This is something else!! And after hearing one song on Myspace I was eager to take this challenge. Well, it turned out a bit different than expected after the first session, but nonetheless very interesting. NECHOCHWEN is a soloproject and brainchild of Aaron Carey. A man, partly of Indian descent and inspired by the culture of his ancestors. After his debut "Agonkian Mythos" on Dark Horizon Records, this second one "Azimuths To The Otherworld" is released on the label Bindrune Recordings. I haven’t heard "Agonkian Mythos" so I can’t draw any comparisons unfortunately. "Azimuths" is a mostly instrumental Folk record ranging from great acoustic hymns mainly to (Black) Metal eruptions. It feels like a musical journey because of the variating moods and tempos and samples which brings you to an unknown landscape. I know this may sound hilarious and not very Metal to you, but on the other hand this soundtrack fits as a whole and doesn’t sound as corny as it may seem. At first it sounds medieval but I guess it’s an ode to the Indian heritage of mr. Carey. Just listen to ‘Confluence’, the epic ‘Allumhammochwen: The Crossing’ or ‘Graves Of Grandeur (Reprise)’ or the finishing ‘The Forgotten Death Ritual’. Some arrangements would just fit perfectly on material from OPETH, ULVER or AGALLOCH. People who also listen to material from MICHAEL BROOK should check this out by the way. Since bands like PENSEES NOCTURNES also succesfully incorporate major sampling in their material and done this with so much dedication, professionalism and quality I don’t see a reason to reject such progressiveness. A track like ‘Four Effigies’ just speaks for itself and most acoustic pieces are simply wonderful. This is a record you need to take time for and I would lie to say to play this on a regular basis. Still this is music on a very high level and for anyone unfamiliar with NECHOCHWEN a pleasant surprise! www.myspace.com/nechochwenstronghold, www.bindrunerecordings.com