Out Now
Words by Greg Walker
Proud Native American Sgah’gahsowáh (The Witch Hawk) self-styles Blackbraid as An Indigenous Black Metal solo project hailing from the Adirondack Wilderness, and although having never physically ventured into Native American territories I’ve been treated to his experiences in an intimate way on Blackbraid’s debut album Blackbraid I.
Incorporating seamless additions of Native American instruments that add a genuine serenity intertwined within the frenzied strains of much of this material, a feeling of reflective bliss drifts up and out from amongst the turbulence. A unique emotive response is drawn from a genre that traditionally deals with themes of Satan, murder, and arson. Instead, we’re treated to verbal and aural illustrations of a deep spiritual connection to nature married to the mystic folklore of an ancient culture, and the flipside of attempted genocide, the ongoing suffering of a people, and their nations losing a collective identity.
Naturally beginning with a momentary serenade of a running river, Blackbraid I bursts forth almost immediately, accelerating from 0-100 in exactly six seconds, but throughout the album’s runtime Sgah’gahsowáh’s labour offers so much more than the traditional Black Metal fare. The full production is a living generation apart from the Scandinavian scene that originally took pride in lo-fi accomplishments that defined that movement. At once Blackbraid I‘s sound is all-encompassing, interspersing sweeping atmospherics amongst bursts of primal savagery.
First single and album opener The River Of Time Flows Through Me is classic Black Metal but straight away there’s a sense something deeper is at play here. There are enough changes in tempo and texture to keep the listener’s attention, but amid this maelstrom are delightful little details and surprises. One such moment is a brief central section in this first track: bracketed at either end by a fleeting return of the soothing river is a big rock moment that just as quickly launches back into the rugged terrain to close.
Instrumental As The Creek Flows Softly By nicely balances the tumult, a truly beautiful descriptive composition in which a traditional flute evokes images of a natural communion with a foggy predawn landscape, a genuine calm amongst the storms that circle most of the other tracks. Mournful at the same time, a change mid-song hints at a nervous urgency in the sorrowful tone. Snapping me out of its trance,
it finishes with a startling shriek of the flute before the next track begins with instant ferocity.
There are many strengths to list, not least the lyrics. Wonderfully poetic, powerfully descriptive, Sgah’gahsowáh’s writing is pure, celebrating a connection to the land and mourning the dark histories thrust upon his people. Aside from the haunting flute peering through the bedlam of its outro, Sacandaga is the work of a wordsmith.
The listener can almost smell the ethereal pine forest, the evening’s mountain air crisp in the nostrils, the track oozes spiritual heritage and mythologies of a people still intrinsically connected to the Earth. I strongly encourage the listener to take time to absorb the elegant prose throughout this release.
Barefoot Ghost Dance On Blood Soaked Soil is a stark contrast in lyrical content, the title alone is enough description as is needed. Drenched in raw anger as brutal as it’s subject matter, Barefoot Ghost… feels as much a lament for the souls lost to a lopsided war as it is Mother Nature mourning for her murdered children. The album’s second single is bleak, yet I sense a tribal pride for those who willingly gave their lives to defend their ways of life to no avail.
Warm Wind Whispering Softly Through Hemlock At Dusk is the second wonderfully composed instrumental, making use of both acoustic and electric guitar weaving in and around one another to create a dreamy meditative state of calm to lose yourself before the closing epic.
A doomy start to Prying Open The Jaws Of Eternity perfectly complements the lyrical indications of a natural world on pause, waiting to awaken to the twilight of this life and the final journey. Transitioning between doom and blast beats, slow and fast, almost swaying in a primal dance, the album closer is a standout amongst an album of standouts.
If I had to come up with a con, the only disappointment could be that I would’ve appreciated more Native American instrumentation throughout, but having said that the representation here is subtle yet sublime and not at all distracting. I’d hope future releases might find a way to include more, if of course that fits the natural progression Blackbraid is heading for.
Setting aside the obvious musical influences, this is modern Black Metal. Even with the two instrumentals there is little reprieve, but what an outstanding journey this debut is. Unlike the early Nordic Black Metal pioneers, there is little authenticity in the current genre without high-quality musicianship, and Blackbraid I displays this asset in spades. The foremost aspect of the song compositions is of course the guitars, being the driving sound in most metal, but the contribution to the drums by Neil Schneider (who also engineered the album) cannot be overstated. Being a spine for the tracks is one thing, but the percussion here flows and breathes as naturally as the pictures painted by the lyrics. The themes and narratives of
Blackbraid I are truly eye-opening to someone from outside the Native American Nations, and to many who may be awakened to find they now coexist on land that was once part of the Indigenous Nations’ soul.
There is a beauty in Blackbraid I‘s savagery, a serenity in its chaos. This album is a masterpiece.
