Blackbraid: Blackbraid III - Album Review
Since bursting onto the scene in 2022 with the first self-titled album, Blackbraid established himself as a potent voice in atmospheric, Native‑infused black metal. Blackbraid II (2023) expanded that vision, adding melodic scope, tighter composition, and stronger dynamics.
Blackbraid III only furthers this evolution, a record that honours ancestral memory while pushing into expansive, stadium‑scale riffing and sweeping thematic ambition. It’s the album where identity, production finesse, and storytelling fuse into one immersive ritual.
Read Our Interview with Blackbraid |
Read Our Interview with Blackbraid |
Structure & Flow
At roughly 53 minutes and 10 tracks, Blackbraid III avoids the longer length traps of prior albums. Instead, it integrates instrumental interludes that act as purposeful breathers, reset points in a broader narrative arc, not filler. These acoustic‑and‑flute pieces (“Dusk (Eulogy)”, “The Earth Is Weeping”, “Traversing the Forest…”, “Like Wind Through the Reeds…”) ground the record and give the longer epics clarity and focus.
Unlike Blackbraid II, where long runtime occasionally induced listener fatigue, III uses those ambient passages to weave pacing, reinvention, and thematic continuity. This design prevents dilution and makes each nine‑minute centerpiece feel earned and intentional.
Production & Sound Quality
One of the most pronounced advances on Blackbraid III is its soundscape clarity. The two pre‑release singles, “The Dying Breath of a Sacred Stag” and “Wardrums at Dawn on the Day of My Death”, already hinted at a leveling‑up in overall fidelity: sharper drums, warmer bass presence, wider guitar tones, yet still rooted in black‑metal grit.
Throughout the album, instrumentation breathes naturally. Drums cut with sterile precision without losing backbone; guitars hum with dense tremolo and melodic arcs; bass underpins without overpowering. The mastering lets each layer occupy its own field. That “arena sound” described by earlier reviewers is fully realised here.
Guitar & Riff Craft: Melodic Black Metal with Depth
Guitar work on III exemplifies trained restraint and strategic layering. Tracks like “God Of Black Blood” and “Tears Of The Dawn” employ spiraling tremolo, intertwined harmonies, and intentional melody in a way that recalls classic metal without losing second‑wave black metal edge. Flute tones and acoustic lead voices rarely feel tacked on, they coexist with distorted riffs as part of the same sonic ritual.
If earlier Blackbraid leaned heavier on tremolo or folk soundscapes, III finds balance: melodic layers that soar and stab, riff transitions that shift from mid‑tempo pounding to blast‑beat fury with compositional logic, not chaos.
Drums & Rhythmic Foundation
Drumming on Blackbraid III isn’t just speed, it’s atmosphere and structure. In “Wardrums at Dawn…”, relentless blast beats collide with tribally rhythmic snare work. In tracks like “Tears Of The Dawn”, percussion defines sections, breathes life into compositions, and provides emotional cadence beneath epic guitar movements.
From previous reviews, drums on Blackbraid II were often noted as the real star among riffs, but here they take on narrative importance too. They establish tone, regulate pacing, and serve as a spiritual heartbeat in atmospheric stretches.
Vocals & Lyrical Theme
Sgah’gahsowáh’s vocals on III feel more intentional than in earlier works. He adapts, from opaque war‑cry rasp to soaring lament, depending on each song’s thematic arc. Rather than one mode across the album, his delivery shifts subtly to support emotional intent: defiance, mourning, transcendence.
Although full lyrics remain unpublished, titles like “The Dying Breath of a Sacred Stag” and “Wardrums at Dawn on the Day of My Death” evoke direct spiritual symbolism: death as ritual, sacrifice as identity, memory as flame. The Native flute and acoustic elements reinforce ancestral storytelling without drowning authenticity.
This cohesion of voice, concept, and tone underscores what makes Blackbraid one of the most culturally significant metal projects today.
Featured Tracks: Key Moments & Emotional Peaks
Wardrums at Dawn on the Day of My Death
Released May 2025 as lead single, this track ignited anticipation with its warlike blast beats, relentless pace, and sharp leads. It’s a “craftsman’s finesse” of speed and thematic drama.
It traverses from primal assault to melodic horn-like ridge lines, underlining the concept of death as defiance. Vocals feel more anguished than ever, rage channelled through sound.
The Dying Breath of a Sacred Stag
This track begins mournfully, with acoustic guitar and resonance of natural sorrow, then storms into mid‑tempo riffs layered with earthy flutes. Its structure, melody, percussion shift, more tremolo, mournful return, suggests ritualistic narrative and ancestral storytelling. It emphasises dynamic structure, emotional restraint, and melodic nuance.
God of Black Blood
A classic black metal anchor on this album: spiralling guitars, pounding drums, and guttural screams, but enriched by flute flourishes that ground its mythic identity. Rather than token folk tropes, these elements feel ancestral, intentional, and emotionally integrated.
Tears of the Dawn & And He Became the Burning Stars…
The album’s long‑form masterpieces, both clocking in at over nine minutes. These are odysseys through shifting tempos, aggressive strides, melodic melancholy, and cathartic climaxes.
HMC Verdict
Blackbraid is widely regarded as one of the foremost voices in indigenous black metal. Sgah’gahsowáh (Jon Krieger) brings Mohawk ancestry into the project, and retains credibility in both metal and cultural communities by embedding ancestral themes authentically into the music, not as gimmick, but ritual.
Blackbraid III is Sgah’gahsowáh’s crowning statement: a bold blend of technical craftsmanship, spiritual depth, polished production, and cultural authenticity. It balances aggression and reflection, tradition and innovation. It cements Blackbraid’s status not just as a notable metal artist, but as a creator translating ancestral resonance into modern myth.
This album stands as a pivotal moment in American indigenous black metal. Recommended for fans of melodic and atmospheric black metal, ritualistic compositions, indigenous storytelling through art, and well‑produced extreme music with emotional and thematic ambition.
Track Listing:
Dusk (Eulogy)
Wardrums at Dawn on the Day of my Death
The Dying Breath of a Sacred Stag
The Earth is Weeping
God of Black Blood
Traversing the Forest of Eternal Dusk
Tears of the Dawn
Like Wind Through The Reeds Making Waves Like Water
And He Became the Burning Stars…
Fleshbound (Lord Belial cover)
