with red ocher, and use of reflective mica slabs were all used to guide the dead to the world beyond the moon. Through primitive yet powerful technology, these amazing people could calculate azimuths to the otherworld.
On the surface, Azimuths to the Otherworld focuses primarily on the burial traditions of the Adena and Hopewell circa 200 B.C. to 1200 A.D. Its broader scope is the wandering lifestyle of then and now, also drawing influence from the wisdom of the Lenape, Shawnee, Ojibwa and Lakota tribes. Mound building may have died out centuries ago, but the wandering spirit of the Adena and Hopewell is still alive in this record, trying to find the sky road to the next life. The album was recorded at Sacred Sound Studio in Martin’s Ferry, Ohio during hours of darkness.
Discography...
Azimuths to the Otherworld CD 2010 (Bindrune Recordings)
Allumhammochwen: The Crossing | At Night May I Roam | Gissis Mikana | Red Ocher
The Eyes of the Mesingw | Charnel House | Graves of Grandeur | Confluence
Noameatha, You are the Ghost in the Water | The Forgotten Death Ritual | Hunting Among the Stars | Four Effigies a. The Turtle Effigy b. The Adena Pipe c. Amanita Mushroom Wand d. Weeping Eye | Azimuths to the Otherworld | Graves of Grandeur (Reprise)
