Nechochwen is, at base, a blackened folk metal band from West Virginia. The project developed in part as "the passionate exploration of Native American Indian heritage through stunning classical guitar instrumentation and lush atmosphere with occasional forays into extreme metal." As far as one-sentence descriptions go, this gets the job done quite well.
I was a little skeptical at first. Acoustic intro, fairly typical blackened folk build...but then those clean vocals kick in. Gorgeous. Their sombre quality is hypnotic. And things only improve from "The Serpent's Tradition." The harsher parts continue somewhat in the vein of early Taake. Guitar progressions have a bit of a bounce to them. But these darker melodies are frequently broken up with soaring solos and further acoustic breaks. "Lost on the Trail of the Setting Sun" has a particularly killer guitar harmony towards the end.
But for me, where Heart of Akamon really shines is in the softer moments. The Opethy "October 6, 1813" (the day after the Battle of Thames and subsequent death of Chief Tecumseh) is full of moody, Damnation-era acoustic picking and captivating vocal harmonies. This continues into the exemplary build of "Traversing the Shades of Death." For over half of this track, the music is allowed to speak (volumes) for itself as the mood descends into a thick fog. By the time the black metal growls re-emerge, I'm already jello. Take me.
But overall, be prepared to take some extended downtime. First and foremost, Heart of Akamon is a work of melancholy and occasional peace. As mentioned in their bandcamp information, Nechochwen only utilize "occasional forays" into the extreme as it serves the larger composition. The rest of the time is dedicated to seemingly endless strings of hammer-ons and rumbling bass runs. If there is a heavier track that is truly worth noting though, it's "Skyhook." It's still far from aggressive with its cathartic, layered rhythm guitars and super catchy leads; but damned if this instrumental isn't my favorite track.
It's almost hard to believe this music was written in the US. There are so many qualities that scream Eastern and Northern Europe. But the sometimes tribal sounding drums, choice of sound clips, and overall imagery do ground Nechochwen within the imagery of North American. "Kišelamakong" also features some lovely Native American flute. In any case, Heart of Akamon is a very thematic experience worth having this year. You can stream the album below and buy digital through Nordvis for just $7.