Blackbraid: A New Spirit In The Adirondack Mountains
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.
Interest in Native American black metal (NABM) artists has been growing especially in recent years. Often these artists discuss rugged landscapes, rich history and culture, and fierce battles against invading hordes. NABM continues to gain more prominence in the metal community and Blackbraid is the latest newcomer flying the flag of trve NABM and announcing its importance!
Sgah'gahsowáh took a break from the unbridled brilliance of the Adirondack mountains and decided to answer a few questions from the Heavy Metal Citadel. Here is what he had to say:
Welcome, Sgah'gahsowáh. We know you recently interviewed with Astral Noize, so apologies about potentially repeating yourself, but as a new artist in the black metal scene, can you tell us more about yourself and the project of Blackbraid?
Of course. I'm 32 and live out in the Adirondack wilderness with my wife and our two dogs. Blackbraid is my solo project, and the subject matter focuses mostly on my relationship with nature.
As a solo project, do you write and perform all the songs yourself or is there any outside influence or support? With that, how long does it take for you to create a track? What is the process like?
My writing process changes somewhat constantly; I guess you would say. I often write guitars first and build off that, although lately, I've been starting with some lyrics occasionally too. Sometimes I have a very clear idea of what I'm doing with a song, and sometimes I make it up as I go, so it varies. On the album, I wrote and recorded everything other than drums.
I have a basic understanding of drums, but I'm very lucky that my good friend who recorded the album for me also happens to be an amazing drummer. So usually, when I have the instruments finished in my head, I'll go to him and give him a rough idea of what I want for drums. Then he tracks them, and we go back and forth until we get it to where we want it to be. So yes, I do mostly everything aside from drums in Blackbraid.
What is your instrument setup like? (Guitar, Drum, Bass)
Well, the only instruments I actually own are guitars (haha). I'm definitely a guitarist at heart. The bass and the drums I write at home and then perform when I get to the studio using whatever equipments there at the time for those. As far as guitars right now I have two electrics, both ESP LTD. The main guitar used on the album was my EC-1000 Deluxe, and I also use an EC-400 AT with Seymour Duncans (the EC-1000 uses the factory EMGs). I also used my Ibanez Talman Inner City for the acoustic parts on the album.
You recently did an interview and said that you "live a pretty solitary life in the Adirondack mountains." The Adirondack mountains are a beautiful landscape and have been called home to the Mahicans and the Mohawks of the Iroquois Confederacy. Do you feel the spirit of those nations and their way of life impact your writing?
Absolutely. I live on wilderness that was traditionally hunting grounds for both the Mohawk and the Algonquin. It is still very much wilderness, and their spirits are present in every part of my life, so it is no surprise that that would bleed into the music I write as well.
From the singles we've thus far heard, Barefoot Ghost Dance on Blood Soaked Soil and The River of Time Flows Through Me, you bring a blistering black metal sound that is very well-rounded and offers great vocals, wicked riffs and melodic infusions. Do you plan on incorporating more traditional Indigenous instruments or lyrics/songs in any future tracks?
Yes, the two singles definitely could be described as ruthless or punishing black metal. On the rest of the album, you can expect more variation with some folk and doom influences as well and the occasional traditional instruments.
The photo you used for Barefoot Ghost Dance on Blood Soaked Soil features two Cheyenne men in ceremonial dress preparing for a Sun Dance. Can you tell us more about why you chose that photo and are there any ceremonies you find important or think you will include in future songs?
This photo was taken in 1908, which was one of the bleakest times in our history. There is a lot of power in this photo and a lot of emotion. In a way, this song is also somewhat of a personal Sun Dance for me; there was a lot I was carrying around that I needed to release when I wrote that song.
Do you feel it's harder for Indigenous artists to make an impression in something as niche as black metal?
I think traditionally it has been yes. But things are slowly starting to tip in the other direction, somewhat thanks to social media and accessibility. Recently it seems like the world maybe has woken up to our continued struggles, and as we see this happen more and more, people are more willing to uplift our voices. And I think that's why we are seeing such a massive wave of native black metal this past year or two. We've always been making the music, but it seems like people are more inclined to take the time to listen these days; it's a nice change of pace.
Having participated in a limited sense of traditional powwows ourselves, do you feel that the Adirondack or even US Indigenous community is welcoming of niche musical genres like black metal? Are metal shows on reservations a thing?
Rez metal shows are definitely a thing, but that is mostly on the other side of the country from me. As far as metal and other alternative cultures go, I think Indigenous Americans have always been extremely excepting of that. Metal is based in emotion and conflict, which indigenous people are no strangers to, so I think a lot of us are drawn to music like metal or punk from a very early age.
Do you have any indigenous black metal/metal recommendations for our readers?
Ifernach, Pan Amerikan Native Front, Nechochwen, Isataii, Gyibaaw etc.. Just to name a few.
Without sounding too eager when can we expect a full LP?
Unfortunately, probably about 9-10 months. That is how far out vinyl is right now. I am looking to solidify a label in the next week to get this moving. I was originally going to self-release, but it has become too much for me at this point in time so I will have more info on this in the coming weeks.
Where can the heathens get some merch?
There's already merch available on my website, and I plan on periodically releasing more throughout the summer!
Tour, Drink, Collab
Name one band you'd want to tour with, one band you'd want to drink with, and one band you'd want to collaborate with.
Tour: probably Metallica because I can't think of a more iconic band to go on the road with; touring is about getting your name out there, after all.
Drink: Maybe Abbath. I'm sure debauchery and chaos would ensue.
Collab: I don't really see myself wanting to collab with other metal artists too often. I'm pretty content writing all of that myself for Blackbraid. If I were to collaborate with someone, it would be cool to do it with a traditional indigenous artist; maybe someone like Warhawk or Northern Cree would be amazing. Or an amazing flute player like Tony Duncan.
Thank you, Sgah'gahsowáh for the interview and we urge our readers to check out the singles from Blackbraid on Bandcamp and get some merch on his site.
