ALBUM REVIEW: Sturmpanzer – Tank

One of the biggest names from the NWOBHM movement, TANK have finally released their long awaited album Sturmpanzer.

The album was announced way back in 2006 by founding member Algy Ward, with the finishing touches due to be added, though it wasn’t until 2015 that Ward revealed the album would be released that year, before being pushed back to the following year and again to the present day, with Ward setting up his own version of the band and undertaking all the elements for the record – vocals, bass, guitar and drums.

At long last though, the record is here and kicks off with 2000 Miles Away. The intro fits in with the band name, featuring what sounds like a historical audio clip of explosions, followed by the announcement “This is war!” The riffs start to come into play not long after with more techno sound effects, which fade away and all of a sudden you’re teleported back to the ’80s. There’s a reason why TANK were often compared to MOTÖRHEAD in the early days, with Ward’s vocal style being very similar to that of Lemmy, and on the whole the track is very well put together and is a strong way to open the record.

It flows right into the next track, March, which really kicks things up a notch. The pace is took up considerably as we enter the realms of classic punk, with the bass taking prominence throughout to maintain the tempo. Even the vocals fit in more with the conventional punk sound; hard, fast, aggressive and skull crushing, what more could you possibly want?

As this record has been in the planning for so long, one of the highlights comes right in the middle where we find the title track – Sturmpanzer Pt. 1 & 2. It starts off relatively gentle and gradually builds up as the seconds tick by, accompanied by what appear to be original oriental sounds, which eventually fade away as the riffs return in a big way. Even though it is just the one track, there is a clear distinct point where part one ends and the second begins, which is at the end of the instrumental, and it is a hard hitting anthem to really get you headbanging.

There are 12 tracks on the record, and in all fairness each one has its own unique selling points which make it stand out compared the others, so it is very hard to determine which are the main highlights of Sturmpanzer.

So the big question is, was it worth waiting 12 years for this record to be released? The answer to that is a resounding yes; Ward has done a fantastic job to produce everything on his own steam, setting the right nostalgic tone while also adding a modern twist to it. TANK fans will be mightily relieved to have Sturmpanzer out at long last, and is definitely one of the highlights of 2018.

Rating: 9/10

Sturmpanzer is out now via Dissonance Productions. 

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