News

The Wolf that Guides the Hunters Hand

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New guitar playthrough video

FORTRESS FESTIVAL 2024

Blackbraid will be coming to the UK next year, for the mighty Fortress Fest. I can’t express how excited I am to not only bring Blackbraid to the UK for the first time, but to be doing it at such a unique festival, surrounded by some of the best black metal artists in the world.

This will be our only UK appearance next year so we wanted to do or best to make sure it was truly one to remember. A big thank you to Fortress Fest for making this one possible, see you next summer!

Crypt of Ancestral Knowledge Tour

Blackbraid will be embarking on our final North American tour of 2023 in support of the mighty Wolves in the Throne Room, also accompanied by Gaerea & Hoaxed.

ticket sales begin FRIDAY, August 4th

Blackbraid Mead

We partnered with some longtime friends over at Helderberg Meadworks to make a Blackbraid mead infused with local sumac & blueberry.The specialty mead is available at the Helderberg mead halls in Esperance & Troy NY as well as online via VinoShipper (Shipping available for most states)

“Blackbraid II” Officially Charting in BILLBOARD

Album Release Show Announced in LA

Nothing Less Booking & Night of the Palemoon presents:
An evening in celebration of “Blackbraid II” with support from the Circle of Shadows.
The raw melodic vampyric horde, Mäleficentt will perform “Night of Eternal Darkness” it its entirety.
Righteous pure and true Black Metal comradery, Gudsforladt will debut live.

And the indigenous force, Blackbraid will once again perform on Tongva territory bringing the true nature spirit of the lands.
A celebration of Black Metal magick, friendship, love and Indigenous might!
This will be Blackbraid’s final west coast performance of the year!

Saturday August 12th,
1720 Los Angeles, California
Doors 5PM // Performance 6PM

This is an all ages show!
Presale begins Friday July 14th

“Blackbraid II” IS HERE

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“Blackbraid II” Pre-Sale is Live

The much anticipated second album “Blackbraid II” is finally being released on July 7th, and world-wide pre-sales have begun exclusively at Blackbraid.us & Bandcamp!

“Blackbraid II” will be available on CD in a 6-panel digisleeve, Cassette, and on 2 double-LP gatefold editions; the emerald & bone marbled “Moss” edition & the gold flake & earth marbled “Spirit” edition.

MIDGARDSBLOT

Blackbraid officially announced for

MIDGARDSBLOT

I am very excited to announce Blackbraid will be coming to Norway for the first time this August to participate in the legendary Midgardsblot!

This will be our first time in Norway and we will be headlining the Kapaunger stage, more info coming soon, see you there Scandinavia!

The New Single has Arrived!

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The new single

- The Spirit Retuns-

The first single of “Blackbraid II” has arrived!

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The new single

- Moss Covered Bones on the Altar of the Moon-

Blackbraid II

The Sophomore Album

- BLACKBRAID II-

Coming July 7th, 2023…

Today I am honored to announce the release of my forthcoming second full length, Blackbraid II.

The album will be released independently across all major formats/platforms with a release date of July 7th. The album will feature ten tracks with an approximate run time of 65 minutes, track listing is as follows:

Autumnal Hearts Ablaze 

The Spirit Returns 

The Wolf That Guides the Hunters Hand 

Spells of Moon and Earth 

Moss Covered Bones on the Altar of the Moon 

A Song of Death on Winds of Dawn 

Celestial Passage 

Twilight Hymn of Ancient Blood 

Sadness and the Passage of Time and Memory 

A Fine Day to Die 

The first single, Moss Covered Bones on the Altar of the Moon, will be available next Wednesday via the Black Metal Promotion YouTube page, hitting all major streaming services that Friday.

I cannot express how excited I am to finally be able to share this album with you, more exciting news coming very soon!

Join the mailing list for all album announcements

“Blackbraid I” on Translucent Red Smoke Vinyl is Available Now!

Excited to announce the second pressing of the the “Blackbraid I” gatefold edition, now on red translucent smoke vinyl, is now available on Blackbraid.us & Bandcamp and will be shipping immediately, no pre-orders this time around.

There are some subtle differences between the first and second editions as well:

The 2nd pressing was completed 100% independently with no additional licensing partners; Therefore this edition features no third-party logos on the packaging.
The new red marble 180g vinyl is a translucent disk rather than opaque as the first pressing was.
The second pressing does not include the bonus lyric book from the original pre-sale

This will be the last pressing of Blackbraid I for a bit as we shift our focus to the impending second album. Thank you all so much for your endless support, I am truly grateful for everything and can not wait to share more Blackbraid with you. Details on the second album coming later this month!

