Review Summary: Hymns for the soul of nature itself.
Sometimes it doesn’t take bands long to leave a mark on certain genres. Forming only 3 short years ago in 2022, Blackbraid is a melodic and atmospheric one-man black metal band hailing from New York with Sgah’gahsowáh being the man behind it all. Blackbraid’s music is based on and heavily inspired by Native American culture and that influence really oozes through the pores of his music.
Blackbraid III is his third (obviously) full-length album and it is his most focused release so far.
The main attraction to this album is quite simple, the riffs are absolutely delicious. The listener will be reminded of Immortal’s later days as thrashy, headbangable riffage blasts through your speakers. To be honest, the production job makes every single note sound natural and of the very land where you lay your feet. Sgah’gahsowáh is very in tune with the Earth and nature itself and you can feel that. His howls rage on amongst the sea of each tremolo picked chord, acting as a gateway into a sacred Native American ground that nobody dares to desecrate.
As I mentioned, the production here is just immaculate. Blackbraid’s music is extremely authentic to his beliefs. He may be a bit of a forest nerd, but the results it wields in terms of folk-driven and hard-hitting black metal is completely worth it. The drums beat like a tribe dancing around a fire with sweat dripping from their foreheads. Every acoustic break feels like a call to the gods. Blackbraid is almost a brother-band to Panopticon in a way. Both bands invoke epic feelings of triumph in nature. Birds sing, water drips and you really find yourself smack dab in the center of the deep woods on a foggy day.
I can’t help but praise Sgah’gahsowáh for his progression over his first 3 albums.
Blackbraid I had hints of what he has become, but ultimately some parts felt overlong or ideas not fleshed all the way out.
Blackbraid II one hundred percent stepped it up on the epicness and folky elements, honestly becoming one of my favorite modern black metal albums for how gleefully triumphant it is. Now
Blackbraid III is like the end of the battle. The blood-soaked soil has seen its share of horror, but it feels like coming out on the other side with battle scars. Uplifting and unvanquished, it has nothing but killer riffs, relaxing acoustic interludes to pause the black metal madness and an authentic representation of Native American music and culture. Blackbraid is a force that will have to be reckoned with for years to come.
