Deep from the depths of the Adirondack wilderness comes the all-mighty Blackbraid! Making their New York City debut at St. Vitus Bar’s’ “A Sortilege of Hell – Two Nights of Eschatological Vehemence and Mayhemic Splendor!” … as it was so eloquently put. Playing alongside Pan Amerikan Native Front, Vilkacis, and Ixachitlan, Blackbraid’s addition to this epic lineup truly lent itself to the long weekend of celebration and straight-up heavy metal havoc in the name of Indigenous People’s Day.
Although I identify as a big Black Metal fan, I’m usually a bit weary of the overly hyped-up Black metal scene shows that can come around. Despite seeing Blackbraid’s quick rise to fame over popular social media outlets like Instagram that put them on everyone’s radar overnight, I’m here to say that Blackbraid is anything but an overly hyped-up project.
The energy around this show was there from the start, both days of “A Sortilege of Hell” sold out within days of being announced. And the crowd certainly reflected that…. Luckily St. Vitus has made a few alterations to accommodate these post-Covid crowds in a more organized fashion. The show was already in full swing at Vitus when I arrived, fortunately I showed up just in time to make my way to the front to catch, Jon Krieger of Blackbraid start his set. Jon came on stage with the full force of his ancestors behind him, the energy and form of a true Black metal frontman. You could feel every lyric coursing through his veins, making its way out of the mic onto eager ears. Heads banging, hair flying and fists high in the air… The connection between the band and the crowd was undeniable. The photos you see here were done between my own fits of head banging… and probably during, depending how blurry they are.
The energy was undeniable, the talent is there and I can’t wait to see more from Blackbraid. After all, this was only their second live performance, ever. I feel lucky to have caught it, as I doubt we will be seeing them as the opener much longer.
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY JAMIE SHERWOOD