Blackbraid featured on Decibel Magazine cover with tour mates Dark Funeral, Cattle Decapitation, & 200 Stab Wounds

Decibel Magazine cover #223
North America’s longest-running metal tour has returned! Our tenth iteration of national devastation is back in black… and bloody, bloody red. Before they trek out across the U.S. under the Decibel banner, Swedish black metal headliners Dark Funeral, compassionate death metal masters Cattle Decapitation and newcomers 200 Stab Wounds and Blackbraid have laid claim to the May 2023 cover to divulge their secrets on what’s in store…

Blackbraid added to NYC date of the upcoming Decibel Tour!

NYC! We had so much fun last week we gotta make it happen again. We are now officially playing the NYC date of the Decibel Magazine tour. Appearing on all other dates as well

New LIVE Compilation video for “Barefoot Ghost Dance on Blood Soaked Soil”!

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COPENHELL!

Blackbraid officially announced for

COPENHELL FESTIVAL

2023

Decibel Magazine Tour 2023!

Blackbraid will be embarking on its first ever North American tour in conjunction with the return of the Decibel Magazine Tour, which also features DARK FUNERAL, CATTLE DECAPITATION, and 200 STAB WOUNDS!

The trek kicks off on May 11 in Santa Ana, CA and will circle around the continent before concluding in Los Angeles, CA on June 10.

A New York City Ritual Awaits!

Blackbraid will be playing in support of Hulder in NYC, February 25 at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC!

This show will feature UNRELEASED MATERIAL by Blackbraid  

Rolling Stone: “Blackbraid I” Included The 15 Best Metal Albums of 2022

“When Blackbraid’s debut single, “Barefoot Ghost Dance on Bloodsoaked Soil,” came out last February, the metal world took a collective gasp. Creator Sgah’gahsowáh may not have anticipated just how much of a sensation his one-man Indigenous black-metal project would become, but the attention is richly deserved. A powerfully emotive album with lyrics rooted in nature and history, Blackbraid I marries the icy melodies of the mid-Nineties Scandinavian scene with lilting Indigenous instruments and acoustic folk interludes like “As the Creek Flows Softly By.” In turns harsh and delicate, Blackbraid take cues from black metal’s old guard on the album while consciously crafting something that feels new, fresh, and vital.”

JOIN US AT THE TEMPLE!

Blackbraid officially announced for

HELLFEST OPEN AIR

2023

“Blackbraid I” featured in Metal Injection’s Top Underground Metal Albums Of 2022

Metal Injection's Top Underground Metal Albums Of 2022

Catch Blackbraid in the latest issues of BOTH Metal Hammer & Decibel!

Metal Hammer goes in-depth with a multi-page feature interview & Decibel features “Blackbraid I” as #4 in their Top Albums of 2022!

Its Coming….

“Blackbraid I” on Vinyl

Pre-sale begins on

11 • 4

Catch the Q&A with Blackbraid in the upcoming December issue of Decibel Magazine! 

Blackbraid Interview in Outburn Magazine

Pickup a copy of the October issue of Outburn Magazine for an exclusive print interview! 

The BandCamp Metal Show

Illustration of Sgah'gahsowáh by Natalie Foss.
Illustration of Sgah'gahsowáh by Natalie Foss.

Sgah’gahsowáh Interviewed by BandCamp’s Brad Sanders during a special all-black metal edition of The Metal Show podcast.

Blackbraid celebrates first live show!

The first ever Blackbraid live ritual was consummated the sold out Supply & Demand venue in Long Beach LA this past full moon. 

We give much thanks to Born for Burning LA & Night of the Pale Moon for putting this show together as well as to the opening bands Metztli & Crematory Stench.  

The set was filmed by local artisan gaberealhell and photographed by @Visionsofthe.Abyss & @StealYourEyes

Interview with Metal Hammer

““People are bored of a lot of the black metal tropes out there right now,”…

Instead of the devil and arson, Blackbraid – which recently released its debut album, Blackbraid I – is infatuated with nature, folk music and screaming about the struggles faced by Native Americans… “

Blackbraid Recognized Among The Best Metal on Bandcamp: August 2022!

