USA Mascot Records/Mascot Label Group CD 46:38 mins
Prog Metal
www.blacksitesband.com
www.facebook.com/blacksites/
Rating 85/100
Black Sites is a four-piece thrash metal / progressive metal band from Chicago led by Mark Sugar on guitar and vocals and who was also responsible for writing all of the music and lyrics albeit in calibration on one single track on the album. This is an album that abounds with the intense electrifying energy of heavy resonant guitar carried swiftly along in a swirling river of pulsating but ordered percussive magnificence. Not always obvious but deftly keeping things in check an energetic and well-ordered bass guitar rumbles in and out of the proceedings, certainly not as outrageously complicated as the lead guitar but cleverly disciplined holding things firmly together. The lead guitar contributes with distinctly chameleon-like style as it moves so sweetly from moments of almost classic like beauty to thumping swirling thrash metal intentness. The support guitar too is also, so very much, an essential and integral cog in the wheel as the overall sound spills out in all directions with multi-time changes and many variances in tempo. I must say too how excellent the vocals are with many variations to completely hold the listener’s attention. Mind you having said that I think this album is all about the music and the lyrics themselves need not be taken too seriously even if the poetic intention is there for them to be later analyzed by the consumer for later regurgitation by the audience at the bands live gigs at some future date. The construction of the music throughout the nine tracks is just so interesting inasmuch that there is so much variety throughout. Mark Sugar states that “I wanted to challenge myself with clean singing and by writing well-crafted songs, I went back to my influences, old school metal, progressive rock, and hard rock—music built on classic songwriting”.
Almost certainly there is a suggestion of possible future “Super Group” status relating to this newly formed band comprising of Chicago’s finest players from the underground metal scene with Mark Sugar on vocals/guitar, ex-Trials and fellow bandmate Ryan Bruchert on guitar, plus John Picillo from Without Waves and Immortal Birds on bass, and Chris Avgerin, formerly of Autonomy and Lost Dog, on drums. I would certainly subscribe to these lofty claims based on this album entitled “In Monochrome” because the entire offering is full of exciting well-structured songs encompassing a whole catalogue of different genres embodied in their musical armoury.
Summary: A wonderfully exciting album of modern progressive metal expertly played by a talented group of four highly proficient musicians who throughout the proceedings inject a wonderful energy throughout all of nine excellent tracks.
Cover Art.: Dark and foreboding which quite suits the style of the music.
Track Listing.
- M Fisto Waltz
- Dead Languages
- Monochrome
- Burning Away The Day
- Hunter Gatherer
- Watching You Fall
- Locked Out – Shut Down
- In The Woods
- In The Tides
