A Chat with Zakk Sandler of the Black Tide, Black Tide interview, bassist, Light from Above

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If you like your rock to be of the black-clad, high-speed, shredding variety, then it is only a matter of time before the Black Tide owns your soul. The Miami quartet brings back the glory days of UK metal with a vengeance, filling their songs with double-time drums and dual guitar solos. Now for the best part: they’re all teenagers, something that got them kicked off Ozzfest’s Jagermeister-sponsored side stage last year. (Luckily, Sharon Osbourne liked them so much that she moved them to the main stage.) With their debut album, Light from Above, now in stores, Bullz-Eye fired off a series of questions via email to bassist Zakk Sandler (the only non-Hispanic member of the band) and forced him to choose between Lemmy and Bruce Dickinson. Which did he choose? We’re not telling, but his answer will make Christopher Walken happy.


Bullz-Eye: How on earth did a bunch of teenagers get turned on to old-school metal?

ZS: We got turned on to old-school metal from friends and TV, and the internet. It's just a really easy genre to get into, and the whole ‘80s metal scene was awesome!

BE: Covering Metallica: fun or slightly intimidating? (The band covers “Hit the Lights” on their new album.)

ZS: It was intimidating at first, because we really didn't know how anybody was going to react to it, but people are really digging it.

BE: You played on the main stage of Ozzfest. Is Ozzy really as nuts as he appears?

ZS: I wish Ozzy was as crazy as he's made out to be. I never even got to meet the guy. But someday I hope to at least talk to him and tell him how awesome he is.

BE: What's the biggest misconception about your band and metal bands in general?

ZS: I think the biggest misconception about metal bands and our band is that people think that we are really cool, but in reality we just aren't.

BE: Who would you most like to work with?

ZS: Duff McKagan.

BE: Pick one: "Ace of Spades" or "Number of the Beast."

ZS: "Six, six six! The Number of the Beast!"

BE: Name three songs you wish you had written.

ZS: I wish I had written “Civil War,” “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” and “99 Red Balloons.”

BE: Fill in the blank: When no one is looking, I like to listen to______.

ZS: Paramore.

BE: What's your favorite rock and roll book and movie/documentary?

ZS: Favorite of all time is “The Doors,” it was just so damn entertaining.

BE: List the five best bassists in rock. Besides you, of course.

ZS: In my opinion, the best five are: John Paul Jones, Mike Rosenthal of Eight Fingers Down, Shavo Odajian of System of a Down, Bryan Whiteman of Emanuel, and Duff McKagan.

BE: What has been your biggest "rock star moment" to date?

ZS: Mom and daughter... (Ed. note: Whoa.)

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