Having recently witnessed Aaron Carey perform as Nechochwen at last years Heathen Crusade III festival, so unexpected was the one man with acoustic guitars equation, the beautiful, though seriously loaded musical content deeply clicked within and  blew me away. You could simply feel the history and passion pouring out of the songs Aaron has created, with a definite cultural spirit and longing for older times riding upon the winds. Nechochwen’s “Algonkian Mythos” is even more inspired and poignant. Even with predominantly instrumental songs, the atmosphere and flow of this CD speaks volumes and demands that the listener step into the vision and join in the journey. A lot of ground has been covered in this interview and I hope the sincerity and candid view that Aaron has so graciously shared with all of you, inspires one to dig deeper into the music of Nechochwen. -Marty

Congratulations in creating such a passionate album. “Algonkian Mythos” fearlessly embraces powerful songwriting and an atmosphere that transports the listener back in time. What is it with Nechochwen that you want to share with the listener on this journey? Could you educate us on the creation and history of this project and what you hope achieve?

Thank you.  Those are massive compliments.  I think this album has been brewing inside me for about 15 years, but just took shape about 3 years ago.  I revisited books from my teenage years and found some historical reprints that captivated me.  The fur trade/French and Indian War era made sense to me as the subject of an album for so many reasons.  It was the last era of the traditional American Indian way of life in my home area, the Ohio Valley; there is a lot of info available on it; people are avid reenactors of this time period; I have a family connection to historical figures of the time; and the historical events are varied, interesting, and dark.  The songs just came out as I brushed up on my history and visited some places like Gnadenhutten, the Cross Creek Cemetery, Fort Steuben, and others.  I hope people will read about this stuff and begin to adopt the old ways.  If you think the old times were brutal, you are correct.  But if you watch the news nowadays, I think I’d prefer the past.   Take the old skills and healing methods and use this to replace our rotting societies.  If you dig into this era and read documents and books written back then, you might discover you are living in the wrong time period.  I hope Algonkian Mythos carries this spirit.  Listen to it and cast off the 21^st Century for a half hour or so.

It is infrequent that so much cultural research goes into a musical project… especially one that is largely instrumental. Have you ever taken the time to trace your lineage back to get a clearer view of where you came from? Has this had some sort of an impact on the music you create with this project?

More time than you know, my friend.  I’m finding genealogical sources in the weirdest places.  I found an old fiddle tune in an old book about an ancestor of mine.  She was an old West Virginia fiddling lady who was supposedly strong as an ox.  I have an eighth great-grandfather who apparently fathered most of the population of Wetzel County, WV.  His family was the first European family to have a permanent trading post in the Monongahela River Valley in what used to be Virginia.  They married local Indians, which is where the Indian blood comes into my family.   My grandfather is 84 now, my last living grandparent.  He gave me a picture of his grandparents yesterday.  I have pictures of his mother also, she was real good at healing with herbs and roots, but I think she died when I was too young to learn tribal matters directly from her.  I started this project in the hope that this will start a dialogue with someone who knows more than I do about my lineage.  Most people in Northern West Virginia claim some Indian heritage; most know very little specifics because the assimilation process in this area began about 230 years ago in a time when many people couldn’t read or write.  Do you see why historical references and artistic freedom had to fill in the blanks for Algonkian Mythos?

The plight of the Indian nation is one documented in tales of struggle and sadness as this proud people fought to the death to rid their lands of the plague of the white man, not to mention brutal in-fighting between warring tribes. In your studies, what did you find most inspiring about the history of these brave people? Anything that surprised you, or that you didn’t already know?

I believe that the cunning and perseverence of Tecumseh and the compassion of Logan (Talgayeeta) exemplify what you are referring to.  Their names are immortal now.  Tecumseh united many tribes to try to drive the Europeans back to Europe.  The alliance was sabotaged by his own brother and other circumstances, but the intent was there.  These tribes put behind centuries of war to fight a greater war together.  We could learn something about that in modern times, as other invasions are inevitable.  It’s human nature.  The simplicity, intelligence, love, and family bond within a Native American village or clan is what I find inspiring.  The biggest surprise was the degree of torture between Europeans and Indians.  It was widespread and horrific.  They really knew how to make someone die slowly and painfully.

What interested you most about the time around the French and Indian war?

I hate to Admit it, but it has to be warfare. Firearms technology had advanced from the matchlock to the flintlock, which was quicker and more reliable. Settlers learned to fight like Indians, which was invaluable during the American Revolution.Pipe tomahawks, scalpers, ball end clubs, these are classic instruments of warfare that came from this era. The concept of barbed wire in battle started here, with felled trees carved into a spiky barricade called and abatis.

I feel that you perfectly embraced these tales with the individual tracks on the album, with each song taking on a distinct atmosphere. Does the thought behind the nondescript mood sculpting take just as much effort and forethought as the notes you play within the songs, or is this simply a fortunate result of the outcome?

Honestly it just came out that way!  I think the mood comes from where you are in your life when you’re writing and recording your record.  When I listen to it, I think about the places I went to and the spiritual and philosophical conversations I was having with a variety of people.  Re-enactors, authors, relatives, and actors gave me insight into their perceptions of frontier America.  From the very beginning, I haven’t been focused on particular battles, chiefs, or other specifics as much as the feel of the era.  What did it feel like to be tortured for hours like Cresap or Greathouse or to be disemboweled like Logan’s family?  What did it feel like to feel your nation slipping from your grip after the Battle of Fallen Timbers?  What about dying from a disease that we could cure easily today?  These are things I pondered.  Algonkian was unlike anything I’ve ever done so I think I accidentally figured out how to create these atmospheres by just being honest and trying to put myself in the mindset of these people.

