My guest is Aaron Carey of the West Virginia black metal band Nechochwen. Aaron is a true Appalachian hesher who's also trained as a classical guitarist, and he's been using his musical project to retell and reinterpret indigenous history in his part of the world. He learned growing up that he was descended from some prominent members of the Shawnee and Lenape tribes, and he frequently talks about the history of those tribes, both in his lyrics and also in what he describes as non-lyrical tone poems.
The latest Nechochwen album is called Kanawha Black, which you can stream or download or buy on a vinyl record via Bandcamp. If you're interested in learning more about the band, the music journalist Brad Sanders had an excellent profile earlier this year in Bandcamp Daily.
The Brutal South podcast is an extension of the weekly newsletter of the same name, which you can read and sign up for at brutalsouth.substack.com. The theme music is by The Camellias.
Episode 31: Appalachian black metal