Black Tide

Just when heavy metal had been written off, Black Tide smashed onto the scene. Formed at school, they practiced and gigged tirelessly before gaining any sort of recognition. With the line-up finalised as Gabriel Garcia (vocals and lead guitar), Austin Diaz (rhythm guitar and vocals), Zachary Sandler (bass and vocals), and Steven Spence (drums, percussion) they bagged themselves a demo record deal and support slots with the likes of Avenged Sevenfold, Bullet for My Valentine, and Slipknot.

Now stars in their own right, they released their 2008 debut album, Light from Above, to widespread applause. Spawning several singles, the album helped them crossover. Channeling influences from Pantera and Guns N' Roses to Iron Maiden and Metallica, Black Tide have brought metal to an entirely new generation. Zakk elucidates, "Black Tide sounds like four p***ed off teenagers who listen to too much good music."