TANKARD – Hymns For The Drunk

Tankard describes Hymns For The Drunk as the ultimate ‘best of’ album featuring AFM Records recordings from the 2002 to 2010.  As you might expect of a compilation album spanning nearly a decade, there are variances in production and mixing which give it an uneven quality.  What doesn’t vary is the unapologetic high speed Thrash Metal heard throughout.

The songs are lyrically beer and good cheer inspired; though the humor is maintained even when the band wanders off topic as in “Metaltometal” and “Zombie Attack”.  While the lyrics are rarely serious, the music is much the opposite.  It’s hard-hitting, up-tempo, and derivative of bands such as Slayer, Testament, and Cliff Burton era Metallica. The opening of “Slipping From Reality” sounds like Metallica’s “Ride The Lightning” and the main guitar riff from “Metaltometal” is very similar to “Trailblazers” from Hammerfall.  Fans will likely notice a pre-2002 four-song section on the latter half of the album.  These songs, including the aforementioned “Zombie Attack”, are highlights and were recorded for a compilation released in 2007.  Other highlights are songs from the 2006 release The Beauty And The Beer such as “The Beauty And The Beast”.  Production on these later releases cleanly separates the band elements while the songs from 2002’s B-Day that lead off the album are the sonic equivalent of a sludge cocktail.

While Hymns For The Drunk shouldn’t be viewed as a career spanning greatest hits, it succeeds as a snapshot of the band for these years.  Recommended for Thrash Metal fans who missed this era the first time around.

TUNE INTO METALEXPRESSRADIO.COM at NOON & MIDNIGHT (EST) / 6:00 & 18:00 (CET) TO HEAR THE BEST TRACKS FROM THIS UPCOMING RELEASE!!!

Track list

1. Rectifier
2. Need Money For Beer
3. New Liver Please!
4. Slipping From Reality
5. Die With A Beer In Your Hand
6. We’re Coming Back
7. We Still Drink The Old Ways
8. The Beauty And The Beast
9. Metaltometal
10. Zombie Attack
11. (Empty) Tankard
12. The Morning After
13. Medley (Alcohol, Puke, Mon Cheri, Wonderful Life)
14. Octane Warriors
15. Stay Thirsty!
16. Time Warp
17. Rules For Fool

Members

Andreas Geremia – vocals
Andreas Gutjahr – guitars
Frank Thorwarth – bass
Olaf Zissel – drums