With such an important message, or telling of ancient stories behind the crafting of this album, do you feel that the participant might miss out on the point and hopeful education that you’re trying to share with them?

It happens all the time, but that’s ok.I find that strangers are more into it than my friends..  Friends expect me to do metal, and wonder why I’m doing all this acoustic stuff.I wonder what’s strange about it.  Some people have no interest in history, or have audio attention deficit disorder and can only tolerate metal and get bored with no words to follow. But many people would get bored and miss the point of the books I read too. This music is destined to have a very small audience. But it’s here for those who want it, I force nothing on anyone.

Knowing that you also expressed yourself one time creatively within the metal framework of Angelrust, how did it feel to step out of that aggression to fully explore the classical style?

It was exciting.  I had all this music that didn’t fit Angelrust or Forest of the Soul, a Celtic/Native/Folk project with Andrew D’Cagna.  But I must clarify something; I explored classical guitar and music history extensively for five years prior to joining Harvist.  I usually just pick up an acoustic or classical guitar when I want to play or write, because I’m always on the go and I hate lugging an amp around with me.  Sometimes I’ll write five songs in a week, sometimes I won’t write anything for months.  I feel more comfortable playing the acoustic guitars for some reason, even if I’m writing metal riffs.  I feel just as comfortable not playing anything at all for a while.

The classical guitar work found on this album is truly inspiring and world building… would you say that you feel more comfortable within this genre of music? Even the way you incorporated other folk instruments for that otherworldly aura and even some hints of a dark ambient all works so seamlessly together… please give us all a glimpse into the creation and musical intention of this album.

Thank you.  Yes, I’m very comfortable with classical guitar work.  It’s my bread-and-butter, and my formal training was filled with lots of performances.  I didn’t have time for some minimum wage crap in college, there’s too much studying and practicing.  I needed quick cash.  So I started getting gigs, especially weddings because they pay well, and there were lots of resorts around where I went to school.  This was a little intimidating at first, I was pretty young and you have to play your best but after a few gigs I learned a lot about adapting to different situations.  You seemed a little perplexed, Marty, that I was performing at Heathen Crusade amidst all the distortion and aggression, but that was more comfortable than some other situations I’ve been in, like dodging golf balls on Hole 9 while playing Bach during a wedding.  That’s distracting.  I’ve played on train tracks, I’ve played at Taco Bell.  Competing with sound checks at Heathen Crusade was much better than competing with a freight train horn at a PBS festival last year!

As far as the musical intention, I wanted to bridge the gap between classical guitar playing and steel string acoustic guitar playing.  I love both styles, but it seems most records are one or the other.  I’ve had some anxiety about this actually. I was thinking the whole time, “Can’t you write a whole album of classical guitar only?  Isn’t this your forte?”   This album would have suffered though, it would‘ve limited it.  Typhus (Dark Horizon Records) was very open to whatever I wanted to do. I think we both thought of a very Kveldssanger type of album but without the vocals.  Then I started experimenting with different tunings on my acoustic more and more, and songs like “Gnadenhutten” and “Fallen Timbers” came about.  I didn’t know what to do with them, they seemed too heavy for what I wanted to do even though they’re acoustic songs. And “Coffin of the Flesh”, it’s played on the organ!  I didn’t think it fit at all at first but now it seems essential to the flow.  I learned to not let other people or other albums dictate what is right for me to do.This helped me see the bigger picture in writing an album rather than just a collection of songs.  If I do it right, no one will feel the need to press the skip button at any time to get what they desire from the record.

From the French and Indian War, to the area surrounding your home, the new Nechochwen material is gaining inspiration from the remnants and earthworks left behind from the tribes that one time resided around your area. Could you give our readers more of an idea what spirits lurk in the forests and what monuments were left behind? How extensively have you investigated these landmarks? How has this inspiration set the new material apart from Algonkian Mythos, if at all?

This album was a no-brainer for me, as far as what to write about for a second album.  “Spirits”.  You hit the nail on the head Marty.  The influence was from the earthworks that are no longer there, more than the ones that still are.  They still lurk in the forests.  I firmly believe these people were magicians in a way, that their reality was not dulled by living in the physical realm only.  How did they know how to make perfect circles, hexagons, straight lines, and line up mounds and effigies to lunar events that only happen once a generation?  These earthworks are massive and intelligently designed.  It pisses me off how many have been destroyed.  This is not aimed toward people of our time, but more toward our great-grandparents generation and before.  There used to be hundreds and hundreds of mounds within an hour’s drive of my home and now there are just a handful.  They leveled them to make buildings that are mostly now empty.  2000 years of rest in a tomb wiped out on the taxpayer’s dollar.  We still have old maps that show where they were but now in their place we have something else.  I’ve been to many of the earthworks that remain, but some are on private property and you have to make connections with the landowners to get there.  One time I was preparing a sweat lodge near a mound on corporate property.  The cops showed up and wondered what the hell I was up to.  My lodge was hidden in dense growth, so I told them I was looking for a place to go turkey hunting.  They looked at me suspiciously until two of my turkey brothers walked out into the open right behind me, supporting my story.  The spirits are still there.

