Tank : This means war
(Music for Nations - 1983)
Category : underrated

With an ex-member of Punk band The Damned in its ranks, British trio Tank set off making fast paced 80's Metal influenced up to a certain degree by the NWOBHM movement's heaviest band Motörhead. Their first album 'Filth Hounds of Hades' was a hit among Metal fans, and rightfully so. With its short basic and fast songs it was a treat for young headbangers everywhere. The follow up 'Power of the Hunter' isn't nearly as good, as their sound had watered down to a sort of uninspired Hard Rock. But when 'This Means War' arrived, it was yet another animal. The album is typified by more elaborate song writing and lengthier compositions and by the introduction of keyboards.

The album sounds just as heavy, the songs are just as explosive, but they're also that little bit catchier (with fine choruses in nearly all songs) to set Tank apart from many other NWOBHM bands, who seemed to be content simply making fast music. Tank has really matured. Their sound has progressed for the best, for they have now become a radio-friendly band in the guise of a proto Speed Metal trio. It just shows what good songsmiths they were, which to me brings them, at least when this album arrived, to the stratospheric heights of their NWOBHM peers Iron Maiden, Jaguar, Legend, Diamond Head and Angel Witch.

Website: http://www.tankfilthhounds.net