black tide post mortem

Released: 22 August 2011 Label: Spinefarm

Somebody, somewhere on the internet, once described Black Tide as being a mash up of thrash metal and hair metal. It’s a clumsy and overly simplistic description but it’s easy to see where they’re coming from.

Black Tide is part of an emerging generation of bands led by the likes of Avenged Sevenfold and Bullet For My Valentine who are entirely comfortable mixing full-pelt heaviness with almost poppy hooks and for the most part they do it very well.

Occasionally, on otherwise decent tracks like Fight Til the Bitter End the band is perhaps lacking a little in individual character to be truly outstanding, but when they hit their groove with the strident and infectious Bury Me or the dynamic opener Ashes (featuring a guest appearance from BFMV’s Matt Tuck) the band is a fearsome force.

Undoubtedly, the metalcore influenced Honest Eyes will have a few fans covering their ears, but Black Tide only tips a toe into the genre, and with much of the rest of the album confidently carried on a wave of crushing rhythms, spiralling leads and an assured and varied vocal performance from Gabriel Garcia, it shouldn’t detract to much from what is, overall, an enjoyable ride.

by Marcus Jervis