Indigenous American black metal project BLACKBRAID has released a new EP titled Nocturnal Womb, available on digital platforms and a limited 10-inch vinyl. The project is the sole creation of Sgah'gahsowáh, a musician from the Adirondack Mountains of New York with Indigenous heritage who has rapidly become one of the most discussed names in contemporary American black metal.
The three tracks — "Nocturnal Womb," "Celestial Bloodlust" (accompanied by an official music video), and an acoustic instrumental rendition of "Barefoot Ghost Dance on Blood Soaked Soil" — were described by the artist as material deemed "too dark and visceral" for the forthcoming BLACKBRAID III album. The acoustic closing piece offers a striking contrast: stripped of distortion, the melody carries a mournful tenderness that makes the surrounding brutality hit harder in retrospect.
The US "Bloodlust" vinyl variant is pressed on transparent blood red vinyl with opaque black marbling — a collector's piece in every sense. BLACKBRAID blends raw Scandinavian-influenced black metal aggression with deeply personal Indigenous themes, creating a sound and vision unlike anything else in extreme music today. Nocturnal Womb is available now.