Review by Saxy S for Blackbraid - Blackbraid III (2025)

In my most recent attempt to rekindle a bond with extreme metal, I have been met with enough suggestions than I know what to do with! Unfortunately, what I appreciate in the music is very different than what most of my colleagues enjoy. One name that has always returned to me has been Blackbraid, a solo melodic/atmospheric black metal project from the state of NY. While I have only truly listened to Blackbraid in passing, songs such as "The Spirit Returns" and "Sadness and the Passage of Time and Memory" have stuck with me, so I figure that now is as good a time as any to dig in with a new album just released this month!

It does need to be said right out of the gate that Blackbraid III is a great album. I believe that the drummer, Neil Schneider, is the albums producer and mixer and the sound of the album is nothing short of spellbinding. For an artist that is as fiercely independent as Blackbraid claims to be, Blackbraid III has better mixing than many of the modern day "mainstream" black metal artists. I'm sure that there are record labels who specialize in black metal that would be salivating to have Blackbraid join their catalogue one day. The album has tremendous blending between the guitar, bass, percussion and vocals. The guitar in particular has a crucial role on this endeavour; carrying some of the albums most infectious moments. The riffing is varied and unique, and play great chemistry with the vocals.

The record has plenty of Native American and traditional Americana flavour added to keep things interesting. I would not be surprised if Sgah’gahsowáh came out and listed Austin Lunn as a source of influence for their music, because the mimicking of Panopticon's sound is undeniable. Whether that be in songs like "God of Black Blood", the opening of the record "Wardrums at Dawn on the Day of my Death" or any of the acoustic interludes interspersed with nature sounds of campfire cackling, rivers flowing or wolves howling, however cliche that might sound.

That influence from Panopticon is also felt in the lyrics. The lyrics are painted with a level of continuity between the tracks as themes of "fading light" the "forlorn of the dark" and "sacred offerings" are referenced frequently throughout Blackbraid III. "The Dying Breath of a Sacred Stag" is one of the more heart-twisting tunes on the album as the title stag, the "great keeper of twilight", grows old and passes away from the mortal world into the moss covered ground and nightfall engulfs the sky. The Lord Belial cover of "Fleshbound" that ends the album tells of the protagonist tearing their flesh from the body so that the pained soul can be free. It is an album of dark meaning, but delivered in such a way to make it sound just as wonderful to the listener as it would to a devote believer. (I personally do not know which Indigenous nation Sgah’gahsowáh is associated with, so that last statement is purely speculation).

The biggest issue with Blackbraid III is probably its interludes. The record has three (four if you count "Dusk (Eulogy)") interludes, but Blackbraid could have easily gotten away with just two. The interlude "The Earth Is Weeping" does not really do that much for me at this point in the track list. "Traversing the Forest of Eternal Dusk" is great with the inclusion of a electric guitar solo, while "Like Wind Through the Reeds Making Waves Like Water" serves as a nice change of pace in between the albums two longest tracks.  As well, even though I already mentioned how good the main melodic songwriting is, this album does have a tendency to shift styles a little too frequently. One of my least favourite examples is the quasi thrash riff that consumes most of the middle section of "And He Became the Burning Stars..." but the doom riff that ends "Tears of the Dawn" is wonderful.

Blackbraid III is a nice little project that shows signs of progress. I think as a collective, this album has the worse production than Blackbraid II, but the benefit of better songwriting. This record is more precise with shorter songs and a slightly more brisk runtime, as well as more impactful themes.

Best Songs: Wardrums at Dawn on the Day of my Death, The Dying Breath of a Sacred Stag, Traversing the Forest of Eternal Dusk, Tears of the Dawn