TANKARD Zombie Attack Picture LP

Hammerheart Records limited picture disc reissue of this classic German Thrash debut!

A pure thrash classic debut, this albums has legendary status as far as I'm concerned. Being part of the Teutonic big 4 of thrash, they are often brushed aside by some posers just because they are "silly" because of the beer and party lyrical themes...but who cares? It's thrash, it should be fun and not meant to be taken too seriously, to me Tankard is more than deserving of their spot in the Teutonic big 4 and they should not be ignored by real thrash fans. What matters is the quality of the songs, and they 100% deliver.

This album is full of cool and awesome riffs. They are simple, catchy, and full of non stop energy. The riffs here almost sound like they are punk riffs played with the intensity and style of thrash. At first that might sound like it is a very typical thing of releases of the time from bands such as Exodus, Exumer, Overkill, Anthrax, and others, but what Tankard brings to the table is make these riffs have a more vibrant sound, crunchier and richer sounding. If you listen to the material from those other bands of this era, you will notice the production on this album better. Apart from the fun riffs, the drums and bass also add a lot of that fun, simple. As important as the riffs are, frontman Gerre's iconic and charismatic vocals are the highlight of the album for me though. The choruses and verses are simply just so catchy and fun, his German accent adds so much charm to his singing. For me, his vocals standout in the genre for the pure fun and energy they emit. His style and way he shouts, somewhat reminds me of punk, this whole album as a whole has moments that remind me of punk.

Every single song is catchy and amazing, just pure straightforward short songs, with the cool Tankard touch. This makes the album super strong start to finish, I mean what else do you want or need? Every single song is catchy and effective, it is almost pointless to pick out favorites, because they are all classics in their own right, they all work together to create this classic of the genre. But if I had to pick my favorite songs, it would probably be the first 4: Zombie Attack, Acid Death, Mercenary, and Maniac Forces. It's perfect that this album was released in the iconic year of 1986, as many thrash bands released their best album that year; Tankard is no exception, this is their best album without a doubt. There is not much to say about this album other than what I already have said: it is catchy, effective, fun, straightforward, and a classic that leaves you satisfied and delivers what it sets out to deliver. It's a perfect album and I don't see why it would not be. If you think this is a dumb and boring album, then you might not be a fan of old school thrash metal.