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Artist......: Black Sites
Album.......: For Eternity
Year........: 2026
Genre.......: Metal
Type........: Album
Label.......: Independent
Language....: English
Source......: WEB/FLAC (24bit)
Quality.....: 1651kbps / 44.1 kHz / Stereo
Tracks......: 8 tracks
Playtime....: 00:44:08
Size........: 521.3 MiB
R.Date......: 2026-07-17
S.Date......: 2026-07-17
Url.........: https://open.qobuz.com/album/eldx70tsztsy1
01. When It Calls 5:09
02. Aquarius Betrayed 5:05
03. Above Soil Beneath Sky 4:47
04. Giving up the Ghost 6:43
05. Blades (For the Chosen Ones) 4:51
06. Silent Wars 4:51
07. When Prophecy Fails 5:49
08. Unanswered for Eternity 6:54
Musicians gravitate towards styles that often capture
modest attention in those formative adolescent / teenage
years of development. For Chicago-area
guitarist/vocalist Mark Sugar, his passion for
90s-oriented gothic, heavy rock, and thrash influences
morphs into a darker, heavy/progressive metal template
in the discography delivered to date since arriving on
the scene in the mid-2010's through Black Sites. The
fifth studio album For Eternity represents a massive
shift in terms of the lineup - José Salazar rejoins on
bass, while second guitarist Lee Smith and drummer Chris
Black round out the current quartet of players. The
sound still has this down tuned, driving propulsion full
of adventurous parts, molded in a very catchy,
constructive manner which allows the listener to dive
deep into those crevices to unearth plenty of vocal /
musical earworms.
The atmosphere of specific parts for "Above Soil,
Beneath Sky" takes on classic Black Sabbath doom riffs
and surrounds the arrangement with mysterious clean
embellishment or thunderous, progressive transitions
which recall classic Rush, King's X, Iron Maiden, or
even the left-field strangeness of Voivod - Mark's vocal
delivery robust in key uplifting call / response
passages. The drumming from Chris Black will move
listeners much like those who live for the work of Cozy
Powell or Reed Mullin during their prime years - check
out his massive groove foundation to softer taps on
mid-album highlight "Giving Up the Ghost", where the
exotic lead break will take listeners on another
auxiliary journey. At other times, progressive riffs
tantalize in this aural dance where larger guitar bends
or mystical clean supplementation swoop into the mix -
where 90s Ozzy, Megadeth, and King's X come together as
one on the stirring "Blades (For the Chosen Ones)".
Themes on the record run the gamut from social/political
frustration at the hands of current versus previous
generational outlooks, UFO cults from the past, all the
way through to a celebration of this music we've all
come to know and love. Mark also has a co-producer in
Chris Black who really pulled out the best performances
in these tracks - often seeking out ideal vocal
harmonies, guitar layers, or bass/drum interplay which
serve each song best. Those little details entertain
followers not just on the initial exposure, but grab
people in a visceral manner months to years down the
line - be it in more of a crushing rhythm assault next
to haunting gothic melodies portrayed for "When Prophecy
Fails" or the subtle creepiness slowly evolving from the
early strains of opener "When It Calls".
For Eternity opens a new chapter for Black Sites - one
very encouraging to see unfold, as the obvious seasoned
experience these musicians possess can go in many
diverse directions across the numerous styles
intertwined within. This is US metal with plenty of
heart, well-equipped to capture a host of people seeking
out something a little different that's darker, melodic,
hook-oriented yet progressive all the same.