by Justin Gaines
– Senior Columnist/News Editor —
Denver-based hard rockers Red Tide Rising delivered a new studio album – their third overall – earlier this year. The album is appropriately titled The Rising, and with it the band hopes to make the jump from regional act to the national stage.
The modern hard rock scene is a tough one, with bands like Nickelback and Five Finger Death Punch demonstrating that bigger and dumber seems to be the way to the top of the charts. Then there’s a band like Red Tide Rising, who is very much a part of that scene (you can tell they cut their teeth on Godsmack and A Perfect Circle albums), but takes a more serious approach to the music. They’re playing modern hard rock with more somber tones and heavier lyrics to match the heavy guitar tone and rhythms. Think Jerry Cantrell jamming with Katatonia, if that idea doesn’t make your head explode.
The Rising is a very solid, very consistent album, though it does have some standout tracks, including “2:13” (an earlier release that fits quite well here), “The Otherside,” the very moody “Cold” and “Misery,” which features some well-placed harsh vocals. While the heavy, somber tone of the album does help with maintaining an overall atmosphere, there are times where some catchier guitar hooks might have helped pick up the pace. Still, that’s a minor complaint towards what is otherwise a very strong album.
Red Tide Rising offers one of the few bright spots in the modern hard rock genre. If you’re into bands like Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Chevelle and Godsmack, you’d do well to give The Rising a try. With any luck, this will be the album that puts Red Tide Rising on the map. We could certainly use more bands like this, especially on mainstream rock radio.
Genre: Hard Rock
Lineup:
Matthew Whiteman (v)
Andrew Whiteman (g)
Matt Guerin (d)
Track Listing:
1. Rising Tides
2. 2:13
3. The Otherside
4. Shadows
5. We Are the Hunted
6. Break Away
7. Scars
8. Cold
9. Misery
10. The Choice
11. Vicious Circle
12. This Is War
13. The Rising
Label: Deathbox
Website: www.facebook.com/redtiderising
Hardrock Haven Rating: 7.5/10
