Review Summary: A surprising match for Tankard, drummer Olaf Zissel marks an excellent performance for the band's seventh studio album, but slightly struggles as a one-man guitarist fit.
Shortly after a surprisingly underrated album, German thrash metal band Tankard replaced drummer Arnulf Tunn with ex-Autopsia member Olaf Zissel (who is Tankard's current drummer), soon knowing that former guitarist Axel Katzmann was suffering with osteoarthritis in his wrist. Due to the osteoarthritis, Katzmann was then forced to leave the band leaving Tankard no choice but to remain as a one-man outfit.
Tankard don't receive much great criticism as the other bands from the 'Big Teutonic Four', but they do have the courage to be one of the best bands from the 'Big Teutonic Four' and still, Tankard show consistency, and no doubt that they are very popular in their origin, witch is Germany.
The Tankard was the title for their seventh studio recording, and was released in October 1995 under Noise Records, it was their last album under the label until they signed up with Century Media, making this their tenth album in total and the band's first without guitarist Axel Katzmann. The Tankard, is considered as their most underrated release, as well as that, the album features a more progressive sound to it, with songs such as "Grave New World", starts with a bass thumping along with Gerre softly singing "Melt to the beat of the drum / Melt to be one, to be one," for about one minute until it gets faster and faster, that shreds to be a good mix of an on-going guitar riff with talented drumming; and besides that, other songs like "Minds on the Moon", "Atomic Twilight" and "Hope?" are more progressive than fast and solid like their usual work of their first five recordings.
With this album also, it is not the Tankard that some would want or expect, but it is a lot more catchier than their very-early-on efforts like 1986's Zombie attack and 1988's The Morning After albums. The album is a great effort, though some songs are a bit too similar and are not heavy enough. For those who like progressive albums or are interested in progressive thrash, I would recommend this album to them or even fans of albums such as Dimension Hatross by the Canadian progressive metal band Voivod.
PROS
- The production and sound quality are in good hands
- The drums sound great and are played well
- Overall the album is different than most of their material and should not disappoint newcomers
CONS
- Guitars sound similar in each song
- It could have been heavier
- Some songs sound the same and slightly may effect newcomers
RECOMMENDED TRACKS
-Hope?
-Minds on the Moon
-Poshor Golovar
The overall album rating for this album is 3.5/5
