Black Tide makes no apologies about worshipping at the altar of Metallica. Their 2008 debut Light from Above even boasted an impressive cover of “Hit The Lights.” The Miami quartet’s sophomore long-player is a bit of a departure in style. Where their first album resonated with a deep love for Metallica’s ‘80s thrash-metal, Post Mortem echoes Metallica’s move into ‘90s stadium-friendly hard rock. “Ashes” opens blending post-grunge songcraft with NWOBHM-flavored guitar solos while rapid-fire rhythms recall the fury of their first album. The singing is especially strong here as it features guest vocals by Matthew Tuck of Bullet for My Valentine. The following “Bury Me” delivers an insta-hit with a noticeable change from speed-metal to melodic metalcore's trappings. “That Fire” is another infectious standout that shines a spotlight on Black Tide’s stellar musicianship — check out Gabriel Garcia and Austin Diaz’s amazing guitar interplay here. Unbinding themselves from Metallica’s spell, “Walking Dead Man” displays a promising direction in accessible metalcore.