TANKARD
“ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE”
Album Review By Iron Mathew

10/10

Tankard are a thrash metal band from Germany formed in 1982, and are recognised as one of the four pioneers of German thrash metal along with Destruction, Kreator and Sodom. With the release of their debut album in 1986, Tankard have released a total of seventeen studio albums, and for most of them the lyrical theme has been about beer and partying…albums such as ‘The Morning After’ (1988), ‘Stone Cold Sober’ (1992) and ‘Kings Of Beer’ (2000). More recent albums have concentrated on other subjects, such as politics, dropping the beer theme, maybe in an attempt to be taken as a more serious band. In fact, the bands new album only has one song with a beer theme…and if you’re looking for some cracking old school style thrash metal to head bang the cobwebs away, ‘One Foot In The Grave’ will do just that.

Not veering too far from the standard thrash metal sound, the seventeenth album from icons Tankard is strong on the old school, heavy on the pace and full of aggression and in your face style songs. ‘Pay To Pray’ opens the album with its short atmospheric and crescendo building beginning before plummeting full tilt into a raucous and raging romp of blistering speed. Pace and power accommodates the chugging rhythm as ‘Pay To Pray’ flies by in a flash. Keeping the pace up and raging like a storm, ‘Arena Of The True Lies’ is a catchy, foot stomping thrash metal assault with melodic moments thrown in. After only two songs in, it’s great to see, wait a minute, that should be great to hear, that Tankard are doing what they do best. Aggression and attitude oozes from every twang, thump and scream as ‘Don’t Bullshit Us!’ forces its way into view and sets a blistering pace as it thunders and shreds its way on.

Title song ‘One Foot In The Grave’ opens with a mellow intro, setting an atmospheric feel, but we metal heads know that it’s just building towards an explosion of guitars and drums…and disappointed you won’t be. ‘One Foot In The Grave’ is out and out thrash metal with pace and power and a catchy sing a long style chorus. Lyrically, the song is about growing old and how do deal with everything that ageing throws your way. A political theme takes centre stage as ‘Syrian Nightmare’ rolls into life, more mid tempo and heavy than anything gone before and deals with the war in Syria. As I mentioned earlier, Tankard have steered away from the beer related songs that filled a lot of their albums early in their career and are showing a much more mature attitude towards song writing and lyrical themes. However, this does not detract from the fact that Tankard are still delivering cracking thrash metal… Pace drops to be replaced by very heavy guitars and an almost doom style guitar riff as ‘Northern Crown (Lament Of The Undead King) launches forward. A heavy mid tempo stomp, a head noddingly addictive rhythm and occasional passages of pace make ‘Northern Crown (Lament Of The Undead King) a very intriguing and delightful listen.

Aggression and attitude return with the bustling ‘Lock ‘Em Up!’ shredding its way through the airways and forging a furious flurry of frenetic riffs. One of the quickest songs on the album, ‘Lock ‘Em Up!’ is a head bangers dream. Pace quickens with the savagely fast ‘The Evil That Men Display’, which sets a blistering speed as it races on. Violent head banging will accompany this one, so make sure your neck is flexible enough… In the year 1516, Germany passed a law, known as the Bavarian purity law of 1516, which says “only water, barley and hops may be used to brew beer”. In the shape of the song ‘Secret Order 1516’ Tankard return to their beer song writing roots and deliver a haunting one minute intro to a song that chimes in at over seven minutes in length. Containing furious guitar riffs, thunderous drums and a “monks in a monastery” chanting style chorus, ‘Secret Order 1516’ is anthemic and epic as it rambles relentlessly on its way. Ending the album is the blistering pace and out and out thrash metal fury that is ‘Sole Grinder’. Pace, power and speed all combine to end this journey of old school thrash from an old school band that are very much alive and kicking…thirty five years after their formation.

Overall, classic sounding and old school, Tankard have delivered a sparkling thrash metal experience, proving that they are no where near having one foot in the grave.

TRACKLIST

Pay To Pray
Arena Of The True Lies
Don’t Bullshit Us!
One Foot In The Grave
Syrian Nightmare
Northern Crown (Lament Of The Undead King)
Lock ‘Em Up!
The Evil That Men Display
Secret Order 1516
Sole Grinder

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