Black Tide - Light From Above |
Published May 31 2008
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Shockwave* |
| Genre | Heavy/Power Metal |
Gabriel Garcia
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Vocals
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| Tracks | 11 |
Gabriel Garcia
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Guitar
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| Runningtime | 48 Min. |
Alex Nunez
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Guitar
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| Label | Interscope Records |
Zachary Sandler
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Bass
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| Release | 18 March 2008 |
Steven Spence
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Drums
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| Country | USA |
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Keyboard
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| Similar artists | Death Angel, Trivium, Metallica | ||
When I first heard about Black Tide, I again just assumed
they were another Metalcore wannabee act in the vein of the overrated
Bullet For My Valentine, Avenged Sevenfold, Atreyu, or Trivium vein.
Man, was I wrong, these youthful, exuberant lads are the next Death
Angel, the shockwave of true classic metal with subtle modern influences.
Let me explain....
Debuting on a label like Interscope Records hardly screams a shout to
metal sincerity, but these enterprising warriors of time really know
how to play and write some very catchy songs. The obvious comparisons
to Metallica, Megadeth, Testament, & Maiden are well noted, but
Black Tide also upholds a real 80's penchant for other acts like Mötley
Crüe, Twisted Sister, Guns 'N' Roses, & Skid Row.
Main vocalist/guitarist Gabriel Garcia is a real shredder on the rise.
Every song is layered with classic guitar metal solos, and enticing
riffs. Gabriel may not have a great voice, but he sings very clear,
and there are absolutely no hardcore breakdowns. This is very reassuring,
as even though I do like Shadows Fall, this style can still be a bit
off putting.
Black Tide is not really thrash either, but they do play some fast tracks.
There are no keyboards, and you get 100% quality metal melodies with
some rather reassuring lyrics, even if not always grammatically correct
('Shout' uses the term 'ain't when don't is more appropriate). These
boys may speak Spanish, but there is no excuse for poor English.
Jason Seucof offers quite a great deal of artistic expertise to the
song writing, and this is what really makes a difference. Johnny K produced,
mixed, and recorded the entire album. Standout tracks like 'Shockwave',
'Warrior Of Time', 'Live Fast, Die Young', and the title track are some
excellent examples of true metal. Their take on Metallica's 'Hit The
Lights' is very impressive, with solos I never heard in the original
version.
Black Tide is not all that original, but given their age, and experience,
I do recommend giving them a chance. These black weirdoes sure have
shown me the way, to having a more open mind over metal!
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Performance
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Originality
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Production
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Vocals
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Songwriting
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8 |
7,5 |
8,5 |
6,5 |
8 |
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Summary
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8 chalices of 10 - Michael the MettleAngel |
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