Back to your question, these earthworks were built long before Columbus arrived.  There was no (known) white or black influence, but there was some southern (Aztec and Mississipian) influence from what I’ve read.  I could easily do research on languages and customs of the French and Indian War era, but not much is known about the Adena and Hopewell.  No language, music, etc. is known, so I am left to try to channel those spirits in my own way.  This is frustrating and liberating at the same time.  I feel metal elements are appropriate for this album to get my point across.  It works somehow.  This is not to say Nechochwen is a metal band now, it’s just another medium for producing sounds.  So the new material has this very archaic feel, cold and dark like an earthen tomb.  The true focus of this next album is to ponder the idea that these earthworks were constructed to transport their dead through an angular portal to the “Otherworld” by lining them up to lunar occurrences.  The mystery that electrical storms would have brought to these people has also encouraged me to use more electric instruments this time around.

Was it initially your intention to keep Nechochwen pure from the more destructive scales and nodes found in metal?  As you work on the new material, will more of a metal feel come into play, as on the very intense track, “Death Ritual”? What is the inspiration behind this track?

That’s a pretty accurate description, but I don’t know how intentional it was.  I’ve tried to explore pentatonic scales the way natives do, which is a challenge.  It’s the same scale used extensively in rock and blues.  Even with more metal sounds, I can convey a distinctly American sound by thinking musically the way a native does.  This is contrary to a lot of my training.  I was trained in the European tradition.  The challenge is doing something original with just five notes in a scale.  But if I knew of “destructive” scales I’d use them all the time.  I haven’t thought of scales this way.  Thanks for bringing this up, I’ll have to explore this idea.

There is a bit more of a metal feel on some of the new material.  I think it fits better this time around, and it wouldn’t have on Algonkian.  I really miss playing metal, I haven’t played in a metal band in some time and this is a good outlet for doomier and blacker styles than I’ve done before.  “The Forgotten Death Ritual” is my idea of an Adena burial rite.  The layered acoustics have a creepy, otherworldly vibe that was perfect to add some heavy chords and drums over.  The chanting is my interpretation of what the Adena language might have sounded like, as I have no source to refer to for this.  The inspiration was from old line drawings of an artist’s perception of an interment atop a mound in northern West Virginia.  I believe the rite would have been accompanied by painting the body with stamps of red ocher paint, a funeral pyre, and some sacred speech delivered by clan shamans.  The soul would have been released, possibly transported to the Otherworld by aligning the body to the correct azimuth to the horizon depending on the moon’s position.  Maybe I’m reading way too much into this!  But close your eyes and burn some sage when you listen to this and see what you think.

Having witnessed your performance at this past Heathen Crusade Festival in Minnesota, I must say the more intimate setting really fits the nature of this music. However, the festival venue was loud and sound checks interfered with your performance, but your professionalism really shined through the adversity. Will you be getting out more with Nechochwen? As the music grows and takes on more of the metal elements that we touched on earlier, can you see this all being incorporated into the performance? What in your mind is the perfect environment/stage setting for this music?

Heathen Crusade III was a great time.  I don’t think the interruptions were malicious or intentional, but there wasn’t much I could do to stop them.  I travelled a long way and wasn’t about to let stage circumstances get the best of me.  I like the performance practice of entrainment, which is where the performer is so focused mentally on the rhythm he is conveying that the audience feels it physically.  Thus the group transcended the distractions together rather than collectively getting pissed about it.  I just had to steer the group one way or the other, and I chose that we should ignore it.  There is hidden power in music, whether it’s nylon strings or a Marshall stack.

I’d like to play this music more, but I don’t know how realistic it would be right now.  I have so many irons in the fire personally and professionally.  I think for now it would be acoustic performances, unless I turned this into an actual performing band.  I’ll think about this more once this album is complete!  A good venue would be a smaller stage, but I’d incorporate more ritualistic elements than at Heathen Crusade.  An outdoor fest would be killer!  Maybe a group of 3 or 4 could cover most of the parts of the newer stuff, but done right it would be very powerful.

It seems that you have been involved in a lot of musical projects over the years, many of them have been of the metal persuasion. Could you give us a run down of the bands you have been a part of and what have you been the most proud of?

The first band I was in was Dethroned, a cult West Virginia death metal band.  One demo was released before I joined, “Dark Rebirth”.  I was like 15, and very into bands like Incantation, Amorphis, and Malevolent Creation.  We started checking out early recordings by Immortal, Samael, Master’s Hammer, etc. so our sound went blacker.  The drummer was none other than Dusk from Harvist, Typhus, and Warkult, and we’re still great friends and collaborators.  The band continued with Andrew Della Cagna after I left for college, who is now the drummer, bassist and engineer for Nechochwen.  Six years later we were all in Harvist, and released Turmoil of the Seed and Lightning Storm in the Veins.  This material was much different than other Harvist albums, and eventually Della Cagna and I left to concentrate on Angelrust, a black/death band and Forest of the Soul, an acoustic project.  That first Forest of the Soul album and Angelrust’s The Nightmare Unfolds are some of my proudest moments, and besides Algonkian, seem to be fan favorites as well.

Native American culture I can only imagine is one of those things that isn’t a lifestyle one can strive to obtain, but rather, it is in their blood, soul, and spirituality. Metal music is also it’s own culture and many feel that the same levels of sincerity apply (to a much lesser extent of course). Knowing that you walk in both worlds, do you ever feel that there is a conflict of interests? Is there room for both in your life and how are both lifestyles perceived by folks within their respective cultures?

