TANKARD Chemical Invasion Picture LP

Picture disc reissued on Hammerheart Records! 80s German Thrash!

I’m on the unpopular opinion that Tankard’s debut, Zombie Attack, is a terribly one-note album that’s not worth revisiting. Had I discovered the band through that record, I wouldn’t have given the time of day to anything they have released after. But why am I bringing this up all over again when I already wrote a review on it? You see, Chemical Invasion was my first Tankard album (as I’m sure it was for many of us) and it did what its predecessor couldn’t. It turned me into a lifelong Tankard superfan!

Forget all the overly simplistic 3 or so minutes long romps that you couldn’t tell apart. That’s all in the past old man! In little over a year, the band managed to completely reinvent their sound, up their songwriting game, and do all this in such manner that’s completely unique to them and just them. But how does that sound exactly? Imagine the punk attitude and aggression of the debut album with Gerre’s sharp barks and violent, break-neck guitars. You with me? If so, add some bouncy riffs with a tone that’s a lot warmer than other Teutonic thrashers at the time. Doesn’t sound like the ZA Tankard you knew? Oh, you just wait until I tell you about how they filled the whole album with unique, memorable songs that are paced perfectly.

Chemical Invasion is deceptively varied, having displays of thrash aggression (Chemical Invasion, Tantrum, Total Addiction) right next to a milder, midtempo headbanger like Traitor, an 8-minutes long alcoholic-anti-sellout opus. And while songs like the pure-punk Puke and Gang Green’s Alcohol are both very great additions to the record’s sound, they aren’t nearly as surprising as For a Thousand Beers. A nearly 7.5 minutes long instrumental song, which would normally be way too fucking long for thrash metal. Yet, Tankard somehow manages to make it exciting the whole way through with each section of it permanently carved into my brain. It begins with an apocalyptic sounding acoustic guitar intro before transitioning into its electric variation. Then our journey through the brain of a high functioning alcoholic arrives at an absolute whirlwind of dual guitars that showcases everything the band has to offer. Stomping grooves, solo on top of solo, gallops galore, and even more! I wouldn’t be opposed to praising what might just be my favourite instrumental of all time a bit more, but I’m already sounding beyond pretentious.

That said, Chemical Invasion is still very much a thrash metal record, hell even more so than its older sibling. You need to look no further than the opening track Total Addiction (which might just be my favourite song of theirs) with a healthy dose of sharp riffage that is – and you won’t believe this – alternating between a VARIETY of spiralling, off kilter licks. Rhythm section also gets to show off in the first 4 minutes of the album with the crisp drums battering your eardrums in cahoots with the strong bass presence. Then there is also the rapid-fire vocals and the gut-wrenching scream between two chaotic solos, but how seamlessly it flows into the second track is just pure joy!

Even if just briefly, but the production quality is worth a mention. The low-fi 80s thrash soundscape is certainly there, but its dirtiness is perfectly balanced. Every instrument is where it should be, with no hostile takeovers or band members going rogue on the mix. Is this groundbreaking for ’87? No. Does this enhance the whole record, making it feel more organic? Yes.

It's hard to even put into words how much of an impact listening to Chemical Invasion nearly a decade ago had on my taste in music. It is infinitely re-playable with nothing outside of the bands catalogue sounding quite like it. Truly, it’s a one-of-a-kind collection of fun, punky, but technically proficient collection of songs. And if you couldn’t have guessed it yet, I do believe this to be a perfect album. As much as I want to find a flaw, there is none and I wouldn’t shy away from putting this on any list concerning the 10 best thrash metal records of all time. However, the real kicker is that the next release from the band somehow ended up being even better…

The highlight of the album is everything between the burp in the intro, and the "Yeah, that's it" in the outro.