Tankard: Zombie Attack (1986)

From Tank to Tankard.  I remember a discussion on the metal forums about whether there is a actually a Big Four of German thrash metal.  Obviously there is a Big Three, consisting of Destruction, Kreator and Sodom.  But is there a fourth titan of Teutonic thrash?  Many members posited that if there were, perhaps that band would be the beer-loving goofballs in Tankard.  Personally, my vote would go to Holy Moses, but Tankard has been going fairly steadily ever since their formation in 1983.  So there is something to be said for longevity and consistency.

Zombie Attack is the debut album from Tankard, who got a bit of a later start in the game than their more well-known colleagues.  The band's sense of humor and light-heartedness is on display early on with the title track which talks about watching horror movies then finding it was coming true.  Tankard is definitely less serious than the members of the Big Three.  With songs like "Alcohol" and "(Empty) Tankard", their obsession with beer shines through.  The latter makes a terrific drinking song with a grooving stomping riff.

Musically, this is fast-paced thrash with a lot of bass-heavy riffs thrown out at the listener.  Despite it being a debut release, and the goofy lyrics, there is no doubt that this is a mature-sounding thrash metal outfit.  The riffing is surprisingly sophisticated, sounding like the work of a veteran band.  The vocals are often delivered in a harsh yell, but are often backed by gang vocals singing along during the chorus.

This is a damn impressive debut.  It is much more refined than the debuts by Destruction, Kreator and Sodom.  I am still not sure that Tankard belongs on the same level as the other three bands, but their debut fits in well.