That’s a good analogy.  You describe something I struggle with all the time.  Almost all of my time is spent teaching, performing, or recording, which leaves little time for outdoor experiences, sweating, meditation, etc.  This is the stuff that directly or indirectly provides the music I make.  The well of creativity can become quite dry in a hurry if you don’t recharge.  I’m trying to keep the traditions alive that I have been taught and believe in, but I’m kind of on my own, I have no clan or community of what would be considered a tribe or native thinkers.  This is essentially why the name Nechochwen was given to me in the first place; it means “walks alone”.  Since I’ve taken on several more jobs and am starting a family, I am at a crossroads and I’m trying to find new ways to balance this fast paced physical world we live in with the ancient ways that transcend the flesh.  My view of American Indian culture is much different than someone who grew up on a reservation or in a Native community.  All I ever wanted to know was more about that part of my heritage, since assimilation in my family occurred generations ago.  To answer your question about lifestyle perceptions, I’ll put it this way: lots of people here in the Ohio Valley claim Indian descent, and a great reverence for it, but very few know more than that.  It’s like the details are locked away somewhere in their great-grandmother’s attic, and everyone is curious to know more about how their ancestors lived.  But the prevailing narrow-mindedness here kills a lot of the enthusiasm, and basically the only people who organize are reenactors and historians, not the average citizen.  It’s weird man.  I want to return to those old ways, and since I am living in a modern lifestyle most of the time I’m a walking conflict of interests.  So I’ve put rattles, chanting, and distortion on the same album.  I don’t really know how these lifestyles are perceived by other people, I think it depends on the person.  Most people into Native philosophy, Indian religions, primitive skills and the like that I’ve talked to are happy to meet someone else they can relate to and realize they are in the minority of people.  They know their ways and culture are shrinking as the world goes more insane, and they realize their languages are dying.  All you can do is teach others and stand your ground.  People in the “mainstream” world seem mystified by this culture and maybe are genuinely interested in it, and sometimes seek out older wisdom to fulfill something missing from their lives.

How has it been working with a metal label with the release of Nechochwen’s music? It seems like an awkward fit knowing that there is a chance of widespread close-mindedness in the metal community in regards to classical based folk music. Or has the folk and metal union over the past several years maybe opened the herd’s eyes a bit to new things? Algonkian Mythos really seems like it would have been more commonly suited on a folk or cultural/spirituality based record label, which in a lot of ways, is a completely separate and huge underground in its own right.

Think of it this way; if I had released it on some new age or ethnic label, there’s no way in hell they’d want to release the new one.  It’s got some very heavy moments.  Nothing I’m doing is going to be as heavy and violent as Typhus or some other Dark Horizon Records band, so I can be as dark as I want with this.  At the same time, I could do a whole album of just classical guitar if that’s what I want to do.  I will not be restricted artistically, even if that means releasing it myself and just my uncle and three of my friends buying it.  Besides, we shopped the Forest of the Soul album to a ton of NewAge/ spiritual labels a few years ago, and not one of about 150 labels worldwide wrote back.  Not one.  The only albums I even own on a new age/folk/spiritual label are Michael Hedges and R. Carlos Nakai.  I can’t believe how open-minded metalheads are to Nechochwen, I never thought anyone would care about it besides me.  It was written and signed before folk metal started getting real big and folk metal tours were everywhere.  So at first I wondered if people would hate it or ignore it but neither has been the case.  They write me and ask me about some of the song themes.  So apparently by releasing classical/folkish stuff I have an audience with people that like metal.  Maybe by putting more metal elements in the music, I will gain some classical and folk fans.  Things like that make sense to me, because everything I do is ass-backwards.  So I think I’ll be working with metal labels for the duration.  Algonkian Mythos may be mellow and acoustic, but it’s still about war, torture, and genocide, is it not?

Knowing that you’re also classical guitar teacher, do you share with your students your various projects? What do you feel is the most important thing to instill with your students when it comes to approaching the instrument? I often think back on all my failed guitar lessons and how I’ve come to realize that it stems from a teacher that had an agenda, and didn’t take the time to get to know the student, and in turn, trying to steer me in a direction that he felt was “normal” or convenient for him….

Sometimes students will ask me what music I’ve done, but most of the younger ones seem to find out anyway.  Google, perhaps?  All it takes is a quick web search and they know all kinds of crap about you.  Sometimes they’ll buy cd’s and then their parents will take them and listen to them and keep them for themselves.  I always encourage people to do their homework, but always approach the guitar efficiently and in a relaxed way.  Learn to tell stories with the guitar.  Learn to read music, don’t be lazy and just settle for reading tablature.  Learn envisioning and entrainment and make sure you know the sound the note will make before you play it.  And the best advice given to me by my teacher and mentor, try not to suck

I see the approach to teaching that you mentioned all the time, it’s like fast-food teaching.  Come in, give me money, play this chord and see you later.  It’s essential to find out why the student wanted to learn, you know, find their motivation.  Help them achieve their goals just like they help you pay your bills.  But never cheat them out of the things they really need to know just so they can be limited and only learn what they want to learn.  Open their minds to theory and how it can enhance their skills.  I’m sorry you had such a bad time with lessons.  I hope I’ve enhanced my students’ lives as much as they’ve enhanced mine.  I’ve learned more teaching than I did in college.

Thank you Aaron for taking the time to sift through these questions.  I have been greatly moved by your music and look forward to the future of Nechochwen. Please give us all a glimpse into your plans for the rest of the year, what merch you currently have available and anything else you feel like plugging….. take care!

It’s an honor Marty, I’ve been reading your words for years.  The new album should be finished in the next two to three months and I’ll be working on layout.  Live shows are still up in the air, but I’m open to playing.  I plan on getting some shirts and patches made and launching the official website this summer.  In the meantime, you can get cd’s of my various projects at the Nechochwen myspace page.   Look for album number two late this year or early next year.  Thanks for your great questions man, all the best to you!

