“It takes a lot to quicken pulses at AMG Headquarters. Driven to exhaustion by merciless overlords, constant deadlines, and extended periods in the promo sump, the staff often look like—and have the pulse rate variability of—a hoard of unkempt zombies. But even we took notice when Blackbraid burst out of nowhere with some key singles from his first album, 2022’s Blackbraid I. Here was angry, melodic, accessible black metal, infused with Native American spirit and vigor, that did not rely on tired tropes or clichés. What could have been a gimmick instead lent the material majesty and an epic scope.” Spirit deer in the nightside eclipse.
