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Well here we are in December and the last month of 2009. Time really flew by this year and we’ve had some amazing bands as our Band of the Month. I’ve decided to end the year with a band I found out about last summer. One that has become a staple on my listening radar ever since. When one thinks of a tide they think of something strong and overwhelming, add black onto that and you’ve got something that’s heavy and loud. This about sums up Black Tide from Miami, Florida. The band formed in 2004 and are signed to Interscope Records. You can find Gabriel Garcia on lead vocals and guitar, Austin Diaz on rhythm guitar and vocals, Zachary Sandler on bass and vocals and Steven Spence on drums and percussion. In March of 2008 the band released their first full length album entitled Light From Above, which in so many ways is fitting for today’s metal scene. They have an extensive touring history in which they have supported some amazing bands such as Avenged Sevenfold, Bullet for my Valentine, All That Remains, Escape the Fate, Slipknot, Lacuna Coil, Bleeding Through, Trivium and Mindless Self Indulgence. An amazing list to add to any bands resume. What is even more impressive is the fact that all the members of the band are under 21, with their lead singer Gabriel being only 15 when they did their stint on the Ozzfest tour in 2007, where due to their age they were removed from the second stage but were able to stay on and open on the main stage for bands like Lamb Of God and Static-X. Impressive right? Not only that but the sound that comes out of this band will blow you away.

Black Tide comes at a time when there is a need for some ‘glam’ on the scene with a little bit of trash and pop thrown into the mix. They are bringing back what we can call old school heavy metal with a vengeance! The sound will make you stand up and take notice of this young band that has a maturity that shows in the style and sound of their fist pumping fast paced music. I had the chance to finally see the band live at Warped Tour this past summer, which was an amazing experience to say the least (though I don’t think Warped Tour is the best place to really see a band for the first time), nonetheless I was completely blown away with heir stage presence and their interaction with the crowd that as a young band they already have. The guitar playing shows refinement that is way beyond their years with a mix of their own style. I can only see great things to come for this band, if they continue on the path they are currently on.

If you happen to have the album Light From Above, I will pat you on the back and tell you what an amazing choice you have made. It not, what the HECK are you waiting for? And with that, let me give you my top five songs from the album that you should look into going onto to iTunes and purchasing. They would make a nice collection to your iTunes library trust me. First off Shockwave, Shout, Warriors of Time, Live Fast Die Young and the title track Light From Above. I mean personally I greatly enjoy the whole album and maybe you will too or maybe there is a song on there that you can rock out to. Either way I think you should take a chance on this band and give them a listen and some support. Also, you should check out their Iron Maiden cover of Prowler, simply amazing! I think that about sums up the amazing month of December and the end to an amazing year. Black Tide are currently what seems to be taking a small hiatus from touring with nothing scheduled since this summer’s warped tour. Stay tuned for them in 2010!

Two things happened when I clicked on Black Tide's myspace link provided by Natty. a) I thought I had mistakenly started playing my "Glam, baby, Glam!" playlist and was listening to Hanoi Rocks, circa 2002 and b) I rocked the fuck out. This is the first I'm hearing of Black Tide, and I'm enjoying it greatly! I've had a pretty crappy day today, and this is exactly what I needed... something loud, something driving, and something that's gonna piss off my neighbors!

Reminiscent of a comeback-Hanoi Rocks, or a back-dated Coheed, Black Tide is currently filling the greatly missed Glam/Metal/Rock void in my music catalog. It's hard to explain to you guys what they sound like without knowing if you share my love of Glam-everything... one thing that I do know is that you should definitely go the band's MySpace page and take a listen for yourself, because this is AWESOME. I highly recommend "Shout" or "Warriors of Time" to get your rock on! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm about to turn this shit up to 11.

I'm listening to the first song that pops up on Black Tide's MySpace right now. As we speak (Er, as I write this, I suppose). I have to be honest, the initial feeling that I get is "Holy 80's!" Is that a bad thing? Well... I'm not too sure yet, to be honest. Let's see what happens over the next couple of songs.

Well, I'm a couple of songs in, and I have to be honest, I'm not really sure if Black Tide is my thing. I can appreciate what they're trying to get at, I can recognize the sound, but unfortunately, that's not necessarily a sound I enjoy. Out of the four songs on their MySpace though, I enjoy "Let Me" the best.

They come across, as everyone else has mentioned, as a Metal/Glam combination. I like metal, and I like Glam, but... I don't know how I feel about them together. In this case at least. I'd still say go give Black Tide a listen. Who knows, they may just be your thing!

So, Black Tide. I'm not going to lie, my first impression of Black Tide wasn't the greatest and though it's gotten a tiny bit better, it's still not the best. The first time I heard them was when we stopped by their set at Warped Tour. I remember looking for any reason to just not be at that stage. I did not care for them in the slightest. I feel like a horrible person for saying it, but we all have our own taste and it's inevitable that we will not all like the same stuff! I totally dig the glam-rock sound they have, but there is something else I can't really put my finger on. With that being said, I will admit that amongst my dislike for them, I really do super like Shout. A lot! Shout is probably the better song and I did find myself dancing to it. Shockwave might also be an okay track...I might not turn it if it came on, but I definitely wouldn't go looking for it - It's decided...Shout is the only track I'm digging. Sorry!!

When I got this month's band, Black Tide, I initially was not thrilled. I listened to the first few bars of "shout" that night, and I cringed on the inside. This music is not what I listen to, I thought, this is just incoherent screaming.

On a second listen, however, the greatness of Black Tide began to come together, and I could see their appeal. While Caity compares them to a Hanoi Rocks/Coheed sound, I immediately thought of The Darkness, but substitute the irreverence for a glam rock with soul. If you don't know Glam all that well, or you just think you don't, just think of David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust days, with harder riffs and more screaming. Black Tide is definitely a Glam-Metal band, and a rocking one at that.

Though some of the songs are a bit too '80s for me ("Warriors of Time" made me think of Spinal Tap, just a little bit,) the band, from my brief Myspace listen, is rocking. I could definitely see this going into my ipod rotation for long highway roadtrips. So, if the holiday music is grating on your nerves, and there are only so many times you can listen to "Jingle Bells" sung by N'SYNC, pop on some Black Tide. They will definitely cure your holiday music burn out.

Black Tide. Don’t get me wrong, but I just wasn’t able to get into them. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “God, Linzy doesn’t even know what she’s talking about. I’ll bet she didn’t even try to listen to them.”

But, you’re wrong. You see, Reader; I did try. I actually listened to them quite a bit. Even enough to say that most of their music is really good; Just wasn’t quite what I can fully appreciate. For the sake of example; like a hardcore Mudvayne fan trying to get into Owl City. Might take some work.

But, don’t take my advice on this one. I whole-heartedly think you should check out this band. If theirs is the kind of sound you like, then that’s great! Hey, a couple sentences up, I even admitted to the fact that their music is enjoyable! Just wasn’t my thing. Anyway, get on up there and click some links! You never know, right? You, not being me, might turn out crazy about them!