NECHOCHWEN
An interview with Aaron Carey

Nechochwen is the work of Aaron Carey, a classically trained guitarist from West Virginia. He is easily one of the best musicians I've heard in quite some time and his ability to create excellent songs with several different instruments is incredible. Aaron and I share a common bond in that we are both part Native American, and both have interest in the culture of our ancestors. While I only read about it for the most part, Aaron actually takes the knowledge and puts it to good use by writing music under the name Nechochwen specifically based on the Native American culture of the area we live in. He has been involved in a few killer metal bands like Harvist, Dethroned and Angelrust but the music you will hear on his albums under Nechochwen aren't metal at all. The music is about as dark as any metal you will hear though and deals a lot with death and darkness. This is one of the longest interviews I've done and it is highly interesting to me. I hope that you will find it as interesting as I did. Definitely show Aaron some support and check out his album "Algonkian Mythos", which I reviewed here.

Hails Nechochwen! How is everything bro?

I am quite busy these days. I work day jobs and teach a lot. I'm just starting the recording of the second Nechochwen album and preparing for fatherhood this spring. I've grown ten years in the span of eighteen months!

How about some history on Nechochwen? Where did you get the name from and when did you decide that wanted to record under this name?

I didn't learn about any Indian heritage in the family until I was about 14 years old. It was never talked about much and I was much more interested in Iron Maiden and Slayer than geneology and heritage. Then I met a Shawnee Indian who has since passed on. He taught me about medicine, the opawaka (a powerful protective object carried around your neck), and encouraged me to learn more about keeping old traditions alive. I remember him telling me about getting pulled over for a DUI in Ohio. He had a medicine bag, of course, because a lot of natives have them. Personal medicine is your own, you know, not to be pried into by anyone. Well, the cops thought he had "dope" in there and violated his medicine. They are from a modern world that doesn't understand how sacred certain things are to people. Not to condone drunk driving, but if a Catholic got pulled over for DUI, the cops wouldn't seize their rosary and smash it. So yeah, he taught me a bit about the nature of things.

I got into historical narrative books around this time, like The Frontiersman, Panther in the Sky, and went to see the drama Tecumseh! in Chillicothe, Ohio. These had a huge impact on me, and my earliest metal songs reflected this in lyrics and the riffs. A friend at school started calling me Nechochwen, the man who walks alone, because I was a lot different than almost everyone else. You know, long hair, Incantation shirts, and the ability to think for myself. Nechochwen is a Lenape, or Delaware, name. I don't know where or how he knew to call me by that name. When I started playing in the band Dethroned, we decided to use alternate names, and of course Nechochwen was the first thing that came to mind. It somehow feels more natural to use a name that is spiritual to me.

You traced your ancestry back to the Eastern Woodland Indians, correct? Were you able to trace your roots back to one specific tribe? Were there any surprises that you discovered along the way?

I've talked to my Grandfather on my Mother's side many times about this. He says it was rarely talked about because of racism in his youth. In those days, around here, if you were not white, you were basically run out of town. I've heard there were Klan lynchings a few miles from here, but I don't know if that's true. I do know there were slaves here when this was part of Virginia. So basically if you weren't descended from Western Europe and a Christian, you were considered a piece of human garbage. This included Indian people. No wonder I don't know my tribal history or language. My grandfather always says, "I was taught just enough to keep me hunting and fishing my whole life, and we learned to walk very quietly in the woods." His mother, who died about when I was born, was very knowledgeable about ginseng and other roots and herbs. When my mother was young, no one in the family ever went to the doctor when they were sick. She learned to pick the roots too. They were the good, old time roots that weren't picked over. Back to the question, I've traced it back to the 1760's, with the Ice family. They were of Dutch descent and had the first trading post in the area of Morgantown, WV. They were attacked by Shawnees. Some of them were captured and intermarried. The exact links are unclear though, as this goes back to a time when a lot of people were lost to history, so to speak. Census records only go back so far. You'll find relatives listed as illiterate and that have no last name. My Uncle claims that he had been told by my great-grandparents that we are Blackfoot. Blackfoot Indians haven't been in the eastern U.S. for a long, long time. This goes way back so maybe that's plausible, but it is much more likely Shawnee, Lenape, or a loose group of exile Indians called the Mingo. Through time families are so assimilated into "Americana" that you lose culture and languages. I've found connections of the Ice family to the family of Tecumseh and sister Tecumapese that were quite surprising. Then again, there weren't that many people around in those days. I have Germanic and Irish blood on my Dad's side too. These are huge musical influences as well.

How extensively have you studied the Woodland Indian's history? Does your interest in Native Americans deal specifically with them, or do other groups interest you like the Plains Indians, etc..? Are there any books you can recommend reading on the subject?

My favorite series is the Narratives of America by Allan Eckert, particularly The Frontiersmen and Wilderness Empire. This is historical narration, from the Fur Trade Era through the Revolutionary War. Since the last album though, my interest is in Ohio Valley prehistory. I've been visiting ancient burial mounds like Grave Creek in Moundsville, WV. These were ancestors of modern Indians, and are known by the names Adena, Hopewell, and Fort Ancient. The Adena were a mysterious burial cult in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia that began building burial mounds about 2000 years ago. The Hopewell were a more advanced people that built huge effigy mounds, like the Serpent Mound in Ohio and giant circles and octagons. Some of their earthworks lined up to significant lunar and astrological events that only occurred every 19 years or so. How did they know that stuff back then? I don't know. But it's believed that their purpose was to project their dead to the moon, as a doorway to another existence. This will be the focus of the next Nechochwen album.

