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The piece cools the tension with a single, charging guitar. But, like “Call It by Its Name,” this is only the first layer of the cake. “Echo of a Lie” uses its backing vocals and atmosphere to give the song a windy character. But before you get to the end, the band pairs astonishing harmonized vocals with perfectly-executed instrumentation. There’s the gorgeous chorus, some clever guitar work, and a soothing acoustic outro. With each passing moment, the song gets better. The songs to scratch that itch are “Call It by Its Name” and “Echo of a Lie.” The first opens with an addictive, doomy lick and a pre-chorus that has lots of Trials vibes. Like Exile, the fantastic backing vocals are also present, though subtle-leaving you wanting more. And the twin-guitar work at the end will make any heavy metal fan smile. It combines an old-school intro and thrashy pre-chorus to help build a massive chorus. Take opener “Sword of Orion” as an example.
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Don’t let the word “controlled” fool you into thinking Untrue isn’t stacked to the brim with riffs. With the equally talented Ryan Bruchert (guitarist and inspired namer of guitar solos, ex- Trials) and Garry Naples (drums, also of Novembers Doom, Wolvhammer) still in his corner, the result is better than it’s ever been before. For Untrue, you hear the authentic Mark Sugar the Mark Sugar of Black Sites, the Mark Sugar of Bear Mace, the Mark Sugar of Trials.
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With 2019’s experiment Exile, Black Sites put together a playlist of their favorite metal songs and recreated them in Black Sites fashion. Untrue feels more focused and controlled than the band’s previous albums. 2 We love Mark in these parts, 3 but that doesn’t shadow the truth that he’s one of the best songwriters in metal today. What makes it unique is how he absorbs his love for bands like Van Halen, Judas Priest, Trouble, Black Sabbath, and Bay-area thrash (to name a few) and puts himself into them. (And he’d be the first to say it.) Black Sites has taken Mark’s entire collection of musical influences, synthesized it, and presented it to you. What you hear from him isn’t anything new. His songwriting is also a celebration of metal. While some musicians find a mood, slap on the blinders, and go, Mark sees the completed album from 30,000 feet. Every riff, pre-chorus, chorus, bridge, transition, and guitar tone is there for a reason. And this can clearly be heard on Black Sites‘ Untrue. Like his Chicago compatriot, Chris Black, Mark is a musical mathematician. How one man can write complex, fully-stacked songs that don’t overstay their welcome and that never leave listeners feeling cheated is beyond me. By comparison, I received the special re-release of Metallica‘s self-titled record from Steelon a drunken afternoon at a record store in the Big Apple, and not even the Mighty Met has as good of demos as Mark. One might say it’s not a demo at all, but the finished product. 1 When he sends you a demo, it’s about as well thought out and executed as a demo can get. I’m fortunate that I’ve seen how the he works, being that he and I have a project together. I’ve never known someone with such an instinct for perfection as Black Sites‘ progenitor and front man, Mark Sugar.