Black Tide

Four teens from Florida are making big waves in the music industry. And they're not in a boy band – well, not exactly. Miami-based thrash metal band Black Tide is earning raves for its crunching riffs and lightning fast solos.

Lead singer-guitarist Gabriel Garcia was only 10 years old when Black Tide formed in 2004. The rest of the band's members – guitarist Alex Nuñez, bassist Zakk Sandler and drummer Steven Spence – still aren't old enough to buy alcohol, let alone get inside the bars and clubs they've performed in. Yet, the young teens draw mostly from '70s and '80s metal mainstays like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Metallica. In 2006, their throwback sound and tight live shows scored them a deal with Interscope Records, the home of artists like 50 Cent, Daddy Yankee and Nine Inch Nails.

At just 14, Garcia can be a controversial frontman. Last year, Black Tide was dropped from the second stage lineup at OZZfest after one of the show's sponsors, the liquor company Jägermeister, announced it didn't want to promote underage drinking. Two days later, they were invited to open on the main stage at OZZfest.

After closing out 2007 as openers for Avenged Sevenfold, Black Tide will have a busy year. They're capping off a club tour with performances at the prestigious SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. Their debut album, The Light From Above, is scheduled for release in mid-March.