My first time hearing Black Sites live is a fun story (at least for me). They were playing on the smaller Joint Stage at Legions of Metal in 2026, and they were on my list of bands that I really didn’t know but was potentially interested in checking out. In meeting band Professor Emeritus (who I also interviewed at the fest), I learned that bass player José Salazar and guitarist Lee Smith were also in Black Sites, and considering how much I enjoyed Professor Emeritus, I was even more intrigued. I was taking a dinner break in the VIP lounge on Day 1 of the fest when Black Sites started, and the location of the lounge meant I could hear them playing in conjunction with the video playing in the lounge. One minute in and I was regretting not being there from the start, so I ran downstairs to experience the rest of their set in person, a decision I did not regret!

Black Sites hails from Chicago, and they are releasing their latest album, “For Eternity,” on July 17. They play a darker mix of thrashy traditional and power doom metal with some light progressive leanings. There is solid heft in the riffs, great guitar solos, pulverizing drums and bass, and fabulous vocals from vocalist / guitarist Mark Sugar. Jose’s bass is phenomenal, carrying the bottom end well, with thunderous thumps balanced against some deft fretwork. Lee and Mark complement each other well, dueling guitar riffs and solos acting in both harmony and polyphony, while also allowing the bass to carry the rhythm at times ala King’s X. The drumming is powerful, strong and deliberate whether driving a heavy metal assault or being the foundation for one of the band’s slower moments. Mark has a phenomenal voice that carries a rich gravitas packed with aggressive emotion, matching the darker feel the music exudes. He rarely soars into the rafters though occasionally shows off some range, with his every move matching what the music needs at the time. Songs tend to be in the 5 – 7 minutes range, never feeling repetitive or overstaying their welcome. They embrace their metal inspiration without falling into boring tropes, and they add enough variety without losing accessibility, resulting in a set of 8 songs that flow well and age well over repeat listens. The band makes great use of dynamic contrast in both the musical volume and the vocal lines, adding lots of texture that adds to the variety. I had trouble honing on an exact description or set of clear influences, a clear indication that the band refuses to stay within a prescriptive box. With that said, the musical influences that I am reminded of most whenever I listen to this album include the power doom mixed with softer elements of Iced Earth, the big heavy metal with progressive leanings of Queensrÿche, and the slick airy melodies and harmonies of King’s X. I have had other people suggest Candlemass, Dio, and Black Sabbath as additional influences that they hear. Regardless, this is a great album full of killer songs with a sound that Black Sites has defined as their own.

“When It Calls” feels both epic and moody as it starts, setting the vibe early for the album experience you will be having. The song takes its time to build, slowly layering in guitar melodies and drums against Mark’s powerfully emotive vocals. You can feel the tension as the song progresses, driving more urgency in its moodiness, while the more delicate guitar melodies serve as a nice contrast to the heavier riffs. The song maintains remarkable restraint before really busting out of its shell in the final third, hitting on all cylinders as the riffs crush harder, a brief solo pierces the darkness, and the mood and pace amp up as we reach the conclusion. 

“Aquarius Betrayed” is one of the top songs for me on the album, immediately reminiscent of Iced Earth with its thick melodic riffs out of the gate. The verse relies on the King’s X formula of a bass heavy rhythm and frilly guitar leads to carry the song forward, delivering plenty of melody while still remaining heavy. The drums are relentless, never hitting a true gallop until the very end, but mercilessly beating the skins into submission as the guitars soar around them. The hefty dueling guitars over driving bass in the back half of the song has such a cool vibe. The heaviness eventually subsides while maintaining this approach, dropping both tempo and volume, allowing Mark’s vocals to take the lead, before slamming you again. It feels like the drums have been patiently waiting the entire song to take off, and they finally get their chance right before things close out, racing ahead as the guitars dance frenetically about enroute to the end.

