Tankard
Vol(l)ume 14

January 2011
Released: 2010, AFM/Soulfood
Rating: 4.0/5
Reviewer: Thorsten Zwingelberg

I was just talking to Gary Holt of Exodus and Death Angels’s Mark Osegueda about the birth place of Thrash Metal the other day. Even though they both were positive that that would be the Bay Area, Gary also admitted that the German Thrash bands have never gotten enough credit for the role they played in the history of Thrash Metal. And still, even today, if people think of German Thrash Metal, they think of bands like Kreator, Destruction or Sodom. Most people forget that Tankard have been around for quite a while now. They got together in the early 80ies and recorded their first demo HEAVY METAL VANGUARD in 1984. But since they mainly sang about drinking – and zombies occasionally – they are rarely named in one breath with other German legends.



Be it as it may – Tankard are clearly my childhood heroes and I still love albums like THE MEANING OF LIFE or ZOMBIE ATTACK. The Frankfurt Thrashers have been through different phases of stylistic make over, adding some punk elements at times and more melodies at others. It seems that they have returned to what they are best at: thrashing like maniacs. And while they still sing about beer (“Beck’s in the city”), they also added some topics that are more age-group appropriate, like healthy diet (“Fat Snatchers”). And with songs like “Condemnation” they eventually prove that they can play some serious Thrash that is apt to snap some necks – the song even reminds me of current Sodom sounds.



Tankard is back and while they will probably never be able to record a second THE MEANING OF LIFE, they have done their best to come up with a convincing, fast and powerful Thrash Metal album that proves that German bands continue to write Thrash Metal history.