“The indigenous American musician known as Sgah’gahsowáh lives in the far reaches of the Adirondack Mountains, and you can hear the influence of that wilderness in every note of the black metal he makes as Blackbraid. He writes towering, atmospheric epics that evoke the rushing of a river; the wind whispering through hemlock; the view of a sky-blue lake from a windswept peak. The best black metal tends to have a strong sense of place, and on debut album Blackbraid I, Sgah’gahsowáh has already revealed that to be his greatest asset. Whether he’s working through a contemplative acoustic passage, moaning out a mournful Native American flute melody, or just letting it rip with martial black metal fury, both feet are planted firmly on the sacred ground he calls home.”

On Bandcamp's Charts "Blackbraid I" is also currently ranking as #1 in metal & #2 across all genres!

Knottfest!

Blackbraid has been spotted on the Knotfest New Flesh list & been included in the official Knotfest Spotify playlist

 

Here is what Knotfest had to say about Blackbraid!

“Blackbraid came out of seemingly nowhere bringing with him a primal form of black metal that is both soaring and traditional in both black metal essence and the Native American roots the artist has brought to the genre. Blackbraid has done an outstanding job of bringing a fresh take on a genre that often gets overshadowed. The powerful emotions captured throughout this album are nothing short of profound.”

Want to see Blackbraid on Knotfest next year?

METAL INJECTION Album review

“Blackbraid is an impressive solo indigenous black metal project from the depths of the Adirondack wilderness. If you’ve ever been there you know just has inhospitable that particular locale can be. Much of it is cold, desolate and as Gordon Ramsey might say if he were there in winter, “It’s raw!” The music, of course, is as you might expect, and if you’re seeking something that is powerful, emotive and evocative, Blackbraid is for you….” 

Interview on the Metal Embassy Radio Show

Sgah’gahsowáh was recently interviewed on the Metal Embassy Radio Show / Podcast discussing the new album’s release and future plans for Blackbraid. 

 

You can also listen to the Metal Embassy Podcast by searching for Metal Embassy in most podcast apps (such as Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotifyPandoraAmazon Music/AudibleiHeartRadio and more).

“BLACKBRAID I” is now out everywhere!

“Blackbraid I” has officially been released and can now be streamed on all major platforms!  

Exclusive album premiere at BLACK METAL PROMOTIONS

BLACKBRAID I will be available for streaming EVERYWHERE, Friday August 26th!

MetalSucks Feature

“When most people think of black metal, they think of pasty white Scandinavian guys shrieking about topics like pagan rites, death, rebirth, and nature in the middle of the woods. It’s about fighting back against cultural oppression (when it’s not rooted in outright bigotry).

You know who else has been oppressed and forced to forget their origins while their ancestral lands have been taken over by interlopers over the span of hundreds of years? Native Americans. That’s why the solo black metal act Blackbraid and his particular brand of black metal stands out. It’s all so very real…”

“Sacandaga” music video premiere

Blackbraid Around the World

- Scandinavia -

Blackbraid spotted in Scandinavia’s largest newspaper feature “Five Things in the World of Music“! Check it our in print and online 

- Holland -

Interview with Brood of Vipers discussing how the atrocities of the past have paved the way for the struggle in the present

- Mumbai -

Audio interview on the Horns Up podcast discussing the upcoming album release, the project’s ambitions, and more

The new single “Sacandaga” arrives in video form THIS FRIDAY

The music video will be premiering on 8/19/2022 via the

Black Metal Promotion YouTube channel.

 

Follow them for the release of “Sacandaga” this Friday and the BLACKBRAID I Album release on August 26th.

Interview with Invisible Oranges

Sgah’gahsowáh discusses the nuance behind the music, and the politics of existing as an Indigenous person with a connection to nature.

CALIFORNIA: Blackbraid’s foremost performance shall be with you!

New show announced with Crematory Stench & Metztli


Presented by Born for Burning at

Supply and Demand

2500 E Anaheim Street, Long Beach, , 90804

Blackbraid I included in Banger TV’s Best New Underground Metal August 2022!

Interview on the Grumpy MetalHeads Podcast

Checkout this weeks “Grumpy Metalheads Podcast” for a new interview with Sgah’gahsowáh of Blackbraid! discussing the upcoming release, future plans, and the inspirations behind the music.

USA CD & CASSETTE PRE-ORDER RESTOCKED!

I am so absolutely amazed and humbled by how quickly our initial stock for the album pre-order sold out. 
Thank you, I cannot express this enough.

Since hearing from so many more of you who missed their chance to pre-order a CD or Cassette of the album; we have pulled some strings to create more copies and re-open these pre-orders for the CD & Cassette and all of the bundle options on both Blackbraid.us & Bandcamp.

Blackbraid is an independent artist.

