Style: progressive heavy metal (clean vocals)
Review by: Sam
Country: US-IL
Release date: 12 October, 2021
In my experience, there are generally two types of heavy metal fans: those who think everything sounds like various shades of Iron Maiden worship, and those who see the variety. Black Sites’ previous album Exile showed this dichotomy perfectly across the internet. Each review I could find on the album fell in one of the two categories: the former group thought metal like this was pointless in this day and age, giving it a 5/10, and the latter group saw their subtle innovations on the formula and raved about their quality. The album was also reviewed here by the late Tyler. Unfortunately he was in the former camp and gave it a 5/10, which – as someone in the latter camp – I am still salty about to this day. Luckily, fortune was on my side and blessed me with another Black Sites album, so hopefully this time we can do them justice.
Something I love about heavy metal is how badass it can sound. It sits in that perfect range where it still conveys the intensity of metal, but isn’t extreme enough to turn into a wall of noise for untrained ears. And under the right circumstances, it can make everyone look like the baddest motherfucker on the planet. In particular, the genre works wonders as a soundtrack to an action movie. Vicious Rumors was amazing at this feel (before they went groove metal), and Black Sites nails it as well. The opener “Sword of Orion” in particular immediately puts the sunglasses on and transforms your chair into the driver’s seat of a convertible sports car as it builds up the tension and then sets you cruising with some immense grooves. Vibe city has arrived.
There’s a hefty stoner influence underneath the heavy metal. The drum grooves are often more tom-focused and vibe-based than adrenaline-fueled, and there’s a slight fuzz on the guitar tones, with a slightly thicker bass than usual as well. Some of the riffs and psychedelic noodling even make me suspect some modern Mastodon influences. There’s little of the cheese that usually comes with the genre in this record, making for an unusually vibey album. When they do lean into the heavy metal aspect, it’s dark and serious, leaning towards the epic side. They can do upbeat grooves, but there’s always a dark cloud looming over it. For example, they rarely go for flashy guitar solos, but rather build the atmosphere with doomy leads or ride out the groove. The vocals are also on the darker side as the singer sits in a comfortable mid-range instead of the usual high-pitched cheese grater, using it to great dramatic effect. He has a very natural charisma, sounding powerful yet grounded.
I would usually discuss an album’s faults in this paragraph, but that’s hard to do when there are none. The songwriting is simply immense on this album. Their sound is so much their own despite the myriad of influences. Some songs bring to mind Deep Purple’s bluesy rockers, others remind you of Candlemass with how huge they get, Black Sabbath energy is always there, hints of Mastodon, but in the end it’s always Black Sites you’re listening to. I doubt they consciously channelled any of these bands because of how natural it all sounds. And best of all, they brought such a classic sound straight into the modern day with how good the production is. It’s almost as if Black Sabbath reincarnated with a good vocalist (sorry not sorry).
Initially I wasn’t this hyped on Untrue, but as I started writing this review I slowly came to realize how amazing it really is. This is as much an 80s action film with a rocking soundtrack as it is a fantasy-epic like Lord of the Rings as the armies of Mordor come marching out of the gate to send humanity to its doom. Sometimes an album transcends its genre by managing to appeal even outside its typical fanbase. Vektor did it with Terminal Redux for thrash, and Black Sites do it with Untrue for heavy metal. I think even those who see Iron Maiden in everything heavy metal will take a liking to it. This is a vibe you don’t want to miss. Check it out.
Recommended tracks: Sword of Orion, Echo of a Lie, White Ashes
Recommended for fans of: Black Sabbath, Vicious Rumors, Deep Purple, Mastodon, Elder
You may also like: Dead Kosmonaut, Cave of Swimmers, Dragon Lord, Solar Suns
Final verdict: 9/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page
Label: Independent
Black Sites is:
– Mark Sugar (vocals, guitars)
– Ryan Bruchert (guitars, vocals)
– Garry Naples (drums)
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