Ooh, a whole band dedicated to websites maintained by black people. Saucy! No, a "black site," as I discovered through backbreaking research, is an undisclosed location where the CIA (or the government in general) conducts highly classified...er, stuff. This could be anything from hush-hush weapons development to the interrogation (torture) of detainees suspected of terrorist activity. The more you read about black sites, the scarier it gets. Thankfully, I'm only touching on Black Sites, a Chicago-based metal band led by vocalist/guitarist Mark Sugar. This guy is talented, as evidenced by his other outfits, most of which have folded their respective tents.
It's clear that he listens to a wide ambit of mehtalz. Trials was a thrashy, quasi-metalcore beast and they were damn good. Bear Mace, an ongoing venture, is listed as a death metal collective, though I haven't listened to Butchering the Colossus, their 2017 affair. I have listened to In Monochrome, the only Black Sites boogie kit to date. It's a hard son of a bitch to classify. If I had to propel a dart in this long player's direction, it would land somewhere between groove metal and hard rock. Off the top of my head, I can't name another band that serves as a sonic double.
Ironically, the music is simple and straight to the point. You've got riffs, mostly mid-paced drums and a dude singing over it all. "Singing" is a key word. Sugar employs clean vokills for 85-90% of In Monochrome. For me, that's refreshing. It seems like every modern band either grunts or squawks at you as if it makes them appear tough. Y'know, one of those flinty, hard-bitten American Gladiator types that kids moon over. This is 1990, isn't it? Not the point! After awhile, hearing hoarse, atonal screaming becomes old hat. Nevermind the fact that I love black metal; I may (or may not) be jamming to something tr00 and Norwegian this very instant. Again, not the point!
Let's examine songs, shall we? "Dead Languages" is the opener proper after a non-germane intro and it washes my dishes. By that, I mean it rocks. Nifty riffage, a catchy pre-chorus, a full arrangement...this is a vital example of strong songwriting. In my younger days, I didn't understand what music journalists meant by "songwriting," but the best records spell it out for me. It comes down to dynamics. Whomever mapped out the 8-minute "In the Woods" is an excellent songwriter because they knew the right time to intercalate a plush twin-guitar harmony (it submits itself at the end of the chill breakdown, for those curious).
I was shocked to learn that said tune ran for eight minutes. Likewise, I was shocked to learn that "Monochrome" ran for seven minutes. That's how well-written they are, and the same applies to the entire aural registry itself. It flies by with the gait of a winged wing. Sour notes? Well, none of the tracks are crude or meager, but I do remember the first half more fondly than the second half. No real reason. The lyrics are bland, but I don't pay attention to lyrics unless I'm dealing with a personal deity-level group (i.e. favorite).
Yeah! In Monochrome has replay value. I've already popped it into the ol' CD player six times since its date of release, February 17th, 2017. Of course, I only purchased it recently, but forget what the numbers tell you, Carmen. This is a solid buy.
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