Blackbraid - Blackbraid II

Angry Metal Guy 80

Depending on how you look at it, the cover for Blackbraid II is either a cartoony face with a Christmas tree growing out of it, or two deer skulls facing each other in front of a flame. While it wouldn’t be fair to say that Blackbraid’s debut, Blackbraid I, was as frankly dichotomous as the follow-up’s cover, it would be fair to state that it was a polarizing record. Native American black metal was yearning for a voice, and band mastermind, Sgah’gahsowáh, appeared to arrive on the scene fully formed. Importantly, he didn’t use his identity as a crutch, and the fantastic singles convinced the world that (a) he was the real deal and (b) this was a worthwhile take on the genre. Yeah, Blackbraid I wasn’t perfect: it sounded a bit like an EP, relied too heavily on its singles, and felt, at times, a bit undercooked. But there was more than enough there to get most fans hyped for the follow-up. Blackbraid, fortunately, hasn’t made us wait long. Blackbraid II is here… and it’s likely to delight the fans and leave the unconverted perplexed in equal measure.

First, Blackbraid II feels like the main course to Blackbraid I’s starter. Like its predecessor, this is straightforward, melodic black metal driven by the passion and intensity of its creator. It’s a sound that imitates (sometimes too closely for comfort) the well-worn albums of Agalloch and Wolves in the Throne Room. Blackbraid II tweaks and deepens the first record’s aesthetic without any radical changes. Rather, it addresses many of the complaints leveled at Blackbraid I: namely that it felt, at times, a little light. Blackbraid II, at well over an hour, provides a surfeit of material, most of it very strong. The songs themselves are also better: more consistent, better balanced, and without the lulls of the previous album. In other words, Blackbraid II is MOAR Blackbraid. Which is, mostly, a very good thing.

Blackbraid II by Blackbraid

Part of Blackbraid’s success is the band’s ability to make their melodic black metal feel absolutely epic, and then to tie that expansive, massive sound to songs with actual riffs and real intensity. Native American history is blood-soaked and visceral, and Blackbraid’s cuts capture that without resorting to cheap gimmicks or easy platitudes. Yes, Native American ideas and instrumentation appear, but they are used sparingly and subtly. Sgah’gahsowáh has such a confident and natural ability with the material that most will simply be carried away on the herds of galloping rhythms and intricate song structures. There are many highlights, with “The Spirit Returns” and “A Song of Death on the Winds of Dawn,” in particular, shining through. Both Neil Schneider’s drumming and Sgah’gahsowáh’s guitar work are confident without being overstated and the atmospheric elements blend seamlessly with the second-wave worship, resulting in satisfying and well-constructed songs. Special mention must go to the production, which does a wonderful job of highlighting the instrumentation without brickwalling everything into oblivion.

Criticism is mostly nitpicky and personal. Listeners looking for a radical reinterpretation of black metal, or a uniquely Native American flavor, won’t find it here. Blackbraid gives us Scandinavian black metal steak with Native garnishings, not a unique slab o’ bison. At over an hour, there are some songs that could have been edited more judiciously (the 13-minute “Moss Covered Bones on the Altar of the Moon” being a prime example) and there are parts where sections and bridges are repeated a little too frequently. The album, particularly towards the end, tends to drag as a result. None of these are major deterrents, but they will irritate some listeners, particularly those who didn’t love Blackbraid I in the first place.

Perhaps the final track of Blackbraid II, a cover of Bathory’s “A Fine Day to Die,” serves as the Rosetta stone for how much you’ll enjoy the album. It’s a no-frills track that updates the original with fury and intelligence. It’s still very much Bathory, but with some interesting, albeit subtle, shifts and updates. Either you will view it as providing a noteworthy spin on the original, turning its insular fury outwards, while displaying fidelity to the themes of the album… or you’ll think it sounds an awful lot like Bathory with better production. I know where I fall. Blackbraid II isn’t revolutionary, but it’s yet another step in the evolution of one of black metal’s brightest stars.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Independent Release
Website: blackbraid.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: July 7th, 2023

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