RISING TIDE "Reflections" 2023

This band is no newcomer, having existed since 1998 under the name ABOVE THE STRUGGLE until 2005, when they changed their name to RISING TIDE. They went on to release a number of albums and finally delivered their new 4-song EP, entitled ‘reflections’, at the end of 2023. The style is Hardcore/Metal - but what surprised me the most were the guitar riffs, they're really HEAVY, like HEAVY-METAL (old-school)... You know what I mean? If you isolate the riffs, you can hear a bit of Iron Maiden or Judas Priest, but the end result is definitely hardcore, with a lot of intensity and aggression. Rather surprising, but catchy and somewhat personal which is a welcomed development when so many bands are doing what others have done a thousand times over...
So, musically, like any self-respecting HEAVY METAL band (just kidding, it's still hardcore), there are plenty of rhythmic changes, harmonizing melodies and galloping riffs as well as pounding riffs, a few mosh parts here and there... you won't get bored listening to ‘Reflections’, which is pretty well composed and structured....
Where I might be a little more critical is with the vocal style... yes, it's snarling, angry, raw... but for my taste (and this is just me, I don't have a monopoly on good taste) it gets a little monotonous in the long run... Perhaps the addition of backing vocals here and there to reinforce the lead vocals would have added a significant plus and would have increased the power and intensity too... but that's really the only detail I can point to and it's quite possible that my feelings aren't the same as yours and that, in the end, you wouldn't have any problem with it... it's simply a question of taste...
All in all, this is a band to be taken seriously and supported, as they show a pretty strong potential in their songwriting and their more personal vision of the Hardcore style ! They really have a touch on their own !
For fans of BORN FROM PAIN, HATEBREED, EARTH CRISIS, NO TURNING BACK on a heavy metal mood.