Black Tide - Light From Above (Album)
Hard rock/metal band Black Tide, from Miami, Florida, is one of the most unique bands out there today. It isn’t because of their music or their attitude. No, its because all of the band members are younger than 20 years old; the lead singer and guitarist, Gabriel Garcia, is only 15 years old. Some people may see the band’s young age as a gimmick; a way to sell albums based on the attraction of a band playing 1980’s style metal when most of the band members weren’t even born during the time period. You may be right, but there is one thing that I can say without a shadow of a doubt. These guys know how to play their instruments. Throughout Light From Above's 45 minutes, the band puts the listener on a musical journey that will make older metal fans reminiscent of the 1980’s. Shockwave leads the album off with a bang, as Black Tide immediately kicks it into high gear. The guitar work is perfect, with two solos that just scream thrash metal. Shockwave is a perfect way to start the album off, as it gets the listener ready to bang their heads for 45 minutes.
Black Tide continues to pound the listener with some solid hard rock and heavy metal tracks throughout Light From Above. The two epic tracks show a different side of the band and one that should be further explored in later releases. Warriors Of Time starts off with a minute long introduction that is entirely acoustic. The closing title track features some subtle piano work and has the “epic closing track” feel to it. The other songs hold their own compared to the three tracks already mentioned, for the most part. The problem with the album lies with the songwriting, which can lead to the band sounding too much like other 80's bands at times.
The main highlight of Light From Above is the guitar interplay between Garcia and Nunez. They work off each other well and sound like they have been together for over ten years, instead of a couple. Black Tide’s rhythm section provides a solid backdrop for the rest of the band. Zakk Sandler basically stays with the guitars, but gets a few moments when he can lead the song Enterprise. Steven Spence has some decent fills, but doesn’t stand out too much, compared to the talents of the rest of the band. Light From Above is a good debut album for these four young guys. Their potential is through the roof and they could be the next big thing in metal if they continue to work on their songwriting. There are some quality tracks on the album, the lead track and two epic tracks being my personal favorites, and any fans of hard rock or heavy metal would find something to enjoy about Light From Above. Black Tide has made a debut album that sounds great and effectively showcases their extraordinary raw talent. If they stay together for the long haul, I have no doubt that big things are in store for them.
