Tankard is a thrash metal band from Germany formed in 1982 and is recognized as one of the four pioneers of German thrash, along with Destruction, Kreator, and Sodom – better known as the Teutonic Four. The band has released seventeen studio albums during their four decades at the forefront of the worldwide thrash metal scene. Thematically, Tankard has focused on alcohol use and partying for many of their albums – such as ‘The Morning After’ (1988), ‘Stone Cold Sober’ (1992), ‘Kings Of Beer’ (2000), ‘The Beauty And The Beer’ (2006), and ‘R.I.B. (Rest In Beer)’ (2014). It’s now been forty years since the band formed, and thirty-six years since the release of the band’s debut album ‘Zombie Attack’, released on the German heavy metal record label Noise Records…
…which during the eighties also released albums by some of the world’s biggest names in metal – okay they weren’t big back then, but they fucking are now – bands such as Kreator, Sabbat, and Coroner, along with Helloween, Running Wild, Grave Digger, and Rage.
As far as Tankard are concerned, Noise Records released the bands first seven albums, during a nine-year period from 1986 through to 1995 – ‘Zombie Attack’ (1986), ‘Chemical Invasion’ (1987), ‘The Morning After’ (1988), ‘The Meaning Of Life’ (1990), ‘Stone Cold Sober’ (1992), ‘Two-Faced’ (1994), and ‘The Tankard’ (1995). Hmm, tankard, “a tall beer mug, typically made of silver or pewter, with a handle and sometimes a hinged lid” was chosen as the band’s name – and what an incredible impact Tankard went on to make in the world of thrash metal. You name it, Tankard has done it – with ‘For A Thousand Beers’ a deluxe 40th-anniversary celebration of the band’s Noise Records discography.
The box set contains all seven albums released under their tenure with the German record label, including the E.P.’s ‘Alien’ and ‘Tankwart’. Also included, are the live album and DVD ‘Fat, Ugly & Live’, along with a previously unreleased video concert from the Dynamo, Eindhoven 1987, and an audio concert from Frankfurt 1988.
And if that isn’t enough – there is also a hardback book of photography, quotes, and lyrics from the first decade of the band’s existence. And it’s all housed in a case of beer box! What more could you possibly ask for? “BEER” comes the unanimous and rather loud reply. Well sadly, this box set doesn’t come with any beer, that’s for you to go out and buy – or order in – and enjoy over eight hours of fast, furious, and chaotic thrash, from the younger days of one of the worlds greatest ever thrash metal bands.
Overall, a superb collection of thrash metal, defining the early years of one of the most enduring bands ever – Tankard.
BOX SET INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING ALBUMS
Zombie Attack
Chemical Invasion
The Morning After
The Meaning Of Life
Stone Cold Sober
Two-Faced
The Tankard
Fat, Ugly & Live (DVD)
Tankard: Facebook
Release Year: 2022
Label: Noise Records
Category: Box Set
Country: Germany
Reviewed by Iron Mathew for Frenzy Fire, and Metal-Roos.
