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Album Review – Blackbraid / Blackbraid III (2025)

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Behold the stunning next chapter in the musical and spiritual journey of the witch hawk of Black Metal hailing from the Adirondack Mountains.

A solo indigenous Black Metal project from the depths of the Adirondack wilderness, creating music as raw and powerful as the mountains from whence it came, New York’s own Atmospheric Black Metal entity Blackbraid, the brainchild of the beyond talented vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Sgah’gahsowáh, is finally back with the highly anticipated follow-up to his critically acclaimed 2023 album Blackbraid II. Fully composed and performed by Sgah’gahsowáh, with drums, recording, mixing and mastering done by Neil Schneider (of the excellent bands Calling of Phasmic Presence, Diplegia, Telepathic Ceremony and Vintertodt), and displaying a stunning artwork with painting by Adam Burke of Nightjar Illustration and ilustration by Adrian Baxter, with visual development and graphic design by Wolf Mountain Productions, the breathtaking Blackbraid III is another beast of an album by our witch hawk Jon Krieger, showcasing a huge step forward in his already beautiful career and, therefore, resulting in a must-listen for fans of contemporary Atmospheric and Melodic Black Metal.

The acoustic, atmospheric intro Dusk (Eulogy) warms up our souls for the blackened feast titled Wardrums At Dawn On The Day Of My Death, with Sgah’gahsowáh powerfully declaiming the song’s dark and poetic words (“Awakened by a western wind / The blood of chaos seeps into dawn / A call to war in honor and death / The warrior’s fate to ride the storm / Ride”), always supported by Neil’s insane beats and fills. The Dying Death Of A Sacred Stag is another massive chant with pensive, introspective lyrics (“Upon a great throne of black mountains / Born in the heart of the storm / A keeper of shadow and twilight / A sentinel of lands long forlorn / Born within the eyes of the storm”) while our dauntless witch hawk keeps slashing his axe nonstop; and we’re then treated to the ethereal interlude The Earth Is Weeping before all hell breaks loose in God Of Black Blood, featuring a guest guitar solo by Randy Moore, a tribal, ruthless aria by Sgah’gahsowáh perfect for dancing and prancing around the fire like a true Native American.

It’s impressive how Sgah’gahsowáh can craft delicate yet obscure instrumental pieces like Traversing The Forest Of Eternal Dusk, setting the tone for the absolute demolishing Tears Of The Dawn, a lecture in Atmospheric Black Metal with the pounding drums by Neil walking hand in hand with the visceral roars and scorching riffage by Sgah’gahsowáh. Like Wind Through The Reeds Making Waves Like Water, the last interlude of the album, once again sounds enfolding, melancholic and whimsical, soothing our heats and souls before we face the flawless And He Became The Burning Stars…, one of the best Blackbraid songs of all time, with all harsh vociferations, scathing riffs and blast beats flowing perfectly until the very last second, taking us on a way one journey into the heart of the Adirondack Mountains. And finally, we have Fleshbound, an amazing cover version for a classic by Lord Belial, from their 2005 album Nocturnal Beast (check out the original HERE), and Sgah’gahsowáh’s rendition is just as visceral, aggressive and detailed.

Ready to embark on a North American headlining tour this year with support from Lamp of Murmuur, Dödsrit, and Gudsforlad, Sgah’gahsowáh and his Blackbraid are poised to conquer the entire world of heavy music with the third chapter in his musical and spiritual journey, and not only you can find the album in full on YouTube and on Spotify, but you should definitely purchase it from BandCamp or from the project’s official merch store in the United States or in the European Union. Don’t forget to also give Sgah’gahsowáh a shout on Instagram, and to stream all of his songs and albums on YouTube, Spotify or any other streaming service. Because the witch hawk of Black Metal is back, sounding heavier and more epic than ever, with the first-class music found in his new album majestically echoing through the misty mountains.

Best moments of the album: Wardrums At Dawn On The Day Of My Death, God Of Black Blood, Tears Of The Dawn and And He Became The Burning Stars…

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Independent

Track listing
1. Dusk (Eulogy) 1:02
2. Wardrums At Dawn On The Day Of My Death 4:54
3. The Dying Death Of A Sacred Stag 7:44
4. The Earth Is Weeping 3:39
5. God Of Black Blood 5:52
6. Traversing The Forest Of Eternal Dusk 3:39
7. Tears Of The Dawn 9:18
8. Like Wind Through The Reeds Making Waves Like Water 2:49
9. And He Became The Burning Stars… 9:50
10. Fleshbound (Lord Belial cover) 4:03

Band members
Sgah’gahsowáh – vocals, guitars, bass

Guest musicians
Neil Schneider – drums (session)
Randy Moore – lead guitars on “God of Black Blood”

Album Review – Blackbraid / Blackbraid II (2023)

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The witch hawk Jon Krieger returns from the solitude of the Adirondack Mountains with his stunning sophomore album, an expansion of his own sound exploring his strong relationship with nature.