I know your name is from the Lenni Lenape, and they spoke a form of Algonkian right? Have you tried to, or have you learned to speak this language? If so, what routes did you take to learn it?

Yes, they are of the Algonquin, or Algonkian language stock, and very hard to speak in my opinion, because I'm not immersed in it. You'd think that Shawnee would be almost identical to Lenape because they lived so close together and are so tribally linked from the late 1600's on but I believe the Shawnee came from the south originally, speaking a different dialect. I spent some time with a remnant band of Shawnee, Lenape, and Tsalaki Indians in the Latrobe, PA area. We met through guys in Rottrevore, Sub Effect, and Mi'Gauss. I learned a lot from Chris (Kuleesta Andaqua) from Rottrevore/Mi'Gauss, sort of a tribal historian. In ceremonies like Puskita Ilaunitowin (green corn) and sports (baggawaddy, kinda like rugby or football) and sweat lodges, Shawnee was spoken. I tried to pick up as much as possible, which you'll get from the recordings, but without people to regularly speak it to, you get rusty. My uncle's girlfriend speaks some Lenape so we're getting back into learning some dialects again. I doubt Rosetta Stone has a Shawnee language program!

Have you studied their religion as well and do you follow it at all? It was a nature based religion, correct?

Yes, of course. This music wouldn't be very sincere if I didn't. But "religion" makes me think of being spiritual on Sunday morning for an hour, then going home and living a separate existence all week. That's not a bust on anyone else, just the way I perceive it. I like knowing that I can be immersed in the Creator (called Moneto, Manitou, and others depending on the tribe) without the bullshit attached to "organized" religions. I like to think of this land as a sacred turtle island and I give thanks through tobacco and song. I need regular cleansing and connection to the Earth Mother and the Creator through sweating, or my spirit feels sick. It is definitely nature based, and more a way of life and personality than a religion. I hope that through channeling this music from the Creator to an audio source, I can connect with others of this mindset and learn more.

I noticed you wearing indian clothing in the pictures on the album. Are these things that you made yourself, and if so what all have you made other than the clothing? Do you have an interest in re-enactment or anything similar?

I tried to be as authentic as possible to the French and Indian War period. The shirt I'm wearing on the back cover came from Log Cabin Shop, a place that specializes in clothing from that era. The pants were made by my grandmother, and don't fit me so well anymore! I did a good bit of research into breechclouts and leggins. I've made lots of things from deer I've hunted. Drums, rattles, pendants, bags, tools, and more. I make plugs for your ears from soapstone and pipes from catlinite. These were worn by prehistoric people in this area, and have been found in excavated burial mounds.

From listening to you play on "Algonkian Mythos", I can hear that you are an outstanding guitar player. I also read that you have had classical training. Where did you learn to play and what sparked your interest in learning to play guitar?

Thanks a lot! Both of my grandmothers played guitar, but I think the catalyst was Randy Rhoads. Hearing the solo to "Over the Mountain" and the satanic awesomeness of Mr. Crowley, I mean, listen to that stuff again. I read somewhere that he was going to quit Ozzy's band to study classical guitar. That's serious dedication to your craft. I wish he would have had the chance. So when I graduated high school, I decided to do what Randy didn't get to do. I got a B.A. in Music from West Virginia University for classical guitar in 2001 and was President of the WVU Chamber Guitar Ensemble. I went back to try to complete a Master's Degree in Guitar Performance in 2006. This was to learn more about theory, jazz, and advanced classical technique and repertoire. Life got a little hectic so I'm putting that on hold for a while.

The acoustic guitar you used on "Algonkian Mythos" just has an excellent sound to it. Do you have a large collection of guitars and what are your favorite ones to play?

Again, thanks. The steel string stuff is an Alvarez Yairi FYM95V, a 12 fret folk with a slotted headstock. The nylon string stuff is an Alvarez Yairi CY116. The former is solid spruce and East Indian Rosewood, the latter is solid cedar and burled mahogany. These tonewoods "talk" differently, and they are very articulate instruments. The FYM95V is one of the best sounding guitars I've ever played, rivaling Olson and high-end Martins, I don't know why they discontinued it, but I don't see other people using them. Kazuo Yairi is quite a luthier. I like to play ESP and Ibanez too.

The atmosphere on the album is incredible. It almost feels like you are transported back in time and are right there mourning the loss of fallen warriors. It's hard for me at times to figure out how some musicians are able to just sit down and have music like this pour out of them. How do you go about composing the music to create it?

The subject matter is very important to me, and I don't want it to be lost to history. I think you nailed it though, it just pours out. It doesn't originate with me, I think that would be arrogant to say. I've just trained enough to become a vessel for this unusual music to flow through. That I will take credit for.

You also play other instruments on the album, like the hand drum, floor tom, & keyboard. Were these instruments that you learned on your own or did you have any training with them as well?

I had some piano lessons last year, but other than that I learned things on my own. I'll have some Native American flute playing on the next one. I love the old Appalachian tunes, I play some on the banjo with a local clawhammer style. This hasn't creeped into Nechochwen music though. My percussion is just instinctual, using anything that will make a good sound. Guitars make great drums!

I know there were lyrics on Pilawah, but did any of the other songs have lyrics to them? Your native style chanting on Pilawah was excellent. Where did you learn to perform your vocals this way?

Again, just instinct. Lots of songs had lyrics, but you have to be careful. Some native songs are sacred and shouldn't be recorded. They are for rites, not entertainment. I chose Pilawah from a very old text, it's believed to be a children's song. The words to Talgayeetah translate to "Logan, fight, be strong!"