“Above Soil, Beneath Sky” has a driving mid-tempo thrash groove out of the gate, interspersing throughout the verse with some softer guitar leads. The instrumental section after the first chorus has a very King’s X feel in its big airy melodies, a nice change of pace that keeps you on your toes. A nice guitar solo commences, then you are punched in the gut as the heavy chugs return. The chorus just feels massive with its aggressive delivery and big vocal layers that command your attention. The ending is big and majestic with a soaring guitar solo over thunderous bass, and when you think you are done with a big, syncopated finish, a false ending yields to one final staccato thrashing.

“Giving up the Ghost” emotes a slow impassioned guitar solo as it begins, then smacks you with a powerful doom riff that layers in nice harmony. Mark’s earnest vocals are in your face, matching the feel of the underlying foundation. One thing that immediately stands out are the variations they pair with the main riff, utilizing harmonies and different melodies and countermelodies, adding depth while making the riffs sound even bigger. The middle section drops the volume way down, the bass carrying the rhythm while guitar frills permeate the soundscape, prepping you for one of the many great guitar solos this album has to offer. The chorus isn’t necessarily an earworm, but it is quite memorable with a line I find myself humming long after. The final rendition of the chorus extends out into a big finale as the instruments and vocals slowly fade.

“Blades (for the Chosen Ones)” has a slick intro that could be King’s X if they traded their brighter riffs for something a few shades darker. The intro shifts quickly into a hefty moving riff with a doomy underbelly, while still bringing in the lighter guitar melodies to provide contrast. Mark’s vocals do remind me quite a bit of Doug Pinnick in this song, though there is a stark contrast when he flips back to more of the Iced Earth / Candlemass vibe, always magnanimous regardless of the approach he embodies. The song is rifftastic and powerful, with big melodies both in the guitar and vocal lines.

“Silent Wars” may be my favorite song on the album. It features some of the best bass on the album, with Salazar getting to shine with a solo intro and plenty of opportunity to drive the rhythm throughout. The guitar riffs are chunky with memorable melodies, giving me Iced Earth and Queensrÿche feels as they power ahead. The chorus is anthemic and oh so catchy, super singable and one I could see being a great crowd participation song live. The guitars are phenomenal, the aforementioned riffs being joined by some killer guitar solos and plentiful leads that dance along the frets and add texture to the song.

“When Prophecy Fails” is probably the fastest song on the album, blazing out of the gates and galloping ahead with its steady drumming and riffs. If King’s X were thrashier, I could imagine them crafting something similar to this song with its bright melodies and big vocals. Just listen to the pre-chorus with its harmonies and the chorus with its massive feel, made even bigger by the underlying thundering drums. The bass is a hero on this song, carrying the rhythm quite a bit and allowing the guitars to stretch out and have fun, whether it be bigger solos or deft lead picking. Late in the song is one of the few times the song slows the pace, allowing the guitars to show off while giving off a darker sheen.

Closer (and sort of title track) “Unanswered for Eternity” is the longest song on the album by about 10 seconds, and it is also the closest you get to a ballad on the album. I am typically not a big fan of ending a heavy album with a slower song. However, this song is just so big and powerful, expertly navigating use of dynamics to lure you to a climax and then drop you, only to draw you in again, in rinse and repeat fashion. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this has an almost doomy King’s X feel as it marries the guitar tones and melodies with an underlying sledgehammer of heaviness. The bass is again very prevalent, allowing the guitars to add texture to each passage. The last 2 minutes of the song transitions from a powerfully emotive vocal from Mark into an extended instrumental, featuring phenomenal dueling guitars as the bass and drums keep things driving. For as uncertain as I was with how the finale began, I am in love with how it ended.

I am not super familiar with the Black Sites back catalog outside of a few songs I checked out, but after seeing them perform at Legions of Metal 2026 and many repeat listens of this album, I have become a fan. Heavy and melodic, accessible yet varied, Black Sites has crafted a great slab of metal that comes highly recommended.