Blackbraid


Blackbraid is an American black metal project from the Adirondack Mountains, New York, formed in 2022. The project is a solo endeavor by Jon Krieger. A native Mexican, Krieger is also known by his pseudonym Sgah’gahsowáh, a Mohawk name meaning "the witch hawk".

History

Blackbraid was formed in 2022 and positioned within the growing indigenous black metal scene in the United States. Some commentators have cast doubt on the strength of Krieger's ties to the Mohawk tribe though he has confirmed his Native American roots. Krieger was by that point a lifelong musician and had previously been involved informally with friends' projects, but Blackbraid is his first solo project. The first single released under the Blackbraid name was "Barefoot Ghost Dance on Blood Soaked Soil".
The debut album Blackbraid I was released in August 2022. Krieger, a multi-instrumentalist, wrote and performed the entire album apart from the drums, which were played by his friend Neil Schneider. The cover art was created by Adrian Baxter. The album melds conventional black metal with elements of traditional indigenous music, such as the Native American flute, with acoustic interludes. The album was released to general critical acclaim, featuring on Rolling Stones Best Metal Albums of 2022 list, Metal Injection's list of best underground metal albums of 2022, and Decibels Top 40 Albums of 2022 list. Following its independent release on Bandcamp, it was named one of the site's best metal releases for August 2022.
Krieger assembled a backing back for live performances, and Blackbraid embarked on its first tour in spring 2023, as part of the Decibel Magazine Tour with Dark Funeral, Cattle Decapitation, and 200 Stab Wounds. After performing a headlining show at the Midgardsblot festival in Norway in August 2023, Blackbraid was reportedly asked to leave the festival due to excessive alcohol intoxication, spitting at a security guard, and generally causing a disturbance. Krieger alleged racism as the reason for the band's removal, but later admitted that the "situation was handled poorly on all sides."
Krieger stated that the second Blackbraid album would incorporate more native instrumentation. Blackbraid II was released in July 2023. Krieger further developed the project's sound on the third album, combining Native American instrumentation with alternating heavy and atmospheric moods, with a continuing lyrical focus on Native American history. Blackbraid III was released in August 2025.

Influences

Musically, Krieger has cited Dissection, Gorgoroth, Satyricon, Opeth, Enslaved, Wolves in the Throne Room, Panopticon, Immortal, Bathory, and Mayhem as influences.
Lyrically, Krieger deals primarily with the themes of Native American history and connection to nature. Blackbraid I contains lyrics referring to genocide of indigenous peoples; of the track "Barefoot Ghost Dance on Blood Soaked Soil", Krieger said, "This song is about the suffering and genocide of my people all across these continents, and our resistance to it. I think in my head I was loosely writing about the Wounded Knee Massacre when I started but it quickly evolved into something much broader. It is definitely a war song." The single's cover art features American photographer Edward Curtis's 1908 photo "Sun dance pledgers--Cheyenne".
However, Krieger has also been clear that Blackbraid is primarily an emotional outlet for him, saying, "I think music can be a powerful weapon no matter how it is used. Obviously, I would like to see strides towards decolonization made, but when it comes to Blackbraid, the project is largely just an outlet for my own emotions and is not politically oriented whatsoever." Krieger has stated that Blackbraid's lyrics are "anti-Christian in nature," but "also not really about Satan."
Krieger views Blackbraid as a project that can help listeners reconnect with nature and help him explore his own relationship with nature: "For some Indigenous people, they think nature is ours, but I think it belongs to everyone, though Indigenous Americans really do seem to be more connected with it...And it doesn’t take much to enjoy nature. You just need to open your eyes. You're already connected; you’re just actively ignoring that connection. I think with Blackbraid, that’s really what I want the music to do. I don’t really need to educate people because they already know it's there; they've just forgotten, and I want Blackbraid to kind of reawaken things they may not think about every day."

Discography

Studio albums

  • Blackbraid I
  • Blackbraid II
  • ''Blackbraid III''

    Singles

  • "Barefoot Ghost Dance on Blood Soaked Soil"
  • "Warriors"
  • "The Dying Breath of a Sacred Stag"

    Music videos