The Present and Hereafter of Metal
By Noe Gutierrez
When I listen to the 2019 EP Upon Arrival by When Tides Turn, I hear a Progressive and Melodic Metal that has the capacity to evolve over time and intensify heavy music from the Coachella Valley.
The band is Jacob Garcia on vocals, TJ Cazares on lead guitar, Desiree McCaslin, on drums, Adrian Whitson on bass and Thomas Lambert on rhythm guitar. The band has been a lot more visible and performed throughout 2019 in supporting their release and unquestionably earned their ‘Best Metal Band’ nomination at the Coachella Valley Music Awards.
2020 looks to be even more exceptional as WTT is earnestly working on next level Metal and mapping out the next year.
Coachella Valley Weekly spoke with McCaslin to get an update on all things WTT.
CVW: What do we need to know about each member of the band that we may not be aware of as a WTT fan?
McCaslin: “Lambert is a veteran, TJ is a graduate from Musicians Institute College of Contemporary Music, Dez enjoys hunting and fishing and Jacob loves trying new beer.”
CVW: You have your 2019 EP Upon Arrival available on all major platforms. I know it’s only been less than a year but how distant is the band’s sound now from that album?
McCaslin: “The new songs we are writing are pretty far-removed from Upon Arrival. We are working on a heavier and more balanced approach to the new songs. Upon Arrival was us putting out an album that had a completely different sounding song from one another.”
CVW: Upon Arrival has a good balance of, for lack of better terms, “clean” and “death growl” vocals. How conscious is the band with regard to where to put which vocal style in a song?
McCaslin: “Vocals are a hard one. The vocals have moved towards more heavy screams. There are definitely moments to listen to the music’s dynamics and match the vocals with them, but playing it too ‘by the rules’ will make the changes sound predictable and/or stagnant. That being said, certain sections call for certain vocals. Upon Arrival was a blast, we’re also very excited to further challenge ourselves and build on our collective songwriting.”
CVW: You’re working on new tunes now. What can you tell us about the music you’re creating?
McCaslin: “The new songs are going towards a heavier sound, much more diverse and well-put together.”
CVW: You have a few shows booked to end the year. How much does your live show represent the band and what do you want to relay to music fans?
McCaslin: “We are a live band. We love playing live and that’s where we thrive. With having more songs and working on a new album, we are also working on being able to put on a better live show.”
CVW: How do you feel about the desert music scene and how it treats Metal music?
McCaslin: “It’s improved. It was hard to find Metal shows in the desert, but it’s becoming much better and it’s thanks to all of the Metal bands in the valley getting out there and playing more shows, making all Metal bands more welcome.”
Upcoming Shows:
Fri. 12/20 – The Hood Bar & Pizza – Palm Desert, CA
Fri. 12/20 – BART Lounge – Cathedral City, CA
Sun. 12/29 – Pixels – Riverside, CA
To keep up to date, follow When Tides Turn below:
https://artist.landr.com/music/628810066223
To communicate with the band, email them at:
