“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.”
