Black Tide – “Post Mortem” [Album Review]

On August 23, 2011, Black Tide released their long awaited sophomore album Post Mortem. It’s been four years since the birth of their debut album Light From Above; a disc which received great critical acclaim as a throwback to the old-school heavy metal sounds of the 80s. When Black Tide released samples of new material, the fan response had mixed reviews, with some loving it and others claiming they sold out to a more mainstream, metalcore sound. That said, Post Moderm is definitely not Light From Above part two, however as the band transitions into a more hardcore-based sound, the new direction showcases how they’ve matured.

The album opens up with “Ashes” and immediately you can hear the band’s older sound has been left behind. The track features Matt Tuck from Bullet For My Valentine and BFMV’s influence is definitely noticeable. Track five, “That Fire”, is a solid rock n roll song that showcases the band’s maturity while “Fight ‘Till The Bitter End” exhibits Gabe Garcia’s vocal growth and most notably, Steve Spence’s beastly drumming.

“Into The Sky” is a beautiful ballad that would touch anyone who misses a deceased love one, proving that the band can play both fast and slow songs wonderfully. But there are some tracks where Black Tide takes the metalcore influence too far. “Walking Dead Man” and “Honest Eyes” sounds like an Avenged Sevenfold and Bullet For My Valentine lovechild, which is a shame because the band have enough talent to distinguish their own signature sound.

Negatives aside, this disc proves that despite their young age Black Tide is one of the most versatile bands in metal. Was it worth the four year wait? Not as much as I’d like it to be. It is inevitable that a band will change in the span of four years, and Black Tide did something many bands fail to successfully do on their sophomore effort – create an album that is incomparable to their first because it redefines their sound.

Track Listing:

01. Ashes (feat. Matt Tuck of Bullet for My Valentine)
02. Bury Me
03. Let It Out
04. Honest Eyes
05. That Fire
06. Fight ‘Til The Bitter End
07. Take It Easy
08. Lost in the Sound
09. Walking Dead Man
10. Into the Sky

Run Time: 42:58
Release Date: August 23, 2011

Check out the song “That Fire” here.