Ameokama
United States · last active 2026
Ameokama is the Chicago-based solo project of Aki McCullough, also known for screamo act Dreamwell and progressive sludge band A Constant Knowledge of Death. Named for Amenonna, the Japanese rain yōkai, the project moves between shoegaze/blackgaze, doom-tinged post-metal, and harsh noise; Heavy Blog Is Heavy described 2024's i will be clouds in the morning and rain in the evening as pairing 'drawn out, undulating soundscapes of shoegaze' with eruptions of harsh vocals and 'post metal, cavernous sound.' The 2025 release Jorogumo leans further into harsh noise wall and modular synth territory, Bandcamp-tagged metal, sludge, and noise.
SCORE PROFILE
Accent numbers counted towards the index. Hover an axis — or hold it on a phone — for what it means.
WHY THOSE SCORES
- Jazzy 2 — Album described as blending 'blackgaze, noise, folk indie rock, jazz, and black metal elements' (Album of the Year / press aggregation of i will be clouds reviews).
- Hardcore 3 — Bandcamp tags include 'post-hardcore'; project led by Aki McCullough of screamo band Dreamwell (Bandcamp; Brooklynvegan).
- Black 4 — 'The heretofore shoegaze-focused sound' injected 'with a dose of aggression, turning it into a forceful and moving thrust in the direction of blackgaze,' with harsh vocals (Heavy Blog Is Heavy).
- Glitch 3 — 2025 release Jorogumo Bandcamp-tagged 'harsh noise,' 'harsh noise wall,' and 'modular synth' (ameokama.bandcamp.com/album/jorogumo).
- Folk 3 — Press described the record as blending in 'folk indie rock' elements (Album of the Year / press aggregation).
- Doom 4 — 'The instrumentation - upright bass and drums - contributes an extra dimension of doom and post metal depth' (Heavy Blog Is Heavy).
- Drone 3 — Harsh noise wall (HNW)-tagged material with sustained, minimally-moving noise textures (Bandcamp tags for Jorogumo).
- Shoegaze 6 — Core identity described as 'the heretofore shoegaze-focused sound,' tagged shoegaze/dream pop across releases (Heavy Blog Is Heavy; Bandcamp tags).
- Ambient 5 — Tracks described as 'elongated, stretched to the verge of ambience... undulating soundscapes' (Heavy Blog Is Heavy).
MEMBERS
- Aki McCulloughGuitar, bass, vocals, mix, master
- James GoldmannDrums (session, track 1 of 'i am driving a car...'); harsh noise rig setup on Jorogumo
FURTHER LISTENING
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