Tankard – Hymns For The Drunk

CD:
Tankard
Price:
£14.60

Reviewed by:
Rating:
5
On 3 January 2018
Last modified:3 January 2018

Summary:

Thrash metal how it should be done. Raging hard but not taking itself seriously.

My first album review of 2018 and what better way to start by a stupendous beer related seventeen track best of album called Hymns For The Drunk by German thrash metallers Tankard. The tracks were taken from five albums they recorded with AFM Records between 2002-2010 proving their rightful place in the Big Four of German thrash metal alongside Sodom, Destruction and Kreator. Formed in 1982 in Frankfurt, the four piece boast two original members, Andreas Geremia on vocals and Frank Thorwarth on bass guitar.

‘Rectifier’ is a drum driven opener pounded out by Olaf Zissel over abrasive riffing. A simple but effective chorus keeps the rage flowing. Other highlights are the almost punk rock delivery of ‘Need Money For Beer’ and no punches are pulled, even more so as the blistering leads kick in and a rant of “You bastard, I hate you, I kill you, you can lick my balls”. ‘New Liver Please!’ begins like a hardcore version of ‘Am I Evil’ before it veers off into mid paced catchy thrash metal peppered with bursts of blurring riffs. ‘Slipping From Reality’ is all snare drum overload driving the song along joined by a wall of brutal riffs and razor sharp leads. ‘Die With A Beer In Your Hand’ is a full on race to the finish line gallop with a huge chorus and a hilarious funeral dirge guitar solo. The hard rock grooves in ‘We’re Coming Back’ have a fantastic guitar fill running throughout that gets in your head and stays there.

   ‘We Still Drink The Old Ways’ is a sure fire circle pit opener that thrashes, smashes and crashes hard over a vitriolic vocal. ‘Metaltometal’ is inhuman buzzsaw riffing with lyrics to match, including “Metal to metal, guts to guts, no country, no reggae, it’s driving me nuts”. ‘(Empty)Tankard’ begins with a Sabbath like stomp that riffs off into the strattosphere driven by wrist snapping snare work and a moshing midsection of “We wanna drink some whiskey, we wanna drink some beer!”. ‘The Morning After’ is as brutally fast or intense as anything on Reign In Blood but with added humour. Strap yourselves in as ‘Medley(Alcohol, Pure, Mon Cheri and Wonderful Life)’ takes you into Cro Mags territory with blasts of hardcore thrash and lyrics spat out with vigour. The simple but effective thrash of ‘Stay Thirsty!’ affirms the beer influenced lyrics of “Stay thirsty, stay thirsty, let the beer flow. Stay thirsty, liquid nation!”. The album ends on a high with final track ‘Rules For Fools’ that accelerates along in the vein of ‘Metal Militia’ laced with rampant solos, a triumphant finish to a prime thrash metal album.

Hymns For The Drunk is available from January 12th 2018.

Album track listing : –

Rectifier.

Need Money For Beer.

New Liver Please!

Slipping From Reality.

Die With A Beer In Your Hand.

We’re Coming Back.

We Still Drink The Old Ways.

The Beauty And The Beast.

Metaltometal.

Zombie Attack.

(Empty)Tankard.

The Morning After.

Medley(Alcohol, Pure, Mon Cheri, Wonderful Life).

Octane Warriors.

Stay Thirsty!

Time Warp.

Rules For Fools.

Tankard band line up :-

Andreas Geremia – Vocals.

Andreas Gutjahr – Guitar.

Frank Thorwarth – Bass guitar.

Olaf Zissel – Drums.

 

 

 

 

 

Thrash metal how it should be done. Raging hard but not taking itself seriously.

About Dennis Jarman

Full time downtrodden album/gig reviewer and part time rock God!