A radical voice in the US black metal scene, BLACKBRAID founder Jon “Sgah’gahsowáh” Krieger sees everything from a different angle. Across the project’s two studio albums to date, he has created a unique world of barren plains and desert suns, inspired by the unfathomable power of the natural world and the intriguing depths of the Mexico-born maverick’s native magick. “Blackbraid I” came as a shock to anyone who thought this kind of adventurous, atmospheric black metal was intrinsically European. Preceded by devastating single “Barefoot Ghost Dance on Blood Soaked Soil”, Krieger‘s debut was a triumph for style and substance. The follow-up was even better: “Blackbraid II” expanded the band’s musical vision, incorporated more native instrumentation, and garnered ecstatic reviews from an increasing number of outlets. As a consequence, “Blackbraid III” will be the most high-profile release in Krieger‘s career, and one of this year’s most keenly anticipated black metal records.

Emerging from a tasteful flurry of acoustic guitars, “Wardrums At Dawn On The Day Of My Death” immediately ups the extremity ante. BLACKBRAID have been intense from the get-go, but this is another level of icy grimness, reminiscent of WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM or WAYFARER, but squarely rooted in the vivid vistas of Krieger‘s imagination. For all its viciousness, there is a romantic, almost sentimental streak to the lyrics: “As my final visions become me / The eagles shall rise to carry me home…” our hero sings, propelled onward and upward by the sheer ferocious might of his own musical backing. As one-man bands often do, BLACKBRAID move as a single, shimmering force, every instrument locked in and swirling with the tides. That becomes more than apparent on “The Dying Breath Of A Sacred Stag”, which is all grand gestures, dark melodies and moments of visceral intensity as the blastbeats pile up and Krieger feeds off the adrenalin, lost in a self-made cyclone of sound.

There are no obvious concessions to the mainstream here: BLACKBRAID are still evolving and relishing the evocative possibilities. “The Earth Is Weeping” could easily soundtrack a crusty old spaghetti western campfire scene, but instead its mesmeric acoustics precede “God Of Black Blood”: barbaric, mid-tempo and blackened to hell, it has BATHORY‘s epic splendor etched into its DNA, slams and smashes like prime SATYRICON, and projects a dense, spiritual haze, Native American flute anchoring it all to primal past and present. The flute returns during “Traversing The Forest Of Eternal Dusk”, accompanying a luxurious guitar solo through the amorphous grey of nightfall. In contrast, “Tears Of The Dawn” is a grandiloquent colossus that rolls majestically through 10 minutes of storm ‘n’ fury, its mystery building with every tempo shift. The closing “And He Became The Burning Stars” is even more dramatic and imperious, and a solid contender for BLACKBRAID‘s finest ten minutes to date. A cover of LORD BELIAL‘s “Fleshbound” is a neat bonus, but seems lightweight in comparison to everything that precedes it. There is great power emanating from Krieger‘s eco-friendly, conceptual realm. “Blackbraid III” is its most impactful manifestation yet.