Your album, "Algonkian Mythos", was released on Dark Horizon. Did Lord Typhus approach you about releasing it? Were you both pleased with the release, and how things were handled between you and the label?

Typhus offered me a deal like 5 years ago, after hearing my contributions to Harvists' A Gleam in the Night and Lightning Storm in the Veins albums. He said he'd release any of my acoustic/classical material. It's a loose structure on timelines, as neither of us like to rush art. It took me a while to start writing it this album, because I was mainly writing Angelrust stuff. The underground seems to operate largely on trust, like in old times. I have the same relationship with Stronghold Records, who will co-release the next album with Dark Horizon.

How has the album been received so far? Have you had any Native Americans show interest in it, and what was their response like?

I've had an amazing response so far, from my hometown to California to Estonia to Japan. I think folks like to have some historic background to the songs. I've had some positive response from a couple natives, but this is archaic stuff even for a lot of them. It's 225 year old subject matter, but all the responses have been positive and supportive. Good luck getting some Adena and Hopewell Indians to comment on the next one, they've been gone for a millenium! Algonkian actually attracted some people into historical reenactment and even the paranormal.

You are going to be playing the Heathen Crusade 3 Festival on November 14th-15th. Have you played a lot of live shows as Nechochwen and how have they gone? Any notable memories to speak of?

I've played two. One was a warm-up show in Wheeling, WV, mainly for friends and regulars of that establishment. Heathen Crusade 3 was a great time, the response was overwhelming. Some fans have written me for guidance into studying more Native American history or for guitar transcriptions of my stuff. Just meeting a new circle of people was great, and playing a venue with the likes of Ancient Rites, Moonsorrow, Metsatoll, and Woods of Ypres was quite enjoyable.

When playing live as Nechochwen, what kind of crowd do you draw in? Is it mainly fans of metal and folk like Nest,etc.. or is it a diverse group?

It depends where I'm playing. If it's a coffeehouse or something, it's usually a lot of classical fans, and the music isn't always just mine. I'll play Bach, Tarrega, Villa-Lobos, etc. or some latin jazz stuff I like to play. Now I'm focusing more on my own music, and I'm starting to play in venues that are geared more towards metal, bringing some fresh ears to my music.

How did you meet up with Andrew Della Cagna, who was a guest on this album?

We both played in a band called Dethroned with Dusk (Harvist, Typhus), but never at the same time. I think he replaced me when I quit, circa 1994. Years later we collaborated in Harvist for the Turmoil of the Seed promo and some of Lightning Storm in the Veins. We've since done lots of performing and recording together, as he is a phenomenal engineer.

You guys have another band together called Forest of the Soul. What is the inspiration behind the music with Forest of the Soul?

It all started in 2002 at a sweat lodge with Andrew and Dusk. Andrew brought an acoustic guitar along and played some stuff he'd been working on, real folky stuff. I'd been writing classical guitar and piano music since college so we just went into the studio a couple days a week and the s/t 2004 album came out. It boosted our confidence a lot, since before that we'd just done metal recordings. It's the best selling thing I've ever been involved with, with no label support of any kind. We flew to Texas this summer to perform in the NPR/PBS festival Mesquite Heat. It should air nationally in January 2009.

Before Nechochwen and Forest of the Soul, you played in metal bands like Angelrust, Dethroned and Harvist. Do you feel that you are moving away from metal, or are you still into it and this is another musical interest for you?

Still totally into it. I listen to way more metal than anything else. I love Urgehal, Iron Maiden, diSEMBOWELMENT, Moonsorrow, and British and Finnish doom bands. I get compared to some "neofolk" stuff, but aside from Musk Ox and October Falls, I don't have much in my cd and vinyl collection at all. It's a mystery why I write all this clean stuff, I think it's because I can do it all myself. I have lots of metal written, but now is not the right time to record it properly and release it.

What albums did you record with Harvist? Were you a full member of the band or a guest on their albums?

I was a guest on A Gleam in the Night on the song "The Roost and the Song". I wrote the outro in a few minutes and Dusk liked it enough to record it. I was only a full member on Turmoil of the Seed and Live in Appalachia and a guest on the first half of Lightning Storm in the Veins and parts of Wolfskin Clad.

I read somewhere that Angelrust split up. Is this true and was there a reason behind the split? You guys just released an album didn't you?

Yes this is true. It was just time. We were losing the fire after the last song from The Nightmare Unfolds was written. Frank Gordon quit so he could focus on personal stuff and the majority decided to more or less call it a day. I'd rather go out with our finest offering than watch it stagnate. I think lots of bands do this for many reasons. I wanted to go in a darker direction, and ended up focusing on acoustic music. Some things only make sense to those who do them. The Nightmare Unfolds will be re-released very soon by Stronghold Records.

What merchandise is available and where can we get it from?

Everything I have available is at www.myspace.com/nechochwenstronghold, which is just a handful of cd's. I'm limited on everything, which means it's selling well! Thank you all! I have Nechochwen, Harvist and like 1 Angelrust cd left. You could also support www.darkhorizon666.com and www.strongholdrecords.net. They carry Nechochwen cd's and lots of other merch.

Well Aaron, I guess I've taken up enough of your time bro. Thanks for doing the interview man, it is much appreciated. Good luck with Nechochwen and all of your projects! The final words are yours.

My pleasure, hope to see you soon in Pittsburgh on my travels. Keep your ears open for the second Nechochwen album, coming in 2009, and hopefully more than just two live shows next year! Thanks for the support, all the best to the Ancient Death Webzine.