 

I am not signed to any record label, therefore my merch offerings will often be in limited quantifies.

I am so beyond thankful that you all have made this possible.

The first Album review hits the web from MoshpitNation!

“I’ve stumbled onto something I find to be truly remarkable”
“If I were to have more children (I’m not), bits of the album would probably be embedded in their DNA…”

BLACKBRAID I PRE-ORDERS ARE OPEN!

From the depths of the Adirondack wilderness comes Blackbraid, a solo Native American black metal project as raw and powerful as the mountains from whence it came. 

The debut album is available now for pre-order on CD, cassette and digital download

The Blackbraid Siege is Beginning

We are Beyond excited to finally share that Blackbraid will be at saint Vitus in Brooklyn, October 7th, in support of our friends Pan Amerikan Native Front, Vilkacis, and Ixachitlan. Don’t sleep on this one!

BlackBraid now Streaming Everywhere!

By popular demand, the first two BlackBraid singles “Barefoot Ghost Dance on Blood Soaked Soil” & “The River of Time Flows Through Me” have been made available for streaming on all major platforms ahead of the full album release! 

Make sure to follow BlackBraid everywhere you stream! 

Spotify

Apple Music

Amazon Music

YouTube

INTERVIEW: Rez Metal Podcast

Rez Metal Podcast Ep 50 interviewing Black Braid. 
Streaming on YouTubeSpotify, Apple Podcasts, Sound Cloud, Amazon Music, Stitcher

Exclusive River Wolf shirts now Available for Pre-Order from Labyrinth Tower

The first Black Braid long sleeve is now available for pre-order exclusively at LabyrinthTower.com!

Featuring original artwork by @tomifromspace.

The shirts are now available for pre-order with an estimated ship date of MAY 28th! 

BlackBraid Featured in Kerrang! Magazine

Host of Radio 1’s Rock Show, Daniel P Carter, calls out BlackBraid in Kerrang Magazine’s  April 2022 list of bands you need to be listening to right now…

“Finally, we have a one-man U.S. black metal project rising from the Adirondack Mountain region of America’s eastern coast. Black Braid is Native American black metal that is infused with indigenous spirituality and culture. While first offering from the upcoming self-titled album, Barefoot Ghost Dance On Bloodsoaked Soil, rages with blackened ire and draws you into a harsh and beautiful landscape of the area in which it was made, other tracks like the acoustic As The Creek Flows Softly By feel haunting, with flute lines and chiming guitars. If you’re a fan of Cascadian black metal like Wolves In The Throne Room or Alda, I can’t recommend this enough. Certain artists’ work resonates heavily within when you listen to it, and that’s what I got from listening to Black Braid. Very real.”

INTERVIEW: Heavy Metal Citadel

“Deep within the Adirondack mountains, a new sound echoes amongst the ancient pine and spruce trees. The faint yet raw resonance in the distance is that of Sgah’gahsowáh. Sgah’gahsowáh is the creator behind Blackbraid, which has seized a lot of attention in the black metal community recently. Having only released two singles, feedback from many listeners has been strong. It’s no surprise, as Blackbraid brings together a traditional metal sound mixed with brilliant composition, enraged vocals, and brutal riffs, all set to the lyrical content of the landscape and Indigenous history…”

Read the full interview at HeavyMetalCitadel.com

INTERVIEW: Astral Noize

““It is definitely a war song,” says Sgah’gahsowáh, the artist behind Blackbraid. He’s referring to the project’s new single ‘Barefoot Ghost Dance on Blood Soaked Soil’, and that sense of war-like brutality is certainly apparent in the track, the guitars swirling chaotically at breakneck paces. But for all its ferocity, it is at its heart a mournful and despairing song, the grim melody cutting through to a poignant heart that’s distilled in the pained vocals. Both the anger and the sorrow are more than warranted – the track directly deals with the suffering and genocide suffered by indigenous people in America. Black metal has long been a means of expression, and it’s often inspired by the land in which it is birthed. For Blackbraid that means finding meaning in the natural landscape of the Adirondack wilderness, whilst also reflecting on the atrocities that took place in that same country.

In just two singles, Blackbraid has managed to capture the attention of many, with excitement for an impending full-length already ramping up. So to learn more about the project, the person behind it and what we can expect going forward, we had a chat with Sgah’gahsowáh….”

Read the full interview at AstralNoizeUK.com

“Barefoot Ghost Dance on Blood Soaked Soil” Re-Premiere’s with Black Metal Promotion on YouTube

“The River of Time Flows Through Me” Lyric Video Premiere