LIVE REVIEW: Blackbraid @ Rebellion, Manchester
Since emerging in 2022, the ascendancy of BLACKBRAID has been one of the breakout successes of modern black metal. Well positioned in the vibrant indigenous black metal scene in the US, the project – helmed by Jon Krieger (AKA Sgah’gahsowáh) – has evolved from the confines of the studio into a fully fledged live unit. With momentum arguably at fever pitch, this year marks the band’s first headline run on our shores following appearances at Incineration Festival and Fortress Festival the previous two years, and Manchester’s Rebellion is comfortably sold-out in anticipation.
The sold-out nature of the show bodes well for the night’s openers: Spanish blackened death metallers NOCTEM. The Valencians are celebrating their 25th year as a band, albeit vocalist Beleth stands as the sole original member, and their experience shows in a tight and refined performance. Flanked by inverted crosses, coated in corpsepaint and with enough tremolo riffs to make Satan purr, NOCTEM tick all the boxes on the black metal crib sheet. Frontman Beleth is extremely animated, prowling the stage and getting front and centre with the crowd, benefitting from the jam-packed attendance from doors, but a muddied mix really bogs down the set – particularly in their opening salvo – that blunts their impact. Fortunately, by the time A Cruce Salus draws the curtain on their set, they’re met with a sea of horns. A good start.
Rating: 7/10
Any time WINTERFYLLETH perform in their home city, there’s a special feeling in the atmosphere. We’ve witnessed the Mancunian black metallers perform numerous times in Manchester, but in 2026, it feels even more significant. Despite headlining this very venue numerous times, tonight, they serve as special guests to BLACKBRAID but they treat their time on stage as if they were headlining, and for many in the crowd, they respond as such. Over the course of an hour, we’re treated to an absolute masterclass of black metal, from one of our own.
A thunderous double whammy of First Light and Heroes of a Hundred Fields ignites the set in the most explosive fashion, as the band sound enormous, with each element of their musical identity cutting through the mix ever so well. The melody-led leads of The Reckoning Dawn, performed effortlessly by Russell Dobson, send shivers down the spine, while To the Edge of Tyranny sees longtime compatriot Nick Wallwork – who departed the band last year – leap on stage to perform guest vocals; elevating the performance to even great heights. And the crowd are breathless. As material from their newest album, The Unyielding Season, can attest to, WINTERFYLLETH have spent nearly two decades refining their cinematic and thrilling blend of black metal. And in 2026, in their home city, they deliver it to utter perfection.
Rating: 10/10
For most bands, following such a performance would be an audacious task, grappling to match – and surpass – such excellence that proceeded. But, such is the pull and breakout success in black metal circles surrounding BLACKBRAID that excitement remains at fever pitch in the prior moments to the band taking to the stage. Authenticity runs deep in the DNA and purpose of the project, and those expecting a gimmicky display would be disappointed as what we’re treated to is a performance that sees the Native American identity of the band’s beating heart infused with the ferocity of black metal.
Taking to the stage amidst a rallying a war cry, from the moment Celestial Bloodlust kicks off, BLACKBRAID burn with the ferocity of a white dwarf, and when they are burning brightest, they are simply unstoppable. Moss Covered Bones on the Altar of the Moon sees Sgah’gahsowáh hurl himself to the floor, dispatching his harrowing shrieks to devastating effect. As a frontman, you can’t take your eyes off him, as he commands the stage with rabid enthusiasm and vicious vocals to boot.
Elsewhere, The Dying Breath of a Sacred Stag encourages a sea of heads to bang as their hook-laden riffs successfully connect and The Wolf That Guides the Hunters Hand threatens to shake the venue’s foundations as the pummeling soundscape engulfs everything in its path.
For all that BLACKBRAID excel musically on stage, the only blemish comes in the moments between songs, where the collective haven’t quite worked out how best to fill this space. We’re met with lengthy periods of silence as the band retune, adjust and prepare for the next cut in the set. Although it never fully shatters the immersion, it does provide a little too much room to relax, instead of keeping you firmly fixated in the band’s soundscape.
Aside from these slight refinements, BLACKBRAID are an incredibly exciting proposition within modern black metal. They perform with the ferocity and enthusiasm that makes experiencing them something truly special indeed.
Rating: 9/10
Like BLACKBRAID on Instagram.