Part of the growing indigenous Black Metal scene in the United States, Blackbraid is an Atmospheric Black Metal project from the solitude of the Adirondack Mountains, in New York, formed in 2022 by Native-American vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Jon Krieger, known by his pseudonym Sgah’gahsowáh, a Mohawk name meaning “the witch hawk”. Inspired by giants the likes of Dissection, Gorgoroth, Immortal, Bathory and Mayhem, among others, Sgah’gahsowáh views Blackbraid as a project that can help listeners reconnect with nature and help him explore his own relationship with it, which can be experienced in his sophomore opus Blackbraid II. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Neil Schneider (Calling of Phasmic Presence, Diplegia, Vintertodt), who also plays drums in the entire album, and displaying a stylish artwork by Adrian Baxter, Blackbraid II is an expansion of the sound developed in the project’s debut album Blackbraid I, also incorporating more native instrumentation to the project’s already dense and multi-layered sound.

The fires of Black Metal are burning accompanied by the acoustic guitars by Sgah’gahsowáh in the intro Autumnal Hearts Ablaze, captivating our senses before we face the heavy and majestic The Spirit Returns, bringing to our ears an avalanche of intricate melodies, enraged vocals and scorching riffs carefully brought into being by our lone wolf while also presenting a fantastic balance between Atmospheric Black Metal and old school Black Metal. Then a wild howl kicks off over seven minutes of breathtaking metal music entitled The Wolf That Guides the Hunters Hand, with Neil crushing his drums like a beast, therefore offering Sgah’gahsowáh exactly what he needs to shine on vocals as well as on the guitars and bass. After such intense tune we’re treated to the whimsical, tribalistic interlude Spells of Moon and Earth, taking us on a journey to the Adirondack Mountains before Sgah’gahsowáh comes ripping in Moss Covered Bones on the Altar of the Moon, starting with some tribal beats and a sinister atmosphere, and sounding beyond perfect for headbanging together with Sgah’gahsowáh, who delivers some killer riffs and solos from his stringed axe until the very end.

A touch of melancholy and somber passages will darken your minds in the infernal Black Metal aria A Song of Death on Winds of Dawn, where Sgah’gahsowáh shows no mercy for our damned souls, blasting his guitars and bass in the most visceral way imaginable for over 11 stunning minutes. It’s then time for another introspective interlude by Sgah’gahsowáh titled Celestial Passage, once again bringing a doomed and melancholic ambience to the album and setting the tone for Twilight Hymn of Ancient Blood, featuring a guest guitar solo by Randy Moore (Spiritworld), with Neil pounding his drums while at the same time Sgah’gahsowáh’s riffage sounds absolutely caustic and heavy, adding elements from classic Doom Metal to his already demonic sound. As the album progresses you can feel Sgah’gahsowáh investing into more Stygian sounds as if his mind and soul were consumed by darkness, which is absolutely clear in Sadness and the Passage of Time and Memory, an enfolding, multi-layered music journey showcasing his usual deep, demonic gnarls, before we face his personal tribute to the mighty Bathory with A Fine Day to Die (check out the original version HERE, from the 1988 masterpiece Blood Fire Death), just as intense and magic as the original, but of course with Sgah’gahsowáh adding his own twist to the overall result.

In summary, what Sgah’gahsowáh and his Blackbraid are doing not only for the Native-American Black Metal scene, but also to Black Metal as a whole, is beyond fantastic, and Blackbraid II, available for a full listen on YouTube and on Spotify, will help him cement his name in the underground and get us all excited for the future of the project. Hence, don’t forget to start following Blackbraid on Instagram for news and tour dates (and believe me, Blackbraid’s live performances are absolutely stunning), to stream the project’s atmospheric and bold creations on YouTube and on Spotify, and above all that, to purchase a copy of the breathtaking Blackbraid II from the project’s own BandCamp page, from Apple Music or from Amazon. And may the spirit of the witch hawk of Black Metal live forever and ever.

Best moments of the album: The Spirit Returns, The Wolf That Guides the Hunters Hand, A Song of Death on Winds of Dawn and Sadness and the Passage of Time and Memory.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2023 Independent

Track listing
1. Autumnal Hearts Ablaze 2:10
2. The Spirit Returns 4:37
3. The Wolf That Guides the Hunters Hand 7:34
4. Spells of Moon and Earth 2:24
5. Moss Covered Bones on the Altar of the Moon 13:30
6. A Song of Death on Winds of Dawn 11:04
7. Celestial Passage 2:24
8. Twilight Hymn of Ancient Blood 6:59
9. Sadness and the Passage of Time and Memory 7:02
10. A Fine Day to Die (Bathory cover) 8:15

Band members
Sgah’gahsowáh – vocals, guitars, bass

Guest musicians
Neil Schneider – drums (session)
Randy Moore – lead guitars on “Twilight Hymn of Ancient Blood”