While still young, Black Tide is a band that has set the bar high from the beginning, getting signed at a very early age to a major record label with an album that gained critical praise. The common factor in every album is the use of crushing riffs, and shredding solos, while maintaining catchy melodies to tie it together.
After two phenomenal releases in Light From Above and Post Mortem, two albums with distinct sounds that vary from traditional/speed metal to a more modern metalcore sound, Chasing Shadows proves that Black Tide are not done growing as a band.
Every album offers a unique blend of traditional and new school metal, while managing to make each album sound drastically different from the last.
The first of a few standout tracks on Chasing Shadows would have to be “No Guidelines.” The sound of the track exemplifies the culmination of what Black Tide has become as a well rounded and dynamic band.
“No Guidelines” brings the aggression to the album while “Burn” is a more catchy, yet still exhilarating track, while bringing a softer side to the album.
These two tracks alone give a pretty good idea of what this album has to offer, but if a good blend of fast, heavy, and catchy isn’t enough, then “Heaven” is the track that rounds out the dynamic sound of Chasing Shadows, being the only clean and most melodic of all the tracks on the album, utilizing clean guitars and a classic guitar tone for an impressive classical sounding guitar solo.
Light From Above and Post Mortem are both great albums, and Black Tide have further solidified a sound of their own in Chasing Shadows and it is amazing.
I cannot wait to see what direction this band goes in, but until then I will continue to enjoy this phenomenal release which will hit shelves tomorrow, October 16, 2015, under Pavement Entertainment.
Rating: 9/10