NECHOCHWEN

NECHOCHWEN
Algonkian Mythos
Dark Horizon Records

Metal isn't the only genre (or group of genres under one name) of music that I listen to. I listen to loads of other stuff but a lot of it has one common theme. That theme is that it deals with death, darkness and similar subjects at one point or another. "Alqonkian Mythos" was released by Dark Horizon Records and though it isn't a metal album, it's definitely one of the best albums I have heard. The album definitely has more than enough death and darkness to it and I really enjoyed it. I stumbled across Aaron's myspace page for Nechochwen awhile back when I was on the Angelrust page. Aaron plays guitar for Angelrust, and has done work with other bands like Harvist, but Nechochwen is his solo project. The thing that really interested me about Nechochwen is the subject matter. I'm part Crow Indian and have always had a fascination with Native American history. When I saw that his music dealt with Eastern Woodland Indians, his ancestors, I had to check it out.

For those that don't know, the Eastern Woodland Indians were Native Americans that lived in the northeastern United States and Canada. There have been very few bands that have used Native Americans to base their lyrics on. It's a shame too, because these were proud people and great warriors. When this area was being settled by the British in the 1600s, they were treated very badly by the new settlers. They continue to be treated badly til this day and it's a shame. It amazes me that these people don't hold the same kind of fascination as the Vikings do. I believe that it was ancestors of these same people that made the Vikings leave North America, or Vinland as they called it, back in the late 10th century.

Now that the history lesson is over, on to "Algonkian Mythos". Nechochwen is a name that was given to Aaron by a friend when he was 15. Nechochwen is a Lenni Lenape name, another Eastern Woodland Indian tribe, and it translates to "He who walks alone". The album's name, "Algonkian Mythos", is a fitting name as this is an album dedicated to the history of these people who spoke the Algonkian language. Aaron's guitar playing is what stands out on the album first. He is an amazing guitarist and through his playing he is able to convey his feelings and emotions brought on by these sad historical events. The album is full of stories about Iroquoian burial rites(Coffin of the Flesh), the slaughtering of Shawnee Indians(Gnadenhutten), the way the Shawnee treated those who committed crimes against them(Cut-Ta-Ho-Tha) and even a traditional Shawnee childrens song(Pilawah). There aren't many lyrics on the album, but when there are they are mainly chanted. Andrew Della Cagna is in another band with Nechochwen under the name Forest of the Soul, and he has a guest part on "Algonkian Mythos" performing the backing vocals on Talgayeeta and the percussion on Pilawah. Aaron handles a variety of instruments on the album and performs on classical, acoustic and electrical guitar, E-bow, Hand drum, Floor Tom and a keyboard, all of which allows to show how very talented of a musician he is. "Algonkian Mythos" is highly recommended to anyone that enjoys the music of bands like October Falls, Nest, Agalloch and similar folk music influenced bands.

From ANCIENT DEATH Webzine (www.ancientdeath.com)

This review is from The Shadow's Commence Webzine, out of Sweden.  http://theshadowscommence.99k.org

• Label: Dark Horizon Records.
• Year: 2008.
• Style: Acoustic Folk.
• Format: CD.
• Note: The CD is not yet released, will be during 2008 though. Review refers to NECHOCHWEN's private promo CDR.
• Score: 87%

: : :"Algonkian Mythos" is the debut album from Aaron Carey under the moniker of NECHOCHWEN. Before this, Aaron did the guitars for a metal band, ANGELRUST, and he is also the first half of FOREST OF THE SOUL (see separate reviews). Of course, the sound on "Algonkian Mythos" is closer to the FOREST OF THE SOUL sound, mainly held up by beautiful and complex acoustic guitar structures (Aaron is an exceptional guitarist, it won't take long until you discover that) keyboard atmospheres and native flutes. Though, at the same time it's rather different. In my ears, "Algonkian Mythos" has more of a ULVER feeling to it, but Aaron's influences from the native North American cultures does bring a very original aspect to the music. And his classical guitar skills  combined with that native American feeling does somehow also bring the fallen master ROBBIE BASHO to mind. The best of two worlds, with other words!
God, it feels like I could go on forever and talk about this album, but at the same time, I don't know what more to add so sorry if this review isn't as picturing as you would like it to be, but it's not the easiest task to describe NECHOCHWEN's music with words. My recommendation is of course that you go get yourself a copy of this album if you are interested in beautiful acoustic folk music a'la ULVER and OCTOBER FALLS. Aaron really delivers what he's supposed to (and more) and the tracks are both nice to listen to, and very evocative, just the way I like it.
It also has some positive surprises, like the eighth track, "Pilawah", a track that really stands out on "Algonkian Mythos", and a track that really lives up to the album title.
This one will compete for the title "the best debut albums of 2008", the music is flawless, the feelings are always close at hand and the music is even quite original. A must-have.

Tracklist:

1. A Blistering Fusilade
2. Fallen Timbers
3. Algonkian Mythos
4. Coffin of the Flesh
5. Talgayeeta
6. Gnadenhutten
7. Cut-at-ho-tha
8. Pilawah
9. Nilu-famu
10. West Across the Missi-theepi

Check out the Nechochwen interview with Blasphemer and Scarecrow on the "Raise the Dead" show.  You can access their archive of this show at http://kdvs.org/shows/view/show_id/23/date/2007-11-03/ .  A huge thanks goes out to Blasphemer and Scarecrow for inviting me on the show and asking provocative, interesting questions.  Also a big thanks goes to Dusk of Harvist/Stronghold Records for promoting this.