Black Tide
Brixton Academy
London, UK
January 24, 2008

by Alissa Ordabai
Staff Writer

Comments: Black Tide give a well-crafted, fun rendition of Eighties stadium rock to those who didn't catch it in all its glory the first time around. These fresh-faced Florida teenagers marry classic hard rock harmonies to thrash chops, taking their cues from Judas Priest, the Scorpions and early Testament, and as a result come up with a fluent and energetic concoction of styles which ruled rock airwaves two decades ago. What makes this band stand out among other traditionalist hopefuls, is their extremely young age (lead singer / guitarist Gabriel Garcia is only 15) and their unmissable virtuosity. In fact, their technique is so remarkable, that as soon as their songwriting begins to match it, we could be looking at rightful heirs to the Eighties rock legends.

The band is now on a UK tour supporting Avenged Sevenfold, and their performance on January 24 at Brixton Academy, an iconic London 5000-seater, completely matched the flair and the energy of the headliners. For the entire 30 minutes of their set Black Tide were churning out a steady stream of energetic, cogent tunes, very interested in chart action and practiced to perfection.

The highlight of the set was "Show Me the Way", a cleanly executed, strident stomper, aiming to kick pants with a vigorous harmony and a catchy sing-along chorus. The time-tight rhythm section was holding up a couple of walls of virtuosic guitar noise perfectly, with Garcia's melodic, slightly gravelly voice in between, the entire tune rolling in well-greased motion along the familiar track of hard rock and thrash axioms. Garcia, despite his young age, turns out to be a surprisingly self-assured frontman who on the night also proved to be a dynamic, hard-working singer, articulate and convincing, delivering his parts with steadfast aplomb.

The band's rendition of Metallica's "Hit the Lights" was another standout, met with rowdy enthusiasm by the audience of the average age of 16. Sadly, despite his obvious ability, guitarist Alex Nunez is no Hammett, and the issue here is not in a lack of chops or vigor, but rather in the fact that he still has a lot to learn about phrasing and structuring his solos. But the crowd still loved the band's energy and confidence, the poised stage moves adding to the overall impression of a skillful, professional act geared to court serious success. Playing for an audience of teenagers starved for classic hard rock and old-school thrash, Black Tide were hitting the jackpot on the night, if not with originality of their tunes, then certainly with their chosen genre.

Teenage adulation aside, the reality about Black Tide is that where the originals who inspired them were visionary and dangerous, Black Tide are prosaic and cute, accepting without much questioning what has been handed down to them by the older generation. They have plenty of commitment and determination, but they are yet to come up with original ideas and true depth of feeling - the essential elements for any serious, long-lasting achievement in rock - which can only be inspired by human experience and which has nothing to do with instrumental practice or stage routine. It will take some earnest exploration, experimenting and exercise of imagination for this band to depart from the canons and to find their own identity, but once they do, they could go on to create marvels. After all, someone who by such young age managed to master their chops almost to perfection, certainly stands a good chance of creating truly original, if not innovative, material by their mid-twenties.

Photos provided by Alissa Ordabai