The alt-metal band Tides were revved up to record the follow-up to its new EP, “Pararse,” when tragedy struck. Tides’ guitarist Harmony (Robert) Rankhorn died from a pre-existing health condition.
Armed with a new lineup, Tides will return to the stage with vocalist Roman Casillas, guitarist Gabe Garcia, drummer John McKinley and bassist Abel Moreno. They host a re-release party for “Pararse” on Friday, March 29, at Club Congress.
“We lost a really, really big part of Tides,” Moreno said. “He was not only a band member, but just a good friend. To continue, we really had to sit down and think about what we wanted to do, as far as music is concerned.
“This is my first time being in a solid band. We’ve actually gone to the studio and putting in effort to make this really professional. It’s been a blessing for me because I get to work with these guys. Robert wouldn’t want it any other way. He just bled music and for us not to continue, I think that would have been (a) downfall for every single one of us.”
We lost a really big part of Tides
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Tides was founded as a way for the musicians to heal from losses, Moreno said previously. Looking back, he said Rankhorn was trying to say “goodbye” through his music.
“It’s eerie and heartbreaking,” he said. “We had such a good time that we planned go to back into the studio six months later.
“He saw the promise in Tides and what our message was and what we really wanted to do. His heart and his mind were invested into what we were doing and saying. We knew what we were doing was bigger than ourselves. Our music resonated with other people.”
Tides w/Mastadonna and Bloody Roar perform at 7 p.m. Friday, March 29, at Club Congress, 311 E. Congress Street, Tucson, $12.36, www.hotelcongress.com
