Welcome to The Saw’s Butcher Shop! Ya Girl, The Saw, has been anticipating the brand-new release from American Black Metal newcomers, Blackbraid, and I was not disappointed. On July 7, 2023, Blackbraid II, the self-released sophomore studio album by the band (that is a follow-up to their brilliant 2022 debut) dropped. I got to see Blackbraid just a few months ago on the Decibel Magazine Tour with Dark Funeral, Cattle Decapitation, and 200 Stab Wounds. It was a great show! And it really made me excited for this new record.

Blackbraid is, in reality, the brain-child of one man – Jon Krieger; aka, Sgah’gahsowah (“The Witch Hawk”) – the voice (as it were) for the Native American version of American Black Metal. Hailing from the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York, Blackbraid is straightforward Melodic Black Metal, with indigenous folk elements. Just as the famous Swedish branch of the sub-genre fuse folk lore and mythology with trademark, Black Metal tradition, so Blackbraid mix elements of Native American culture with Black Metal’s sound and feel. Full, atmospheric tremolo picking is offset by traditional flute playing; crunchy riffs stand beside blackened vocals expressing the mysticism of nature and the struggles of the Native American people. Session drummer and producer, Neil Schneider does an excellent job on Blackbraid II, both behind the kit, and in the production booth. This record has a great sonic sense and a beautiful dynamic range.

Speaking of beauty, Blackbraid II is, itself, beautiful in its expression. “Autumnal Hearts Ablaze” is an acoustic intro to “The Spirit Returns,” a classic Black Metal atmospheric track that is the shortest on the album. You can really sense the emotional aspects of what’s being communicated in this form, and with the traditional indigenous blend of this song and “The Wolf that Guides the Hunters,” another melodic, riff-laden track. “Spells of Moon and Earth” is an interlude of the traditional, natural sense that carries us into the epic, “Moss Covered Bones on the Altar of the Moon.” This, the fifth song on the album, is the apex of this record. My favorite track, it is a 13:30 narrative of incredible musicianship and lyrical genius. The dramatic sense of its delivery, both musically and vocally, gives the listener a real feel and experience. 

The second half of Blackbraid II rolls-on smoothly, as if falling from the peaks of the Adirondacks. “A Song of Death on Winds of Dawn” continues the emotional free-fall, as “Celestial Passage” is a post-lude of sadness in the epic story. “Twilight Hymn of Ancient Blood” builds ever-so slowly in intensity; with punctuations of the deepest gutterals on the album. It picks up momentum with a wicked Thrash-style riff, and a nasty little guitar solo. This track is different from any other on the record, and is well placed in the scheme of things. “Sadness and the Passage of Time and Memory” is the finale to the narrative (the last track of the original songs). This song is a microcosm of the entire record – an emotional rollercoaster of highs and lows, hopes and disappointments. Again, as with the whole album, it expresses beauty in agony. Just brilliant!

The last song on Blackbraid II is a cover of the classic Bathory song, “A Fine Day to Die.” You already know that Ya Girl loves a good cover, especially when done well. And this is a masterful rendition that, both, stays true to the classic track, and fits well with the overarching theme of Blackbraid II. It’s very well done and, with sonic perfection, sounds awesome! 

Rating: 10/10!! Brilliant vision! Beautiful expression and delivery! *Note: Ya Girl usually deducts a point for interludes and post-ludes, but on this record, they speak directly to the overall sense and feel of the album and are valuable expressions of the point.

Favorite Song: Moss Covered Bones on the Altar of the Moon

Stay Metal,

THE SAW