TANKARD are a German Thrash Metal Band. They were formed in 1982 by Frank Thorwarth and Andreas Geremia aka Gerre. They were unfortunately pretty much some of the forefathers of the genre across the pond and this is their first release since 2017’s ‘’One Foot in the Grave’’. Consistency is king because they have had the same lineup since 1998 and continue to be a force to be reckoned with ‘’Pavlov’s Dawgs’’.
Nothing better than something really fast and heavy when the hot weather is striking down in the Province of Quebec. TANKARD should be explored, not stay hidden. What I am saying is that I don’t consider them as underrated nor ignored, but the fact of the matter is, they were lost in the shuffle of the Thrash Metal peak. You had so many Teutonic Thrash Metal bands back then and they didn’t get their due. They are pretty big out there but are mainly unknown to most North American fans.
It’s been one hell of a year for Thrash Metal, we had some really great albums from the likes of KREATOR and DESTRUCTION. I know a lot of bands in the genre are working hard on new albums like ANTHRAX and MEGADETH, so it’s gonna be a great late 2022-early 2023 for the fan out there. TANKARD packs a real punch keeps the tradition alive and pulls out another great Thrash Metal album.
They are a far more technical Thrash Metal band than a lot of the bands out there. I was pretty impressed because I did not have any misconceptions beforehand. The musicianship is highly underrated and rather addictive. I like bands that try something a tad different and the far more technical side of things is always a treat for the listener. They are very reminiscent of an older band called TOXIK, a highly regarded yet underappreciated band. Energetic and unrelenting catchy choruses make ground for some seriously enjoyable riffs. It’s a nice balance of Mid-Tempo stuff with the frenetic 80’s Thrash Metal pace. There is something for everyone and it’s a real throwback to the early days of the genre. They still have the comical lyrics and themes that are whimsical (and obviously beer related!) but it adds to the charm.
This is a far longer album than most Thrash Metal albums out there. There is some real thought and work on these tracks. One thing for certain is I will check out their back catalog and see what I was missing out. I was also quite impressed with the production, rough around the edges but top-notch where it counts.
The high points for me were the title track, ‘’Ex-Fluencer’’ and ‘’Dark Self Intruder’’. Those are the songs I really want to hear live if I ever get back to any concert at all in the next year or beyond (hey, a man can dream if they ever come to North America!). Those are standout and real headbangers, a throwback (again with that word!) to the heyday of the genre.
TANKARD shows on ‘Pavlov’s Dawgs’ that they are in the same boat as the other big bands out there in the world of Thrash Metal. They can dish it out like the best of them and they should be more appreciated and discovered again. It’s a damn shame that they were lost in the shuffle back then but now they are back to the forefront, ready to conquer again! A solid effort from an unsung band!