Blackbraid is a solo Indigenous black metal project created by John Krieger, a Native American musician of Mohawk heritage. Emerging from the Adirondack Mountains in 2022, Blackbraid quickly gained international attention for its fierce, melodic fusion of atmospheric black metal with Indigenous themes and instrumentation. The project’s debut album, Blackbraid I, was released independently in August 2022 and was lauded for its raw power, emotional depth, and unique cultural perspective. It was followed in 2023 by Blackbraid II, a critically acclaimed sophomore release that expanded the project’s sonic landscape while further deepening its thematic exploration of nature, resistance, and ancestral identity.

Blackbraid’s music blends blistering tremolo riffs, harsh vocals, and dynamic drumming with traditional flute passages and lyrics centered on anti-colonialism, Native pride, and the majesty of the natural world. Sgah’gahsowáh’s work is marked by a commitment to artistic authenticity, remaining fully independent and self-produced. The project has performed at major festivals across North America and Europe, helping to reframe the conversation around black metal by bringing Indigenous voices to the forefront of the genre. Blackbraid represents not only a powerful musical force but also a reclamation of narrative and identity through one of metal’s most uncompromising forms.