Black Sites - Untrue Review

The word ‘black’ in a Metal always creates the expectation that the album will be of its most cruel and heavy dimension. We are alwyas prone to understand that the album will have at least some aspects of Metal’s most extreme dimension and facete. It’s natural, then, That the fan expects it will at least a Blackened Death Metal album or Black Metal itself. There is no way of denying the power that those dimensions have around Metal music. However, words are tricky and sometimes they don’t exactly mean what it is expected. That’s the case here where Black Sites “Untrue” reveal nothing or at least very little of the most extreme sounds of Metal music. Of course, that doesn’t take any value out from the band. It is only an expectation broken. Just that.

The music herein has many facetes around what is to be called NWOBHM. There are momenst as in guitar solos and licks that the fan has the impression that the main influence of Black Sites is Iced Earth. Other times, the fan – and me – may have the impression that it’s 1990’s Kiss most notably the “Revenge” era are the main influence. The combination of those string influences made Black Sites and hence “Untrue.” “Echo of a Lie” has the power of combinining both influences of Kiss “The Elder” era and Iced Earth. I would never wonder that this would be remotely possible but the band proved me that it is a fact. In all the album the melodic and yet pungent vocals are intertwined with sharp and inspired guitar riffings and licks which are the features that call the eye while listening to the album. By the way, my congrats tot he guitar duo Mark Sugar and Ryan Bruchert for the outstanding guitars. By the way, it’s impressive to notice that Black Sites are a power trio because the music in here is complete, I mean, the fan won’t feel that something is missing what sometimes happens to power trios. The moods Black Sites in “Untrue” are great and make the fan to a place far beyond. A place where Metal music is the ruler. “The Worst of Us” is one of the tracks that do this with its combination of acoustic guitars and a blazing and flaming guitar solo.

And, then, by the end of this review it happened to me to pay close attention to “Nocturne Everything Went Black” and find that above all influences I quoted before the song makes remember a lot another classic band: Angel Witch. This very song has the grip and the cadence the band just loves with an acoustic beginning that goes crazy with an insane guitar riff. Now I do get some of the passages in the album and the guitar duo. No, I won’t rephrase all my review. It’s one more influence that my dear fan will have to consider while having a great time listening to Black Sites “Untrue.”

Black Sites “Untrue” will be self-released on October 08th.

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