CoC : Tankard - Disco Destroyer : Review

Tankard - _Disco Destroyer_
(Century Media, 1999)
by: Matthias Noll (3 out of 10)

Oh my god, what happened to German thrash metal? It seems it died long ago. Tankard, from my hometown Frankfurt, have been one of the most unique bands in the German scene. They were the band with the least obvious US influences and the silliest image (alcoholic metal), and they were also one of the best and most energetic German live bands in the mid eighties. Personally, I still love their first two records and maybe that's the reason why _Disco Destroyer_ is not my piece of cake. I still remember them as a thrashing, fast, heavy, entertaining and enthusiastic band, but not a single one of these attributes relates to _Disco Destroyer_. This record plods along aimlessly and is not even heavy. One reason is the powerless production from Harris Johns, who, like Tankard, seems to have left his best days long behind. A band with such simple songs needs at least a considerable amount of heaviness. The second reason is the songwriting. Tankard always suffered a bit from their limited style and -- like Sodom, for example -- have never been a technical band. Unlike others, they have not chosen to go into the more extreme direction, but on a couple of songs add more melody to their choruses. Melody itself is not a bad thing, but it should be good and not some third rate fun punk singalong crap. Even if my heart bleeds, I have to say that this record is shit and the only reason why I give them three points is for the inclusion of the demo classic "Death by Whips" and the song "Queen of Hearts". Sorry, guys, but I think it's time to end the fight for pure beer.

(article published 15/1/2000)

ALBUMS
7/12/2004	M Noll	8.5	Tankard - Beast of Bourbon