Chicago Progressive Metal band Black Sites just released their new album “The Promised Land?” The band has been fairly prolific over the years, constantly striving to break new ground in heavy music, rather than hit the same beats everyone else does in the genre. Mark Sugar sent in a track-by-track breakdown of the album!
Black Sites is a progressive-ish metal band from Chicago. The Promised Land? is our fourth LP, following the three others released between 2017 and 2021. This is our first recording with Brandon White (also of Repentance) joining us on drums.
In the immediate aftermath of our last album Untrue, we amassed a pile of new ideas pretty quickly. In June 2023, we began recording at the legendary Electrical Audio studios, an amazing experience which feels even more special in light of Steve Albini’s recent passing. Towards the end of the process, we somehow convinced Tom Draper (Spirit Adrift) and Matt Johnsen (Pharaoh) to contribute guest solos to the record.
And now, the tunes:
“Descent:” This was one of the first songs worked on for the record, and has the distinction of having its main riff composed by Ryan Bruchert. Despite being a pretty dark song, the big influence here is clearly King’s X, especially on that long outro riff. We opened for King’s X during the Exile era, and witnessed them absolutely nail the convoluted ending of “We Were Born To Be Loved,” and our intent was to put our own spin on that idea. This track felt like an obvious album opener, not only because it had the best intro, but because it showcases the skills of our new drummer, Mr. Brandon White.
“Dread Tomorrow:” Lyrically, the song is a product of present-day America — waking up every day stuck in this incredibly stupid dystopia, feeling an intense need to leave but knowing there’s no way out. Matt Johnsen from Pharaoh plays some incredible lead guitar in the middle of this one.
“Gideon:” A very different song for us, although it fits nicely with the goth-rock side quest we’ve occasionally indulged, like “Dream Long Dead” and “Watching You Fall” from past albums. The name Gideon has no real significance — I know someone with that name, and it fit the cadence of that particular part. The song is about how violent tendencies are part of human nature.
“World On Fire:” Another unique song in the Black Sites catalog. Very Zeppelin-ish at times, with some things going on in the rhythm section that we hadn’t done before. We worked on this one a lot, moving parts around and changing how we played certain things. Some very classy drumming from Mr. White on here too.
Lyrically, I was channeling some of the scenes from The Road Warrior movies, where everyone is squatting in bombed-out buildings and fighting each other for basic needs like water. I felt that reality is starting to mirror those circumstances for a lot of people.
“Chasing Eternity:” This was the last track written for the album, added at the last minute because I thought we needed one more uptempo song. The lyrics are about people who can’t accept aging, or the passage of time. There should never be any shame in admitting that one is too old or unhealthy to do certain things, and to then stop doing those things. Judging by current events, the world seems to be coming around to this viewpoint. Tom Draper (Spirit Adrift, ex-Carcass) played lead on this, which means we’re one degree removed from Bill Steer now.
“The Promised Land?:” I’d always wanted to do a longer track, sort of like the side-length epics that bands did back in the ‘70s. The initial ideas came early in the process for this record, but we spent a lot of time making the parts link up thematically and adding little details to it. A lot of it is just fucking ridiculous, like the vocal choirs, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra piano section, etc. but it was fun and it works. Title aside, the song is not related to the most recent conflict in the Middle East, since it was written and recorded before that happened. But the general idea is that no deity promised anybody any land, so all holy wars are inherently illegitimate. If you’re taking sides, you’ve missed the point.
“Many Turn To None:” Another tune that developed in the immediate aftermath of Untrue, with a riff somewhat inspired by Whitesnake’s “Bad Boys.” The original demo I brought in (working title: “Silent Night, Rectal Night”) had a long instrumental section that did not work well. Ryan correctly pointed out that we could do better, and composed the middle/solo section that you hear in the finished version. Lyrically, it’s that macho “I don’t need anybody” thing, the drive to be self-sufficient, taken to its illogical extreme.
To me, The Promised Land? stands as a unique achievement in our catalog. It will sound familiar to anyone who’s heard us before, but it expands on ideas we’ve been pursuing since the beginning, and kicks open some new doors as well. I think the record’s strength is in its diversity, but there is a musical and lyrical worldview that keeps things feeling cohesive. This is Black Sites at our most ambitious and complex.
Black Sites is:
Mark Sugar (Vocals, Guitar)
Ryan Bruchert (Guitar)
Brandon White (Drums)
Guest Performers:
Matt Johnsen (Pharaoh), Guitar On “Dread Tomorrow”
Tom Draper (Spirit Adrift, Ex-Carcass), Guitar On “Chasing Eternity”
Buy the album here:
https://blacksites.bandcamp.com/album/the-promised-land
MARK SUGAR