Why Ak’chamel’s London Show Will Be the Weirdest, Wildest Gig of 2025
Serious question, but have you ever been protected by the ejaculation of serpents? Well I have…or at least I’ve heard what it’s like when I listened to a song by the same name on Ak’chamel, The Giver Of Illness’ album, The Totemist. With song names like that it’s easy to see that you’re going to an interesting new dimension of music.
Yeah, Ak’chamel is on another level. Their music sounds like a desert shaman found an old tape recorder and decided to start an ancient pagan ritual.
They’re bringing this beautiful chaos to The Horse Hospital (not a real horse hospital) in London this September, and honestly, you should go if you like the idea of a gig that feels like an ancient ritual!
Who Even Are These Masked Desert Weirdos
Nobody knows who Ak’chamel really is, and that’s half the point. They show up in masks and elaborate, ancient robes that look like they were made in a time where the course of Man was dictated by the supernatural.
They call themselves like The Giver of Illness, which fits because they’re ill alright! But in the good way we used to say back in the early 2000s! Their sound is one of “scorched psychedelia, post-apocalyptic shamanism, and lo-fi ritual-folk”. And get this, they’ve been around for 15 years and authored some fifteen-odd cassettes, three vinyl LP’s and several cryptic VHS videos. And I’m only recently finding out about them!
Their name doesn’t have a clear meaning, but I did a bit of research, and my best guess is the name Ak’chamel has Mayan roots as “Ak” can mean “turtle” or “skin.” and “Chamel” could derive from “Chamal” (in some Mayan or Nahuatl contexts), meaning “sacrifice” or “offering.” So Ak’chamel could then be interpreted as “skin sacrifice” or “turtle sacrifice.” But this is all speculation
One thing we do know is they’re from Texas, which tracks, because this band is basically the musical equivalent of finding a rattlesnake in an abandoned gas station. It’s hot, dry, dangerous, and thrilling if you get close enough.
What Does Ak’chamel Sound Like?
Musically speaking, Ak’chamel is a freaky hybrid of psychedelic folk, tribal ritual, and global influences. Now don’t get it twisted this isn’t some sorta discount Phurpa, these fella’s are really in their own lane and much more dynamic. Imagine if someone put a sitar, a harmonium, a broken mariachi guitar, and a box of hand drums in a blender, then recorded the whole thing on a tape that’s been buried in sand for ten years. That’s basically Ak’chamel
Their 2023 album A Mournful Kingdom of Sand is a perfect starting point. Most tracks are built around layered drones and modal guitar lines that borrow from Middle Eastern maqam scales, mixed with the raw twang of something that sounds half-Mexican folk and half-surf rock. The tuning is just slightly off in places, which gives everything this warped, sunburned quality.
The percussion is deceptively simple. You’ll hear loose hand drumming, shakers, and bells placed in irregular but hypnotic rhythms, giving each track a circular, trance-like pulse rather than a straightforward beat. It’s less about time signatures and more about cycles, the way rituals often repeat until they become overwhelming.
Take “The Great Saharan Chihuahuan Assimilation”, the main guitar line rides on a Phrygian dominant scale, giving it a sharp, exotic tension. Over this, they layer plucked strings, low drones, and intermittent percussion that fades in and out, like my interest in my cholesterol levels. It has the vibe of surf rock played through cracked amplifiers, but slowed to the pace of a mirage.
“Sheltering Inside a Camel” is a standout because of its slow harmonic build, starting with a single, eerie drone on harmonium that eventually folds in muted guitar notes, rattles, and ghostly chanting. The track feels almost like it’s breathing, expanding and contracting, with layers stacking like waves of heat. It’s the closest thing to a desert caravan hallucination put on record.
The Totemist (2020) is rawer, darker, and more chaotic than A Mournful Kingdom of Sand. The recordings feel less polished, with tape hiss and mic distortion baked into the mix. It has a kind of live-in-the-room energy, like you’re eavesdropping on a ritual that wasn’t meant to be documented.
The guitars here are scratchier and more angular. They lean into dissonant intervals, often sliding between notes in a way that feels half improvised but never careless. This is especially true on “Phallus Palace”, which starts with a pentatonic drone riff that loops endlessly while bells, hand drums, and distorted harmonium creep in. Halfway through, the track explodes into a jagged wall of sound, where feedback and harmonium warble against each other like a broken pipe organ battling a storm.
Are They Even Singing?!
If you’re looking to get insights into the lyrics, you’re in luck, there aren’t any? Well that’s not entirely true, there is “singing” in the traditional sense like on I Am The Stone That Weighs Down The World. But more often then not most of the vocals are closer to chants or ancient prayers that were long forgotten.
Sometimes they mumble, sometimes they wail, sometimes it’s just this low drone that feels like someone whispering directly into your skull. It’s unsettling in the best possible way. Take for example Phallus Palace, which I’ve officially started calling my own home now, it has this faint mystical echoing chant. It sort of sounds like the vocals from that demonic song/chant in the movie Eyes Wide Shut. Which might have been an inspiration for the song, seeing as how in the movie the chant was done in a literal phallus palace!
The themes are there if you look though, extinction, desert landscapes, ancient rituals, the world falling apart, but they’re never on-the-nose. The song titles are basically the road signs: Ossuary of the Sixth Extinction, Protected by the Ejaculation of Serpents, Clean Coal is a Porous Condom.
Why This Band Is Actually Brilliant
Ak’chamel might sound unhinged, but that’s because they don’t care about being neat. Their sound is built on imperfection. They use tape hiss, field recordings, and intentionally rough production, so every track feels like it’s disintegrating as you listen. It’s part of their magic and also what makes the band sound more authentic. While other bands try to sound polished, Ak’chamel sounds alive.
“Rawskulled” album cover painted by Matt Sidney
But don’t worry, musically, these guys know what they’re doing. They pull scales from Persian, Indian, and Saharan traditions. They use droning harmonium tones to create tension, and their percussion often locks into polyrhythms that give the songs this hypnotic push and pull. It’s experimental, but not random. There’s a logic to the madness.
The London Show - Sept. 15 2025
Ak’chamel will be at The Horse Hospital on September 15, and it’s definitely going to be the strangest gig in London this year. This isn’t the O2 Arena. This is a dark, underground venue that feels perfect for ritualistic incantations, so when these masked deities show up with their rattles and droning guitars, the whole place is going to feel like a desert temple.
The main show SOLD OUT so fast that they had to add an earlier set, which means you’ve got one more chance to see them. And honestly, this is not the kind of show you want to read about later and regret missing. So get your tickets here ASAP!
I hope to be there as well with my shrunken head and bone guitar so I can have them signed.
Why You Need Ak’chamel In Your Life Right Now
If you’re bored of music that feels algorithm-approved by the war criminal promoting demons over at Spotify, Ak’chamel will shake you awake. They are weird, entrancing, hell, even mildly arousing! They are uniquely creative in a way that feels thrilling.
Their albums, especially A Mournful Kingdom of Sand and The Totemist, are best experienced with good headphones and zero distractions. Turn off your phone, dim the lights, and let the music pull you under.
Be sure to support Ak’chamel, The Giver Of Illness by following them on Bandcamp and buying their merch when they get more in stock!
Written by: Chort the Crop Infestor
“Hi, I’m Chort I infest crops and listen to Black Metal!”
