{"id":90518,"date":"2025-08-17T22:46:09","date_gmt":"2025-08-17T22:46:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/90518\/"},"modified":"2025-08-17T22:46:09","modified_gmt":"2025-08-17T22:46:09","slug":"review-blackbraid-blackbraid-iii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/90518\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Blackbraid – Blackbraid III"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Published by Daniel<\/a> on August 17, 2025August 17, 2025<\/p>\n

\"\"Artwork by Adam Burke<\/a> and Adrian Baxter<\/a><\/p>\n

Style: Black metal, atmospheric black metal, folk (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Winterfylleth, Grima, Havukruunu, Panopticon, Abigail Williams<\/a>
Country: New York, United States
Release date: 8 August 2025<\/p>\n

Native American and Norse peoples share a few historical parallels in how they were confronted, overrun, and transformed by Christian evangelization. Norse paganism was gradually outlawed in favor of Christianity in the high middle ages, while colonization of and expansion within the New World saw many Native American peoples and practices eradicated via law, violence, and disease. Many surviving texts and oral traditions from these cultures were subsequently preserved (and thus perverted) through Christian reinterpretation and narrative.1<\/a> In both histories conversion to Christianity was, to put it lightly, highly encouraged. The treatment and transformation of these two ocean-separated populations isn\u2019t a mirror image, but their history certainly rhymes.<\/p>\n

In its developing stages, a large part of Scandinavian black metal identity was rooted in rebelling against that historical inertia and embracing the old ways2<\/a>\u2014continuing to shape the genre to this day. All that to say: I can see how the sights, sounds, and lyrics of black metal might have a certain appeal to somebody of Native American descent. Though he\u2019s not the first to infuse an indigenous influence with extreme metal, Jon Krieger\u2019s Blackbraid is certainly my favorite. Blackbraid I was an instant darling and my favorite release of 2022; the Native American inspiration, artwork, and dour yet melodious atmosphere in the music hit all the right spots for me. Blackbraid II (2023) was even better, expanding on and refining the ideas from its predecessor and cementing Krieger as more than just a one-off.<\/p>\n

Blackbraid III has now descended upon us, with no shortage of the fire and frost of its elder brethren. As before, riffs arrive in a variety of guises: tremolo-picked blizzards punctuated by brash high chords, power-chord progressions that chant beneath soaring lead lines, and even a few chugs on the low end for good measure. The unceasing wintry gale of the harmonious guitars in \u201cTears of the Dawn\u201d will blanket you in aural snow, and the hollow production style of the album only adds to that chilling effect. \u201cGod of Black Blood\u201d trudges with slow, face-crumpling heaviness (and has the album\u2019s standout guitar solo). My favorite track, though, is \u201cAnd He Became the Burning Stars.\u201d It opens with a triplet-driven 6\/8 riff whose rhythm is an oar cutting through turbulent waters. Surrounding this riff are dissonant yet melodic chords that crash into it, feeling both alien to the riff but perfectly at home in the album\u2019s broader sound. But, the real magic of the song comes in its melodic and soft bridge that transitions into the latter half of the piece, which completely transforms the song into something as beautiful and pensive as the opening was aggressive. You\u2019ll remain exhilarated and moved across its ten minute runtime.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The music here is so consistently captivating that the greatest criticism I can level at Blackbraid III is its overly rigid structure. The opening tracks set a template that the rest of the album rarely strays from: a soft, acoustic opener (\u201cDusk (Eulogy)\u201d) followed by a full-throttle black metal scorcher (\u201cWardrums at Dawn on the Day of My Death\u201d). This pattern is almost ever-present, deviating only after \u201cWardrums\u2026\u201d and again at the very end, with a fantastic cover of Lord Belial\u2019s \u201cFleshbound.\u201d One particular interlude track, \u201cThe Earth Is Weeping,\u201d is overly repetitive, three times as lengthy as it should be, and should have been attached to its predecessor as an outro. Others, though, justify their place\u2014like \u201cTraversing the Forest of Eternal Dusk,\u201d which weaves flowing guitar melodies, Native American flute, and what sounds like genuine field recordings of a living forest into something transportive. Such interludes are the quiet nighttime fires that keep you alive amidst the icy gusts of the black metal blizzard about you.<\/p>\n

Krieger\u2019s knack for creating evocative song titles continues to be in full effect3<\/a> on Blackbraid III. With names like \u201cAnd He Became the Burning Stars\u201d or \u201cWardrums at Dawn on the Day of My Death,\u201d the part of me that longs for lore and some form of spiritual communion with nature swells just reading them. The lyrics are no slouch either: \u201cThe dust of my spirit \/ Shall flow forth at twilight \/ A sacred sepulchre in frost \/ An offering of flesh to the moss\u201d (from \u201cThe Dying Breath of a Sacred Stag\u201d). Adding to the effect is the top-notch vocal delivery and production on III. While not being able to understand a harsh vocalist\u2019s specific words almost never detracts from a song for me, intelligible rasps and gutturals can only elevate the material\u2014and nary a scathing shriek passed through my ears that I couldn\u2019t understand on first listen.<\/p>\n

I came into Blackbraid III with expectations that were miles high, and in that sense I might be slightly disappointed. Across its fifty-three minutes, the shifts between fury and calm create a cycle of tension and release that mirrors the ebb and flow of the natural landscapes that the album evokes. Thus, the music clings to the tonal and structural palette of its magical predecessors\u2014perhaps to a fault. The consistency that Blackbraid has displayed across three releases is both a blessing and a curse. I tend to be most interested in trying out new flavors from an established artist, and Blackbraid III doesn\u2019t exactly try any different recipes in the cookbook. Yet its strong songwriting, deep integration of the creator\u2019s folklore, and solid production values go a long way to turn a \u201cmore of the same\u201d release into something that I\u2019ll keep spinning over the years.<\/p>\n

Recommended tracks: And He Became the Burning Stars, Traversing the Forest of Eternal Dusk, The Dying Breath of a Sacred Stag, Like Wind Through the Reeds Making Waves Like Water
You may also like: Saor<\/a>, Walg, Valdrin<\/a>, Pan Amerikan Native Front
Final verdict: 7.5\/10<\/p>\n

Related links: Bandcamp<\/a> | Official Website<\/a> | Instagram<\/a> | Metal-Archives<\/a><\/p>\n

Label: Independent<\/p>\n

Blackbraid is:
\u2013 Jon S. Krieger, also known as Sgah\u2019gahsow\u00e1h (vocals, guitars, bass)
With guests:
\u2013 Neil Schneider (drums)<\/p>\n

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