With an average age of 17 — the youngest member is a 15-year-old with Sebastian Bach Pipes — this Miami quartet never whiffed the Aqua Net of the late-’80s era they’re ravaging. But unlike tourmates Avenged Sevenfold, Black Tide haven’t resurrected ’80s Sunset Strip metal as a secondhand Vegas cabaret act; they actually sound as mean and hungry as the rats (Guns N’ Roses, W.A.S.P.) who once prowled Hollywood’s gutters. And when they drop the Metallica hammer (“Warriors of Time”), they’re a raging reminder that the Strip once had Bay Area thrash cred to match its glam ambitions.
Now Watch This:Black Tide, “Show Me the Way” SPIN.COM EXCLUSIVE VIDEO
- Read more about Black Tide in our Who’s Next 2008 package