The albums SEA SHANTIES and HIGH TIDE were originally released in 1969 and 1970, respectively, by the band High Tide, a British outfit that played a progressive version of psychedelic metal that in retrospect seems years ahead of its time.
High Tide was as heavy as Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, but with a penchant for wild guitar freak-outs and sonic cacophony that bordered on the avant garde.
Both albums feature extended tracks where sizzling violin solos (the presence of violin on a proto-metal album for the ‘60s is reason enough to take notice of this disc) go toe-to-toe with extreme guitar workouts and thunderous rhythmic onslaughts.
This twofer, released in 2008, brings the releases together, making the music available to a whole new generation of metalheads, stoner rock aficionados, psych fans, ‘60s cultists, and fans of contemporary psych-rock acts like Oneida and Comets on Fire.