State Of The Art West Virginia: NECHOCHWEN

Apalači folk metal two-piece Nechochwen are based in the dense forest of West Virginia. Nechochwen (Aaron Carey) plays the nylon and steel string guitars, hand drum, flute, lalawas, and vocals while Pohonasin (Andrew D’Cagna) supports the rhythm section with drums and bass. Taking inspiration from indigenous peoples, their music is a blend of modern and folk instrumentation.

Formed in 2005, they focus on their Native American roots both lyrically and instrumentally. Releasing Algonkian Mythos in 2008, Nechochwen wrote and performed all the tracks. Finding spiritual guidance Nechochwen explains,  “It was only natural that the mythos of the Eastern Woodland Indians of which I was learning would manifest itself through my other passion, music. There is no central theme to Algonkian Mythos; it is just my attempt to paint musical scenes of Native events that inspire, anger, or sadden me. I hope it somehow will transport you to another time and place.” The tracks on this album vibrate with a spiritual intensity and curiosity. Continue reading

An Interview With BRIMSTONE COVEN Bassist Andrew D’Cagna! [Video]

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We were recently fortunate enough to attend the inaugural Doomed & Stoned Fest in Indianapolis, Indiana at the 5th Quarter Lounge. Over 20 bands played the two day festival. One of the most anticipated acts of the festival was Metal Blade recording artist and West Virginia natives Brimstone Coven. The occult rock band has been turning heads everywhere they play, and not too long ago even opened for the legendary Pentagram. That show was our first experience seeing the band and we haven’t been able to shut up about them since. Brimstone Coven have these three part harmonies that aren’t found anywhere else in the rock or metal world today. They bring to the table something that has been missing for quite a long time. The chemistry on stage within this band is something you can not only hear but also feel as they perform. We will be including much more about them in our upcoming review of the Doomed & Stoned Festival. In the meantime we were able to catch up with bassist Andrew D’Cagna prior to the band taking the stage and he was kind enough to sit down with us and talk about everything the band has going on. Continue reading